HS-04. Saint Judy

USA, Feature Film, 2018, 106 min

An unstoppable driving force whose belief in justice is unshaken in the face of both personal and professional obstacles. LA Film Festival

It has long been clear that the U.S. asylum system does not take into account the struggles that women must face in countries with repressive, patriarchal societies. Judith Wood, a young Los Angeles immigration lawyer, takes the case of Asefa Ashwari, a woman seeking asylum due to her persecution for educating girls in her native Afghanistan. If Ashwari is sent back, she will face a certain honor-killing. Wood’s boss tells her that he thinks the case is hopeless, but she is tenacious. After long battles in and out of court, she argues her landmark case before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, where she fights to include women as a protected class. If Wood wins, it will be not only a victory for Ashwari, but for millions of women throughout the world. Based on the true story.

Directed by Sean Hanish

Colorado Premiere

A Call2Action selection