Dolores Fonzi Talks ‘Belén’ As Argentina’s Oscar Entry Opens In U.S. Theaters

L to R: Camila Plaate as “Belén” and Dolores Fonzi as her defense attorney Soledad Deza in a scene from the film.

Amazon MGM Studios

The chilling opening scenes of Belén show a woman doubled over in pain as she unknowingly suffers a miscarriage, then the indignity she faces at a public hospital where medical staff mishandle her before cops storm the operating room where a doctor is treating her.

The woman, accused of undergoing an illegal abortion, was thrown in prison for more than two years and found guilty despite no evidence, without a chance to defend herself. It’s enough to make your blood boil, an example of the lack of fairness and justice when the poor seek medical care and legal representation.

And yes, it’s based on a true story that ignited outrage and sparked a nationwide movement for justice and bodily autonomy​, with international support.

Dolores Fonzi knew about the case long before she starred in and directed Belén, where she portrays defense attorney Soledad Deza. In 2016, when she won the Best Actress category at the Platino Awards in Uruguay, she used that platform to bring awareness to the case.

“I got on stage with a sign that read ‘Freedom for Belén, because Belén is all of us. Without freedom we are nothing,'” she says. That gesture helped draw international attention to the young woman imprisoned in Tucumán, Argentina and the circumstances surrounding her case.

Fonzi remembers producer Letizia Christie, who was at that same awards ceremony, asking her who Belén was. At the time, she never imagined they would both work together to bring her story to the big screen.

Exposing Injustice on the Big Screen

When Ana Correa’s book Somos Belén about the case was published two years later, Fonzi attended the launch event.

“I went because I’m mentioned in a chapter that talks about the international press, because of that sign the international press put a spotlight on the case, and later Belén was freed,” Fonzi says. She also met Soledad and Belén, who thanked her for that pivotal gesture in 2016.

Christie bought the film rights and began developing the project. After Fonzi directed her first film, Blondie, Christie called her to rewrite, act in, and direct Belén. Fonzi immediately jumped at the chance.

“I knew about the case, I advocated for it,” she states. “And this film arrives as a gift, above all, tied to my personal activism experience.”

Belén follows Soledad Deza, played by Fonzi, the fearless lawyer who takes on the explosive case of Julieta, a young woman falsely accused of infanticide, portrayed by Camila Plaate. The film takes viewers to Tucumán, a conservative region of Argentina, where the trial becomes a flashpoint for the fight for women’s reproductive rights. The film is a gripping courtroom drama, a searing critique of systemic injustice, and a celebration of resilience and solidarity.

“What motivated me was being able to be a part of it, being able to create a portrait and be part of this homage, a tribute to the strength of the women who, thanks to Soledad, end up freeing Belén,” Fonzi says.

The director has been advocating for human rights for years, but since 2018 worked in a more organized way around abortion law with Actrices Argentinas, a collective of Argentine actresses that advocate for women’s rights and fight against gender violence.

“There’s something about activism, about women’s power, something that touches me very closely, very personally,” says Fonzi. “What drove me above all was to capture that particular moment in Argentina’s history that is inspiring, hopeful, but also serves as a reminder. It’s something we mustn’t forget: that the strength of women together, united for a cause, have the power to change history, the history of a person, of a society, of a country.”

Building the Story

Fonzi stayed in close contact with both the real Soledad and Belén while developing the film. She saw Soledad several times, visiting her in Tucumán.

“She was very open and very generous with me the whole time. She made the construction of the character very easy because she was very, very forthcoming and also very happy that this would be made visible, not only for her, but because it sheds light on cases that are still happening,” Fonzi says.

The real woman at the center of the case agreed to tell her story only if she remained anonymous for the safety of her family and herself. They decided to name her “Belén.” The film identifies her as Julieta at the beginning, but that is also an alias.

“There’s something about anonymity that, to me, is very elevated. It has to do with the idea that what happens to you does not define you,” Fonzi says. “And what generally happens in these machista societies is that women are condemned for life for something that happened to them. So you’re ‘the rape victim,’ or ‘the abuse victim,’ or ‘the victim.’ So that defines you.”

Belén said she was convicted for being “humble” and unable to pay for a good defense. Fonzi agrees the case reflects deep prejudices.

“This happened to her because she is a woman and because she is poor. That can happen anywhere in the country,” she says. “Yes, it happened in Tucumán, which is a very conservative city. Yes. But it could have happened in any other province, including the capital.”

For Fonzi, the case reveals how someone can prioritize their beliefs above another person’s life.

“Someone believed she was guilty and they imprisoned her, and someone believed she was innocent and they freed her. So what changes everything is the perspective each person has about life and about others,” she says. “What still surprises me today is how someone believes they can define or decide over someone’s life, and over bodies they have no idea about. They don’t know what it means to be a woman. Only us women know that.”

The film also shows how the first female lawyer with the same case file got Belén sentenced to eight years, while a second lawyer, Deza, without adding any new evidence, managed to get her released in four months.

“I think the film also touches on something interesting: there are women who are functional to the patriarchal system and women who aren’t. In the end, what matters is that perspective, and how we can fill those perspectives about others with love,” says Fonzi.

Oscar Hopes and Impact

Argentina selected Belén as its official submission for the Oscars. Fonzi sees the recognition as a platform to reach more viewers.

“The truth is, we’re working hard to get the film out everywhere, and this representation for the Oscars gives us that platform and that status as Argentina’s Oscar submission,” she says. “Beyond that, what matters most to us is for the largest number of people to see it.”

Argentina’s last courtroom drama submission, Argentina, 1985, earned an Oscar nomination and won a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film.

Fonzi hopes the Oscar attention will help keep people interested in watching the film, especially because similar cases continue to happen.

“We need to stop this wave of prejudice against women, and against poor people,” Fonzi says. “There are many issues related to social class that this film aims to expose.”

Timely Release in the U.S.

Belén opens in U.S. theaters on November 7, at a moment when abortion rights have been rolled back at the federal level. The timing strikes Fonzi as significant.

“I think the film’s release in the United States will hopefully make something click in U.S. society,” she says. “This film arrived at this moment for a reason.”

She notes that even in Argentina, where abortion has been legal since 2020, the current government has limited access by defunding resources and making the abortion pill unaffordable for poor women.

“They can’t roll back the law yet, but they meddle in these ways,” she says. “So prejudice and classism remain tools of oppression to this day.”

The film is produced by K&S, the team behind Oscar-nominated Wild Tales and the hit series El Eternauta, and Amazon MGM Studios. The cast includes Camila Plaate (Motoarrebatador), Laura Paredes (Argentina, 1985), Julieta Cardinali (Maradona: Sueño Bendito), and Sergio Prina (Motoarrebatador), with special appearances by Luis Machín (Cromañón) and César Troncoso (El Eternauta).

Following its U.S. theater premiere, Belén will be available via streaming on Prime Video on November 14.