They Killed Sister Dorothy

They Killed Sister Dorothy
Directed by Daniel Junge
Produced by Henry Ansbacher
Nigel Noble
Marcela Bourseau
Starring Martin Sheen (narrator)
David Stang
Becky Spires
Dorothy Stang (footage)
Music by Pedro Bromfman
Cinematography Marcela Bourseau
Edited by Davis Coombe
Distributed by Home Box Office
Release dates
  • March 9, 2008 (SXSW)
Running time
 94 minutes
Country United States
Brazil
Language English
Portuguese

They Killed Sister Dorothy is a 2008 documentary film about American-born Brazilian nun Dorothy Stang, who was murdered on February 12, 2005, in Anapu, a city located in the Amazon Rainforest. Directed by Daniel Junge, the film is narrated by Martin Sheen in the English version and by Wagner Moura in the Portuguese version.

Plot

The film traces the reasons of the murder of Dayton, Ohio, native Dorothy Mae Stang, a 73-year-old nun of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur order who fought for the preservation of the Amazon Rainforest in the Brazilian state of Pará. It also follows the trial of those convicted for murdering Stang.

Release and awards

The film received the Audience Award and the Competition Award at the 2008 South by Southwest Festival, where it had its worldwide premiere. In Brazil, where the film title received a literal translation, it premiered at the 2007 Rio de Janeiro Film Festival. It was also screened at the 32nd São Paulo International Film Fesival. It is planned to receive a nationwide release on February 13, 2009.

The film and its song "Forever", written and performed by Bebel Gilberto, daughter of Bossa Nova pioneer João Gilberto, were pre-selected for the Academy Awards for Best Documentary Feature and Best Original Song, respectively.

External links