Belen Review – The poignant true story of a woman wrongly accused of having an illegal abortion | film

forEllen is a pseudonym. In 2014, a 25-year-old woman arrived at a hospital in Argentina with severe abdominal pain that turned out to be a miscarriage. She had no idea she was 22 weeks pregnant, but doctors suspected she had had an abortion, which was illegal in Argentina, and called the police. Belén was charged with premeditated murder and sentenced to eight years in prison. When feminist lawyer Soledad Deza took up her case, it sparked protests, and thousands took to the streets wearing green scarves. This heartfelt drama tells the story, mostly from the point of view of lawyer Deza (played by the film’s director, Dolores Fonzi).

It starts in the hospital. The doctor in charge barely bothers to look at Belén from his clipboard – she is a poor, working-class woman and this will determine her fate. After finding a fetus in a hospital toilet, police arrived and handcuffed Belen to her bed. They don’t do DNA tests on the fetus, so there’s no physical evidence – a fact that the lazy defense didn’t bring up to the boil during her trial. Belén in real life has always chosen to remain anonymous, which may explain why her character is on the back foot here, though Camilla Platt’s sensitive supporting performance gives us a glimpse into Belén’s heightened political awareness.

The film is essentially a legal procedural: solid, often entertaining, and occasionally interesting. It follows Deza and her team step by step as they fight the system to get Belen’s appeal. As the case accelerates, it takes over Desa’s waking hours, causing ripples of discontent in her family. It’s a reminder of the expectations around work and home for women – no matter how important your job is, you won’t be forgiven for missing your child’s violin playing. The film ends with real footage on the streets in December 2020 when abortion was legalized in Argentina, faces filled with joy and tears of joy.