A two-part investigative report on Sabaya in Kvartal by Swedish journalist Ludde Hellberg that exposes the following:
- The movie is significantly based on a falsehood, states Peter Galbraith, former US ambassador.
- The film’s protagonists forced several of those women to be separated from their children, promising they would later be reunited. Those who refused were kept under house arrest for up to two years.
- The director now admits that the dramatic rescue of Leila, the female protagonist of the documentary, was filmed with an entirely different woman. Other scenes are also examined and shown to be faked.
The articles can be found on Kvartal, a Swedish online magazine.
- Part I: “UNCOVERING: Heroes of Sundance-winning documentary stole children”
- Part II: “Faked scenes in Sundance-winning documentary”
This news has made ripple effects through the Swedish media, stirring up conversations among funders, distributors, and film reviewers.
Our original advocacy campaign began in October 2021, after the release of the New York Times article citing problems with this film. Since then, we have worked with a group of international women advocates to continue to bring attention to the unethical and exploitative practices of this film.