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Defending Our Lives **

ACADEMY AWARD® Winner - Best Documentary

photo credit, Stan Grossfeld
Defending Our Lives is a recent Oscar® winning documentary about the magnitude and severity of domestic violence in this country. This educational video features four women imprisoned for killing their batterers and their terrifying personal testimonies.  

Resources/Links |Screenings | Viewer Response

Download the study guide:
PDF format or Microsoft Word

Visit our movie downloads page to view the first few minutes of "Defending Our Lives"

Domestic violence is the single greatest cause of injury to women in America - more than muggings, rapes, and car accidents combined. A woman in the United States is more likely to be killed by her partner than by any other assailant. Sarah Buel, a district attorney, outlines the problem throughout the video - not merely as a member of the criminal justice system, but as a former battered woman. Every person in this documentary is an expert; each has experienced first-hand the terror of domestic violence.

 

The women in the documentary are members of 'Battered Women Fighting Back!' a grass-roots organization dedicated to exposing domestic violence as a critical human rights violation threatening the majority of the population: women and children. 'Battered Women Fighting Back!' began as a prison support group for battered women who had killed their abusers, and with the support of human rights activist, Stacey Kabat, developed into a community-based task force of over 100 volunteers.

 Each of these women tells her own horrific tale of beatings, rape and torture at the hands of her husband or boyfriend. They talk of being stalked, harassed and threatened with death, particularly after attempting to leave their abusive partners. They all testify to the failure of the criminal justice system to protect victims of domestic violence - from unenforced restraining orders, to reluctant law enforcement officials, to the courts' refusal to accept the special nature of their defense. And each woman's frightening account of the cycle of violence resonates with the stories of battered women everywhere.  

These women were forced to defend their lives, and this documentary captures the cruel irony of putting them behind bars once they have finally escaped their abusers. They have chosen to share their stories, hoping to inspire creative strategies for ending this violence.  

Defending Our Lives aims to educate people about domestic violence and to spur legislative and judicial reform. It is appropriate for people working on any aspect of this issue, including general education, legal reform, police training, battered women advocacy, counseling, prosecution and defense, human rights activism and community education.
Recent Viewer Response:
"I am so thankful that someone has finally captured the horror of these women's lives on film. This is a 'must-see' film for every legislator in this country."
--Senator Suzi Oppenheimer
Chair, Democratic Task Force on Women's Issues New York State Senate

"I showed this documentary to my mother and daughter on Mother's Day. Defending Our Lives is the most important and powerful documentary on domestic violence ever made."
--Marjorie Claprood, Co-Chair, Jane Doe Safety Fund  

"Powerful and moving. Perfect for my classes. Every lawyer, doctor, judge, and DA should see this film."
--Jay L. Pottinger, Clinical Professor of Law, Yale Law School

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