"Riveting, prize-worthy" Daniel C. Maguire, Professor or Moral Theology, Marquette University

When a nine-year-old Nicaraguan girl becomes pregnant as a result of a rape, her parents -- illiterate campesinos working in Costa Rica -- seek a legal "therapeutic" abortion to save their only child's life.

Their quest pits them against the governments of Nicaragua and Costa Rica, the medical establishment, and the Catholic Church. When their story gains international media attention, the repercussions ripple across Latin America and Europe.



Grade Level: 10-12, College, Adult
US Release Date: 2005     Copyright Date: 2005
DVD ISBN: 1-59458-280-7     VHS ISBN: 1-59458-279-3

Reviews "Rosita is the riveting, prize-worthy story of how good people rescued a little girl from the combined tyranny of church and state." Daniel C. Maguire, Professor of Moral Theology, Marquette University "The film raises questions about whose life takes precedence, and deftly shows how other social justice issues, such as sexual violence, immigration, and economic justice, affect reproductive health...[The film] can be used effectively in the classroom when paired with facts, statistics, historical, and cultural analyses, and behavioral research." Kimala Price, San Diego State University, Films for the Feminist Classroom "A heartbreaking true story about a 9-year-old Nicaraguan girl who was raped and impregnated but whose unwanted pregnancy...became a political football between abortion rights advocates and antiabortion forces in Costa Rica and Nicaragua." The Washington Post "Rosita truly is eye-opening.  It chronicles a violation of her [Rosa's] human rights and her dignity. This film is not just for activists in the reproductive rights movement, it is for all who work in social justice and who work to defend our human rights. Her story is both moving and inspiring and demonstrates the tragic realty of a young woman who was stripped of her dignity and denied her fundamental human right to decide her own future." Sylvia Henriquez, Executive Director, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health "Emotionally complex..." Philadelphia Inquirer "Rosita should find an audience with both advocates and opponents of reproductive choice...only the most hardhearted of viewers will not be moved by the quandaries faced by Rosita and her impoverished but proud family. Recommended." Video Librarian "This video provides a glimpse into the views of childhood pregnancy and women's rights in a region where the Catholic Church has much influence over public policy and is recommended for collections in Latin American and women's studies, as well as medical ethics." Educational Media Reviews Online "Rosita will enrich any social science, Latin American or interdisciplinary studies course, campus education program, or reproductive rights activist event. Many discussions and thematic angles are possible, including a focus on migratory labor, sexual violence, teen pregnancy, reproductive law and justice, abortion, women's health politics, motherhood, medical ethics and religion. For example, the film's representations of the Catholic Church could sustain a hearty discussion about religion's relationship to medicine, the state, and politics of women's health. Rosita is timely, provocative, and sensitive. It should become a cornerstone of anthropology, women's studies, and Latin American studies courses for years to come." Journal of Latin American and Caribbean Anthology "Film-makers Barbara Attie and Janet Goldwater piece together the complex story of Rosita's young and illiterate parents' fight to get an abortion for their only child...[they] allow the story to unfold through the words of all those involved...Rosita's story is appalling, yet is sobering to reflect that she is one of the very few lucky ones... [the film-makers] have succeeded in portraying Rosita's terrible story without resorting to sensationalism." The Lancet "Talk about a film that has all of the elements of great human drama and pits the marginalized against the powerful - such is the story of Rosita...See this movie. You will never forget Rosita. I know I won't." Marcy Bloom, Reproductive Health Reality Check blog "A gripping individual story that touches on an important human right - the power of women to control their own reproductive health." The New Zealand Herald