Rebel Hearts is a 2021 American documentary film, directed, produced, and edited by Pedro Kos. The film follows nuns at the Immaculate Heart College.

Rebel Hearts
Theatrical release poster
Directed byPedro Kos
Written by
  • Erin Barnett
  • Pedro Kos
  • Shawnee Isaac Smith
Produced by
StarringAnita Caspary
Helen Kelley
Corita Kent
Pat Reif
Cinematography
Edited by
  • Pedro Kos
  • Erin Barnett
  • Yaniv Elani
  • Ondine Rarey
Music byAriel Marx
Production
companies
Distributed byDiscovery+
Release dates
  • January 29, 2021 (2021-01-29) (Sundance)
  • June 25, 2021 (2021-06-25) (United States)
Running time
99 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

It had its world premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival on January 29, 2021. It was released in a limited release on June 25, 2021, prior to digital streaming on Discovery+ on June 27, 2021.

Synopsis edit

The film follows a group of progressive nuns at the Immaculate Heart College, including Anita Caspary, Helen Kelley, and Corita Kent as they made sure women received degrees, and transformed the education system.

Production edit

Shawnee Isaac-Smith had the idea of making a documentary film revolving around the nuns at Immaculate Heart College, and conducted over 50 interviews with the nuns, however, ran into difficulty securing financing.[2][3] Isaac-Smith saved the interviews until she found the right creative partners, which would ultimately be twenty years later, when Pedro Kos and Kira Carstensen would join as producer, and director, respectively.[4][5] Once Kos joined the production, production resumed and they shot additional footage for the film.[6]

Release edit

The film had its world premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival on January 29, 2021.[7] Shortly after, Discovery+ acquired distribution rights to the film.[8] It also screened at AFI Docs on June 23, 2021.[9][10] It was released in a limited release on June 25, 2021, prior to digital streaming on June 27, 2021, on Discovery+.[11]

Critical reception edit

Rebel Hearts received positive reviews from film critics. It holds a 90% approval rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 21 reviews, with a weighted average of 7.80/10.[12]

References edit

  1. ^ "Rebel Hearts". Sundance Film Festival. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  2. ^ Mullen, Pat (January 29, 2021). "Keeping the Faith: An interview with Rebel Hearts' Pedro Kos and Shawnee Isaac-Smith". POV Magazine. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
  3. ^ Anderson-Moore, Oakley (February 4, 2021). "Crafting a Hero's Journey Out of the Feminist Nuns Who Took on the Vatican". No Film School. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
  4. ^ Reed, Christopher (February 12, 2021). "A Conversation With Pedro Kos (REBEL HEARTS)". Hammer to Nail. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
  5. ^ Hornaday, Ann (June 19, 2021). "AFI Docs shows us where the histories are buried, and why that matters more than ever". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
  6. ^ Saito, Stephen (June 25, 2021). "AFI Docs 2021 Interview: Pedro Kos on a Revolution Inside the Catholic Church in "Rebel Hearts"". Moveable Fest. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
  7. ^ Debruge, Peter (December 15, 2020). "Sundance Film Festival Lineup Features 38 First-Time Directors, Including Rebecca Hall and Robin Wright". Variety. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  8. ^ Hipes, Patrick (March 3, 2021). "'Rebel Hearts', The Sundance Documentary About 1960s Activist L.A. Nuns, Lands At Discovery+". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  9. ^ Saperstein, Pat (May 26, 2021). "AFI Docs Festival Slate Includes 'Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain'". Variety. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
  10. ^ "Rebel Hearts". AFI Docs. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
  11. ^ Thompson, Anne (June 4, 2021). "'Rebel Hearts' Trailer: Sundance Documentary Pits Defiant Nuns Against the Vatican — Exclusive". IndieWire. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  12. ^ "Rebel Hearts (2021)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved June 25, 2021.

External links edit