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The Man Who Stole My Mother’s Face 2003

Highly Recommended

Distributed by Women Make Movies, 462 Broadway, New York, NY 10013; 212-925-0606
Produced by Jeff Canin & Cathy Henkel
Directed by Cathy Henkel
VHS, color, 75 min.



Sr. High - Adult
Crime, Criminal Justice, Psychology, Sociology, Social Work

Date Entered: 05/12/2005

Reviewed by David Magolis, Social Sciences Librarian, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

The Man Who Stole My Mother’s Face is both an innovative and emotional documentary. The film presents one women’s struggle to overcome a sexual assault that not only affected her mentally, physically, and emotionally, but also split her family apart. A daughter’s love tracks down an unscrupulous young man who sexually assaulted her mother. The chronicled events begin two days before Christmas in 1988, when Laura Henkel, a 59- year-old mother was brutally assaulted in her home in South Africa. Within days after the event, Laura identified her attacker from a high school photograph, and what entails is a dreadful story of neglect, a depraved society, and injustice.

After the attack, Laura withdrew herself from society and suffered through a deep and lasting depression. The case was closed as a result of the lack of evidence, and daughter Cathy moved her mother to Australia to escape this ghastly event. While in Australia, Cathy proposed the unthinkable, she wanted justice. From this point, the documentary accounts the struggles one daughter faces when attempting to obtain justice from a crime that was overlooked by the authorities. She exposes the alleged attacker by consulting with the government and reopening the closed case.

This documentary brings to the forefront of society the maltreatments that continue to plague women in all countries. I was both moved and informed by a subject matter that is too often overlooked by governments, society, and individuals. A daughter’s struggle to find her mother’s attacker resulted in a very informative, emotionally charged documentary. Highly recommended for ALL schools that have sociology, social work, criminal justice, psychology, and medical programs, because of its great film quality, and program content.

Awards

  • Tribeca Film Festival, Best Documentary Feature
  • Cape Town World Cinema Festival, Finalist
  • Independent Spirit Award, Lexus IF Awards, Finalist
  • Discovery Channel IF Award for Best Documentary, Australia
  • Audience Choice Award for Best Documentary, London/Australian Film Festival