The Fire That Took Her

Patricia E. Gillespie's 2022 documentary follows the case of Judy Malinowski. Malinowski was set on fire by a former partner and lived for two years with her injuries. The subject is testimony. Knowing she would die, she gave a deposition, and it was used at the trial for her own killing; the narrative shows how unusual that was in law. Family members and prosecutors speak. The documentary also covers how earlier complaints came to nothing, and does not confine the matter to a single incident. Who it's for: viewers interested in legal process and in domestic violence. Who it's not for: viewers for whom detail of severe injury and violence would be difficult.