Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Religious Music and Entertainment
They Killed Sister Dorothy HBO film March 25

They Killed Sister Dorothy HBO film March 25

Last updated on: March 12, 2009 at 2:05 am by Sister Rose

They Killed Sister Dorothy HBO film March 25 2009-03-12T02:05:30-06:00 Sister Rose

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

They Killed Sister Dorothy

HBO film documents her life and quest for justice

Sister Dorothy Stang, SNDdeN

Sister Dorothy Stang, SNDdeN 1931-2005

For thirty years Sister Dorothy Stang, SNDdeN, and her community worked with the poor in the rain forest of the Amazon basin in Anapu, Para’, Brazil. When wealthy cattle ranchers began destroying huge areas of the rain forest to make way for grazing land, Sr. Dorothy became active in the Brazilian government’s Sustainable Development Project, also called PDS. She also became a Brazilian citizen.

The PDS gave grants of government land to sustenance farmers with the proviso that they farm a percentage of the land for food and leave the rest as forest. At the same time, far from federal oversight, the landowners who were responsible for deforestation fraudulently gave plots of land to employees in order to retain control of the forest. This created tension and conflict between the ranchers and the farmers who were supported by Sr. Dorothy.

She frequently wore a t-shirt that said in Portuguese: “The death of the forest is the end of our life.”

On February 12, 2005, two men approached Sister Dorothy as she walked toward a meeting. One of them asked if she was armed to which she responded that her only weapon would be the Bible. She began to read the Beatitudes: “Blessed are the poor in spirit….” One of the men then shot the 73 year-old Sister Dorothy six times, killing her.

Rayfran das Neves Sales, is seen in a video which shows how he killed nun Dorothy Stang during a trial at Justice Tribunal in Belem, Brazil, on Friday, Dec 9, 2005.

They Killed Sister Dorothy is an enthralling account of Sister Dorothy’s death and the capture and trials of her killers.

The film, which has already won numerous awards at film festivals, was screened at the City of Angels Film Festival in Los Angeles on March 1. In addition to director and filmmaker Daniel Junge, Tom Stang, one of Sister Dorothy’s younger twin brothers, was present.

“You think that you can get over something like this, but you never really do,” Mr. Stang told the audience. “It is truly amazing that my sister really gave her life for all of us. How many of us truly live our lives according to our beliefs? The evil you see in this film is unbelievable. Those of us who care about planet earth know that we are in peril. My sister stood up. And I applaud all of you who want to save our planet earth.”

Director Daniel Junge (The Iron Ladies of Liberia) told the audience that he read about Sr. Dorothy’s murder in the New York Times. “The story of a 73-year old nun murdered in the rain forest got my attention. So I called the Dayton newspaper, Sister Dorothy’s hometown, and asked a reporter if there was anyone in the family I could speak to. She suggested (Father) David, a Maryknoll missionary and Tom’s twin. Ten days later we were on a plane to Brazil.”

dot-poster

Within days of Sr. Dorothy’s murder, three men were arrested and admitted to the crime. The greater part of the film is taken up with legal proceedings against the men, appeals, depositions, and trials. Junge admits that the media, including his crew, got extraordinary, if not unbelievable access to both prosecution and defense interviews and courtroom proceedings. The most surprising aspect of the film is the manner in which local or state courts in Brazil conduct business. It is pure theater, and justice seems elusive. Junge noted, “These characters (lawyers, judges, ranchers) were a pure gift to a filmmaker. We could not have scripted them; no one would have believed it.”

The footage of the soft-spoken Sister Dorothy, one of eight children of German-Irish parents, shows a gentle woman determined to do the right thing for the common good of the local community, of Brazil, her adopted country, and of the world. “Dot got her love for nature from my dad,” explained Tom Stang. “We had had nuns and priests in our family so it was normal for us to consider a religious vocation. We wanted to do something meaningful with our lives. We were products of the 1960s and we believed we could make a difference.”

One thing that I noted was that there were no clergy visible nor was the local bishop, Dom Erwin Krautler, quoted in any way that demonstrated the support of the local church for Sr. Dorothy and her ministry. Daniel Junge assured me, however, that Krautler has been and is an outspoken advocate for justice for Sr. Dorothy and her work (see America, March 2, 2009). Religious in the area, including the bishop, continue to receive death threats. Krautler, in fact, now has limited police protection.

When asked how the making of this film had changed him, Junge responded that he was raised Catholic and “I have never been more proud of being a Catholic than during the making of this film. This story represents the best of what it means to be a Catholic. To see these completely selfless women giving of themselves to the betterment of humanity is news that doesn’t always get told.”

The film will premiere on HBO on March 25; check local listings for time.

L to R Eugene Suen, City of Angels Film Fest producer, Tom Stang, brother of Sr. Dorothy, Sr. Rose Pacatte, FSP, director Daniel Junge, Craig Detwiellwer, CAFF producer, pose for a photo after the screening of "They Killed Sister Dorothy" at the Directors Guild of America, Hollywood, March 1, 2009

For more information: They Killed Sister Dorothy

Sister Rose Pacatte, FSP is the director of the Pauline Center for Media Studies in Los Angeles and the film/tv columnist for St. Anthony Messenger magazine.

Film Reviews

Previous Post

March 11, 2009

Kings new TV series re-imagines David & Goliath and Book of Samuel

Next Post

March 17, 2009 Flannery: A Life of Flannery O'Connor

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Adolescent Adult Faith Formation Advertising Analysis Animals Pets Animation art Authors Awards best pope pictures Bible BioPic Blogs Book Reviews Books books into film Catechesis Catholic comedy Catholic Social Teaching Catholic Social Teaching (CST) Catholics in Media Christian genre Christmas movies Church and cinema Cognitive science Comedy Comics Commerntary Communication Cooking Courses Critics and Criticism Dance Daughters of St Paul news Devil movies digital games Documentary Drama Economics Ecumenical Education and Technology Education: Access and Empowerment electronic Environment Events Exorcism movies Eye on Entertainment Faith and film Faith formation Fantasy Film Essays Film Festivals Film History Film Retreat Film Reviews Film TV about Ultra Orthodox Jews Food General Grace Historical thriller History Horror How to Images INNdustry with Sister Rose Internet Interviews jesuits Kindness Lectures Lent Life Lists Literature media Media analysis Media Literacy/Media Mindfulness Music Musical National Catholic Reporter New on DVD Non-violence Nonviolence Obituaries On Faith and Media Oscars Ovis et bovis et universe pecore Parenting Pastoral Communication Pastoral communications Pauline Books & Media pax christi PCMS & Online Courses Peace Philosophy Photos Planning for Communication pope francis Popular Culture Radio RCL Benziger reality tv Reflections on life and grace religion Religious Lif Research Resources Retreat Rosary Sacraments Science and faith Social justice Social Media spirituality Spirituality and Media Sports Sr Rose Faith and Media Sr. Rose movies St. Anthony Messenger Stage & Theater stereotypes story Streaming series Survey Television the bible the bible movie The INNdustry with Sr Rose the voice Theater Themes of Catholic Social Teaching theologizing violence Theology theology of violence TV reviews and notes Uncategorized Video Video games Violence VR Games War War films Women World Film Young Adult YouTube

Select a Month September 2025 March 2025 December 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 December 2022 October 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 May 2021 April 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 December 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 January 2019 December 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 November 2003 October 2003

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

How many chapters are in the Book of Romans?

Select your answer to see how you score.

14 12 18 16