Teodora Vásquez was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the “aggravated murder” of her child after she miscarried. While in prison in El Salvador, Teodora came to learn that she was not alone—at least 17 other women who had suffered stillbirths or other obstetric emergencies were also facing decades-long sentences under the country’s abortion laws. Fly So Far connects this injustice to a wider cultural devaluation of women: “When a woman becomes pregnant, she loses all her rights and automatically becomes an incubator,” explains one obstetrician. In telling Teodora’s story, the film explores the political, social and legal battles that play out as “The Seventeen” fight for their freedom in solidarity with each other and with feminists across the country. -NC

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