It's deeply troubling when legal proceedings result in injustice, so it’s bitterly ironic that this story centers around a real miscarriage itself. This is the situation Julieta Gomez (Camila Plaate), a 24-year-old woman from the conservative Tucumán region of Argentina, found herself in during 2014. The film recounts how Julieta was taken to a hospital experiencing intense abdominal pain and heavy bleeding, completely unaware she was losing her pregnancy. While receiving care, she was falsely accused of performing an illegal abortion on herself—something she couldn’t have done given her condition. Despite weak accusations and questionable evidence, authorities arrested her while she was still in the hospital. She then spent two years awaiting trial, facing charges for a crime she didn't commit. When her case finally reached court, she was represented by an inadequate lawyer and faced a biased judicial system more interested in maintaining women’s powerlessness than delivering true justice. As a result, she received an unfair eight-year prison sentence, which her new activist attorney, Soledad Deza (played by writer-actor-director Dolores Fonzi), plans to appeal. To achieve this, Deza launches a public awareness campaign to gain support and secure a retrial, drawing national and international attention to women’s rights in Argentina, especially the right to choose. To protect Julieta's identity from unwanted attention, she is given the pseudonym “Belén,” meaning "Bethlehem," a deliberate choice in a predominantly Catholic country where religious beliefs heavily influence public policy and legal decisions. Director Fonzi has created an inspiring story with strong performances from Plaate and herself. However, the storytelling feels conventional and predictable, even for those unfamiliar with the true events. The film ultimately resembles something you’d see on television or in a made-for-TV movie. Many of the scenes leading up to the new trial seem borrowed from other courtroom dramas like “In the Name of the Father” (1993), “Conviction” (2010), “Bridge of Spies” (2015) and “The Trial of the Chicago 7” (2020), despite differences in their specific details. While "Belén" isn’t a bad film, it lacks originality and freshness. Given the significant work done by Deza and her team, it would have been better to see their efforts reflected in a more compelling and uplifting production than what was ultimately delivered.

Source on TMDB