| 04 March 2021
Non-fiction subscription streaming service discovery+ has acquired the feature documentary film Rebel Hearts, which premiered at Sundance (held online this year).
Directed by Pedro Kos, and a co-production between Merman and Anchor Entertainment in association with Level Forward and Quiet, the film tells the story of a trailblazing group of nuns who bravely stood up to the patriarchy of the Catholic Church.
In 1960s Los Angeles, The Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary fought for equality, their livelihoods, and their own freedom against an all-powerful Cardinal who sought to keep them in their place. Their bold acts of faith, defiance and activism turned the church upside down, helping to reshape our society in ways that continue to resonate today. Kos combines archival footage, animation and two decades of never-before-seen interviews gathered by the film’s producer Shawnee Isaac-Smith to illustrate the story of the women.
Still from the documentary “Rebel Hearts.” (Photo courtesy of Sundance Institute)
“Clearly we were in a boat that needed desperately to be rocked
.”
When you think of the 1960s revolution, a group of Roman Catholic nuns may not be who you envision, but Pedro Kos’ documentary “Rebel Hearts” asserts the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary’s place in the history of rebellion.
Using the footage gathered over the course of two decades by producer Shawnee Isaac-Smith, the documentary tells the story of a group of nuns who fought against the patriarchal Catholic Church to modernize the sisterhood and reclaim a sense of personal freedom. Combining classic talking head interviews, archival footage, newspaper headlines and animations, creates a gripping documentary about a side of Catholicism rarely seen.