- Welcome to Independent Lens .
I'm Pete Schwaba, host of PBS Wisconsin's Director's Cut .
Tonight, we take an in-depth look
at the rampant abuse of women in the criminal justice system,
specifically, the remotely-situated
Central California Women's Facility,
the world's largest women's prison,
in the film Belly of the Beast .
Belly of the Beast was filmed over seven years
with extraordinary access and intimate accounts
from currently and formerly incarcerated women,
many of whom were sterilized against their will.
Director Erika Cohn follows one such prisoner
who partners with a passionate attorney
as they try to expose these atrocities in court
and seek reparations.
Their adversaries in this pursuit:
doctors and prison officials who claim that these sterilizations
were in each person's best interest
and of an overall social benefit.
Erika Cohn is a Peabody and Emmy-winning director/producer
who Variety recognized
as one of 2017's top documentary filmmakers to watch.
Belly of the Beast has already secured one Oscar nomination
for Best Song.
Cohn added some major star power to help tell her story,
enlisting the talents of Mary J. Blige.
Once Blige learned more about the project,
she was happy to collaborate,
and wrote the song "See What You've Done."
Blige made history in 2018
when she became the first-ever woman of color
to garner two Oscar nominations in the same year,
both for the film Mudbound , one as an actress,
and one for the song "Mighty River."
Belly of the Beast starts now on PBS Wisconsin,
your home for independent film.