They Killed Sister Dorothy

In my search for important and moving documentaries I stumbled upon this 2008 film about the trial of four men in the killing of an activist nun in Brazil. The film is narrated by Martin Sheen and focuses on the murder while making it's political statement about the deforestation of the Amazon.

The film traces the passionate effort of the prosecutors and Dorothy's brother David Stang. It's an amazing look into the justice system of Brazil. It also sheds light on the anti-American sentiments that run in the courts over the death of an American woman. The film also shows the reversal of confessions and the corruption that runs just under the surface of the defense team.

Like most documentaries I can only comment on the impact of the film. I feel like the filmmaker failed to capitalize on some of the more important points in the story as he focused on the trials alone. If you're interested in seeing how justice works in other parts of the world this might be a film for you.

I give it 2.8 out of 5 stars.