Just Announced, Special Guest Scheduled to Appear
Additional Films and Guests, Screen Share
A searing documentary that focuses on the transformative struggles of those who can become pregnant and the legal, political, and cultural battles revolving around their sexuality, reproductive health, and justice. Followed by a Q&A with special guests!
After immigrating to America, Bei Bei Shuai began working at a small Chinese restaurant in Indianapolis. She planned a future with the man she loved and with whom she was expecting a baby. Then, without warning, he abandoned her, stealing thousands of her dollars and leaving her isolated and depressed. Desperate, she attempted to take her own life; she did not succeed, but her child, born prematurely, did not survive, and her personal tragedy became a public crime. For the state of Indiana, Bei Bei is no longer a grieving mother, but a cold-blooded murderer.
The film is an in-depth look at how political, cultural, and legal forces can conspire to disrupt and wreck the lives of societies’ most vulnerable and marginalized people. It tells the story the public didn’t see: Bei Bei grieving the loss of her child while trying to regain her mental health and face murder charges; the fierce attorney who fought tooth and nail to keep her out of jail; and the communities who came together to protest a prosecution many felt was a witch hunt. [88 mins; documentary; English]
Following the screening, there will be a Q&A with Sara Friedman (Professor, Anthropology, Gender Studies); Jennifer Barber (Professor, Sociology; Senior Scientist, Kinsey Institute); Deborah Widiss (Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Affairs, Professor of Law and Ira C. Batman Faculty Fellow); and Shruti Rana (Senior Assistant Dean for Curricular and Undergraduate Affairs; Diversity Officer; Director, International Law and Institutions Program, Affiliated Professor of Law, Maurer School of Law).
"This is a story that has never been told… It’s incredibly important that audiences hear, and experience, Bei Bei’s story." — Miriam Yueng, activist, author, and former executive director of the National Asian Pacific Women’s Forum
“The film's superb storytelling … goes beyond the case and explores Bei Bei's Chinese cultural background … It shows how much more complex it is for an immigrant to navigate the American legal system which wants to make an example of her for other pregnant women.” — Tony An, YNOT at the Movies
This screening is sponsored by Cynthia Wu, Jean C. Robinson, the College of Arts and Humanities Institute, the Kinsey Institute, the Arts and Humanities Council, the Department of Gender Studies, and IU Cinema.
This screening includes MOUNTAINS
Wed, Dec 4, 7 pm
