Documentary 'Vicenta' Explores Case That Contributed to Argentina's Abortion Legalization

The documentary 'Vicenta,' directed by Dário Doria, chronicles a 2006 case where a mother, Vicenta, discovers her youngest daughter Laura, a child with a mental disability, was raped by an uncle and became pregnant. Vicenta and her eldest daughter Valeria navigate a labyrinthine legal process to secure an abortion for Laura. The film gains contemporary relevance following Argentina's December 2020 legalization of safe abortion up to the 14th week of pregnancy, a decision propelled by years of struggle including the landmark 'LMR vs. Estado Argentino' case. The documentary employs a unique format of doll animation and features a narrator, Liliana Herrero, who converses directly with Vicenta, circumventing the protagonists' desire for anonymity. The narrative follows the case from a 2011 complaint to the UN Human Rights Committee to a public reparation act for LMR in December 2014. The UN committee concluded the state's failure constituted a violation of equality and cruel, inhuman treatment, ordering reparations and measures to prevent future violations. The film premiered in Brazil at the É Tudo Verdade festival, founded and directed by Amir Labaki.