Synopsis

Built on the testimony of those who worked in Ireland's notorious Magdalene Laundries, this documentary tells the full, shocking story of a shameful system, created by the Irish State but supported by all levels of Irish society, which enslaved over 10,000 women for decades. The film bears witness to the women's experiences in their own words, before during and after their time in the laundries, and show how, even today, attempts are being made to try to silence them. We examine not only why and how the Magdalene phenomenon arose, but also how it was allowed to continue unchallenged for so long. At every level - family, parish and state - Irish society, at best, turned a blind eye; at worst, it supported, facilitated and even profited from the operation of these institutions, while perpetuating the stigma and shame of the women imprisoned there. At the heart of the film are the survivors, who are now trying to come to terms with the impact of those dark years, and the ongoing devastating repercussions it has had on them, their children and their families. We meet one survivor who is taking a landmark case to the UN Committee Against Torture. This time, in what amounts to a test case for all survivors of the laundries, the main target of her complaint will not be the nuns, but Ireland itself. This landmark documentary is a devastating indictment of the way that Church, State and Society conspired to lock up, silence and shame an entire generation of their own sisters and daughters. They are silent no longer and this is their story.