Global Health Film Classics: A Quiet Inquisition

A Quiet Inquisition (2014)

Directed by Holen Kahn and Alessandra Zeka, 65 mins

Sunday 27 September 19:00 BST plus panel discussion

At a public hospital in Nicaragua, Dr Carla Cerrato, obstetrician-gynaecologist, struggles with her conscience as she contends with the harrowing implications of a new law that prevents the termination of any pregnancy, even when a woman’s life is at stake. 

As she and her colleagues navigate the fears of prosecution and whether to use the medical protocols that enable them to save lives, the drama of the deadly impact of this law emerges, illuminating the reality of prohibition against the backdrop of a political, religious and historically complex national identity. 

This law came into effect in Nicaragua in 2006. For the previous 130 years, abortions and terminations of pregnancies were legal for medical and health basis. The new law does not allow a single exception for a legal abortion - not even in cases of rape, incest or when the mother's life is at risk. 

Following the trajectory of punitive laws passed a decade earlier in neighboring El Salvador, Nicaragua is one of only a few countries in the world to have such severe restrictions.

Global Health Film Advisory Board member Fawzia Gibson-Fall moderated the panel discussion after the screening; Fawzia was joined by director Holen Kahn in California, Ximena Casas, Women’s Rights Researcher for the Americas region at Human Rights Watch, and based in Madrid, and Dee Redwine, Vice President and Regional Director Latin America Program, Planned Parenthood Global, based in Miami. Here's the replay:

Dr Carla Cerrato very kindly sent us a video message, with an update on the situation in Nicaragua:

A Quiet Inquisition first featured at the 2015 Global Health Film Festival

A Quiet Inquisition website

Registration is free of charge; each screening costs just under £1,000 for us to organise. We are grateful for any donation you are able to make to help cover our costs; you can make a donation securely using this link. 

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