I Am Jane Doe
| I am Jane Doe | |
|---|---|
 Release Poster | |
| Directed by | Mary Mazzio |
| Written by | Mary Mazzio |
| Produced by | Mary Mazzio Alec Sokolow |
| Narrated by | Jessica Chastain |
| Cinematography | Joe Grasso |
| Edited by | Collin Cameron |
| Music by | Alex Laserenko |
Production company | |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 99 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
I am Jane Doe is a documentary detailing the lawsuits several American mothers lodged against Backpage.com, the classified advertising website formerly owned by the Village Voice that had trafficked the women's middle-school daughters for commercial sex.
The film is narrated by Jessica Chastain, directed by Mary Mazzio, and produced by Mazzio along with Alec Sokolow.
Plot
[edit]I am Jane Doe mainly follows the stories of a group of middle school girls from Boston, a 15-year-old from Seattle, and a 13-year-old girl from St. Louis. The group of "Jane Does" lodged suits against Backpage.com, a now-defunct classified advertising website, accusing the website of facilitating sex trafficking due to its business and editorial practices, as well as the design of the website itself. The suits particularly concerned Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.
I am Jane Doe also follows congressional actions against Backpage and online human trafficking. The film features interviews from Senator Rob Portman, Senator John McCain, Senator Claire McCaskill, and Senator Heidi Heitkamp.
Release
[edit]The film opened on February 10, 2017, in select theaters in New York City, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Seattle, Boston, and Philadelphia.
50% of the film's profits were donated to non-profit organizations which served children affected by human trafficking.
Reception
[edit]I am Jane Doe received generally positive reviews by critics. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 91%, based on 11 reviews, and an average rating of 7.6/10.[1] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 69 out of 100, based on 6 critics, indicating "generally favourable reviews".[2]
Ann Hornaday of The Washington Post wrote,
"In 'I Am Jane Doe,' filmmaker Mary Mazzio reveals the sordid world of underage sex trafficking, specifically as it pertains to young women who were forced into prostitution, their ‘services’ made available on the online classified site Backpage.com…I am observing the self-evident fact that film has exceptional — maybe even unique — power to shape and inform our norms, expectations and desires. That might be the chief reason it matters so much who makes them... A viscerally emotional case for a common-sense reassessment of the law…’I Am Jane Doe’ offers a gut-wrenching reminder that there are certain rocks we ignore at our peril.”[3]
Katie Walsh of the Los Angeles Times said I am Jane Doe “a powerful call to action.”[4] The film was also highlighted in The New Yorker,[5] Film Journal International,[6] Elle,[7] Vogue,[8] People,[9][10][11] and on the NBC Nightly News.[12]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "I Am Jane Doe (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
- ^ "I Am Jane Doe Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
- ^ Hornaday, Ann (February 9, 2017). "Women Almost Never Direct Big Movies. 'Fifty Shades' Shows Why That Matters". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
- ^ Walsh, Katie (February 9, 2017). "Child exploitation, free speech and net neutrality tangle in fervent documentary 'I Am Jane Doe'". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
- ^ Friend, Tad (January 16, 2017). ""I Am Jane Doe" Takes on Backpage". The New Yorker. Condé Nast. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
- ^ Barsanti, Chris (February 8, 2017). "Film Review: I Am Jane Doe". Film Journal International. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
- ^ "Press". I Am Jane Doe official website. 20 November 2016. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
- ^ Felsenthal, Julia (February 9, 2017). "A New Movie Spotlights the Teenagers Working to Expose Child Sex Trafficking". Vogue. CN Fashion & Beauty. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
- ^ Aradillas, Elaine (February 8, 2017). "Sold for Sex: Underage Trafficking Victim Shares How She Was Saved From Abuse in New Documentary". People. Time. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
- ^ Aradillas, Elaine (February 9, 2017). "Sex Trafficking Victim's Family Fights to Put Their Lives Back Together: 'We're Making a New Normal'". People. Time. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
- ^ Aradillas, Elaine (February 9, 2017). "New Documentary I Am Jane Doe Focuses on Victims' Fight Against Online Child Sex Trafficking". People. Time. Archived from the original on 2021-05-15. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
- ^ Snow, Kate (February 12, 2017). "New Documentary Chronicles Legal Fight Against Human Trafficking". NBC Nightly News. NBC. Retrieved June 21, 2017.