New Film Shows How Courts Use Lawsuits to Silence Sexual Violence Survivors

A documentary opening the Sydney Film Festival examines how defamation lawsuits—claims that someone damaged a person's reputation—are weaponized against survivors of sexual violence. Director Selina Miles shows how courts in the U.S., Colombia, and Australia use these suits to drain survivors' money and discourage them from speaking out, featuring cases involving actress Amber Heard and journalist Catalina Ruiz-Navarro.