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The Sewing Girl's Tale

Sponsored Project

  • Laura Purdy, Director/Producer
  • Juan Devis, Producer
A collage of images that span time from early Roman to contemporary that depict or symbolize sexual coercion and protests against victim blaming.

About the Project

The Sewing Girl’s Tale presents a gripping documentary recounting America’s first published rape trial. In 1793 New York City, seventeen-year-old seamstress Lanah Sawyer dares to charge a gentleman with rape. The trial rocks the early republic, unearthing a narrative often overlooked in our understanding of women’s role in American history.