Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four
Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four [1] | |
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Directed by | Deborah Esquenazi [1] |
Produced by |
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Edited by |
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Music by | Sam Lipman[1] |
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Running time | 90 minutes[1] |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four is a 2016 documentary directed by Deborah Esquenazi and produced by Sam Tabet about the persecution of four
Description
In the summer of 1994, Elizabeth Ramirez, Cassandra Rivera, Kristie Mayhugh, and Anna Vasquez were accused of sexually assaulting the seven and nine year-old nieces of Elizabeth Ramirez in
The film showcases the innocent women's fight for innocence and persistence throughout their nearly 15 years in prison. In 2012, one of the nieces admitted to having been pressured by her father, Javier Limon, to make the false accusations. Limon, Elizabeth's brother-in-law, had previously attempted to pursue Ramirez romantically, but his efforts were rejected.[8] In 2013, a new law was introduced to Texas allowing individuals to challenge their convictions if there is new or changed scientific evidence.[6][7] In Southwest of Salem Esquenazi follows the pivotal court hearing during which the women challenged their convictions, as well as the hearings that followed. Anna Vasquez was given parole in 2012 while the others were released on bail in 2013 with the assistance of the
Reception
In April 2016, Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four premiered at
- Marvin Louis Booker Shoes of Justice Award, DocuWest Film Festival Denver, CO (May 13, 2016)
- Documentary Feature Audience Award, OUTeast Film Festival Halifax, Nova Scotia (June 18. 2016)
- Outstanding Documentary Jury Award, Frameline LGBT Film Festival Centerpiece Doc San Francisco, CA (June 20, 2016)
- Outstanding Documentary Jury Award, Outfest LGBTQ Film Festival Los Angeles, CA (July 15, 2016)
- Audience Award Documentary Feature & Cheryl Maples Social Justice Ward, Kaleidoscope Film Festival; Opening Night Little Rock, AR (August 18, 2016)
- Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature, Southwest Gay and Lesbian Film Festival SWGLFF ALbuquerque, NM (October 15, 2016)
- Best First Feature Documentary TV/Streaming, Broadcast Critics Choice Awards (November 3, 2016)
- Outstanding Documentary, 28th Annual GLAAD Media Awards(April 1, 2017)
Aftermath
On November 23, 2016, after the film gained attention and established itself as a key influencer in the case moving forward, the "San Antonio Four" were exonerated of all charges, with the film cited in the first paragraph of the court's opinion.[7] "Those defendants have won the right to proclaim to the citizens of Texas that they did not commit a crime. That they are innocent. That they deserve to be exonerated," wrote Judge David Newell of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.[5]
On December 3, 2018, the four women had their criminal records expunged and became eligible to collect $80,000 each in restitution from the state of Texas for every year they were wrongfully imprisoned.[10]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g DeFore, John (22 August 2016). "Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
- ^ Schrager, Nick (25 April 2016). "Film Review: 'Southwest of Salem'". Variety. Penske Business Media, LLC. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
- ^ "About". Southwest of salem.
- ^ a b "'San Antonio 4' Declared Innocent by Texas Court of Appeals". Rolling Stone. 23 November 2016.
- ^ a b Emanuella Grinberg (25 November 2016). "'San Antonio Four' exonerated in child rape case". CNN.
- ^ a b "Inside Case Behind Wrongful Conviction Doc 'Southwest of Salem'". Rolling Stone. 13 October 2016.
- ^ a b c d e https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5639137ae4b06ea3a17a19df/t/588b7e49d1758e14ec3e9bb4/1485536853720/SOUTHWEST+OF+SALEM+PRESS+KIT+2017+correct.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ O'Malley, Sheila. "Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four Movie Review (2016) - Roger Ebert". www.rogerebert.com.
- ^ "News & Highlights". Southwest of salem.
- ^ "Judge clears records of wrongfully convicted 'San Antonio 4'". NBC News. 4 December 2018.