From Argentina, and based on a true story, Belén is the film that tackles the real-life court case of a mother accused of infanticide. Co-writer/director/star Dolores Fonzi adapts the story from the non-fiction book What Happened To Belén: The Unjust Imprisonment That Sparked a Women’s Rights Movement by Ana Elena Correa. This crime drama was co-written by Laura Paredes, Agustina San Martín, and Nicolás Britos.
The drama begins when Julieta (Camila Pláate) is being driven to the emergency room with a pain in her groin. While waiting to be fully diagnosed, she has to go to the restroom. When the attending nurse returns to see the patient gone, she goes to find her and helps her back to bed. There is now blood on her jeans, and the attending physician wonders if she’s ever had an abortion. As he’s doing a full exam, the police arrive and show Julieta a dead fetus in a box they found in the restroom, and arrest her for murder.
“…the police arrive and show Julieta a dead fetus in a box they found in the restroom, and arrest her for murder.”
Soledad Deza (Dolores Fonzi), a lawyer, arrives late to a courthouse meeting, but in the hallway, manages to come across Julieta’s distraught mother and sister talking to the courthouse clerk. The exchange sparks her curiosity, and she learns from them that Julieta had a miscarriage but is instead being charged with a possible life sentence for killing a fetus. Soledad inquires more about the case and has a history with the assigned public defender, Beatriz Camaño (Julieta Cardinali). After they sit down, it’s apparent that Beatriz looks at the case as cut and dry and that Julieta is guilty. Soledad sits in during the initial testimony against Julieta, but it seems that Beatriz isn’t putting her best foot forward in creating solid arguments for her client. Ultimately, Julieta is sentenced to eight years in prison. The guilty verdict now has Soledad step in for the appeal process.
As I first sat down to watch Belén, I knew there was a political element that dealt with women’s productive rights. What I didn’t realize was that the court case was from 2014, and in this day and age, I couldn’t believe that Argentinian law controlled a woman’s right to choose. This court case inspired the need for change in Argentina. It was the spark that instigated vocal advocacy from women and their allies to speak up and shine a light on women’s rights countrywide. As viewers watch the film, they will learn all about that and what exactly did happen to Belén.
Belén is Fonzi’s second-directed film, and she keeps it concise, creating enough suspense and drama without overdoing it. The four writers were wise not drag the film past the two-hour mark. Fonzi takes on the triple threat role of writing, directing, and acting, and that couldn’t have been easy. The film could also be compared to something that might air on Lifetime or Hulu as a limited series in the vein of the Amanda Knox trial. However, given the story’s topic and its importance to Argentina, it was a great pick for their Foreign Film/International awards season run.
"…Fonzi's second-directed film, and she keeps it concise, creating enough suspense and drama..."
