Would you break the law to save a woman’s life? At a public hospital in Nicaragua, this is the ethical dilemma that obstetrician Dr. Carla Cerrato and her colleagues have to face on a routine basis. It is one of only five countries in the world to ban abortion outright – even in cases of rape, incest, and likely maternal fatality. Defying the law and risking her career, Dr Cerrato is determined to champion the cause of Nicaragua’s women.

Inspiration

Dr Cerrato is willing to risk her career – and more – to protect the rights of the women in her care.

Information

While providing a powerful portrait of medical professionals coping with an outright ban on therapeutic abortion, the documentary outlines the added ethical difficulties they face in a country in which most victims of rape and sexual violence are girls aged 17 and under.

Through its focus on women’s health and the wider implications of this law, the film also explores the political evolution of Nicaragua’s current political leaders, members of the Marxist movement behind the Nicaraguan Revolution.

Entertaining / Gripping

A gripping story of defiance, poignantly captured.