Home Truth

Screenings

2017 Season

New York, San Diego

Shot over the course of nine years, Home Truth chronicles one family’s incredible pursuit of justice, shedding light on how our society responds to domestic violence and how the trauma from domestic violence can linger through generations. In 1999, Colorado mother Jessica Gonzales experienced every parent’s worst nightmare when her three young daughters were killed after being abducted by their father in violation of a domestic violence restraining order. Devastated, Jessica sued her local police department for failing to adequately enforce her restraining order despite her repeated calls for help that night. Determined to make sure her daughters did not die in vain, Jessica pursues her case to the US Supreme Court and an international human rights tribunal, seeking to strengthen legal rights for domestic violence victims. Meanwhile, her relationship with her one surviving child, her son Jessie, suffers, as he struggles with the tragedy in his own way.

Filmmaker(s):

April Hayes and Katia Maguire

Year:

2017

70m

Language(s):

English

Genre:

Documentary

"Home Truth provides an insight into the unspeakable damage domestic violence wreaks, and the difficult road faced by women who dare seek accountability from the government, often at a heartbreaking personal cost." —Amanda Klasing, senior researcher, Women's Rights Division, Human Rights Watch

To learn more on this topic visit HRW.org