SXSW Film Review: An Army of Women

In 2018, when the City of Austin, Travis County, and Austin Police Department were sued in federal court for mishandling sexual assault cases by a group of survivors, who were all women, it was groundbreaking.

Competition doc An Army of Women takes an intimate look at the women behind the lawsuit – lawyers and plaintiffs alike. The film chronicles their journeys through the lawsuit while highlighting the injustices that plague survivors who seek justice. We meet survivors Marina Garrett, Hanna Senko, and Amy Smith (a pseudonym) along with lawyers Jennifer Ecklund and Elizabeth Myers, as they work together over several years on the lawsuit.

It’s a bittersweet search. As the years pass, we learn about the abysmal rates of prosecution of sexual assault cases from former district attorney Margaret Moore’s office and the lasting emotional damage it has caused survivors. It’s harrowing, but necessary filmmaking. There’s staggering bravery on display from the survivors and all involved, and their vulnerability and honesty provide the most moving parts of the film. This is present in many moments, but one that comes to mind immediately is Garrett, filming her own reaction to her case getting dismissed. It’s devastating, and puts us immediately in Garrett’s state of mind.

We are with the women for every triumph and every setback along the way, and watch as their lives continue as the court case slogs on. People move apartments, get married, and time passes – a haunting reminder of how long litigation can take before any meaningful progress is made.

An Army of Women is a sincere documentary that can play like a legal thriller at times. It’s also a resounding call to action, highlighting the courage of Garrett, Senko, and Smith in the hopes of keeping the momentum going for more victim resources.

Oslo-based director Julie Lunde Lillesæter, who lived in Austin at the time of the lawsuit, has a deft hand as she leads us through the years and constructs a cohesive timeline from the beginning of the lawsuit in 2018 through a second lawsuit in 2022 and the eventual settlement of both. It’s a task that could have felt by the numbers, or cold and removed from the people at the heart of the trial, but in Lillesæter’s hands, it’s a compelling, even rousing watch. It’s also an interesting document of Austin’s city government in a transitional phase, moving from Moore to our current, recently re-elected district attorney, José Garza.

An Army of Women is not just a documentary about a lawsuit; it’s about the human cost of systemic injustice. By highlighting the stories of women like Garrett, Senko, and Smith, the film underscores the lack of justice afforded to victims of sexual violence, and uses its time to move us to do something about it. It’s a thoughtfully made, engaging, and essential watch.

Read Sarah Marloff’s interview with director Julie Lunde Lillesæter.

An Army of Women

Documentary Feature Competition, World Premiere

This article appears in March 8 • 2024.