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In the new documentary, Where She Lies, one participant in the interview uses the expression, “It was a different time.” This phrase is often attached to horrific tales from many years ago. For most people, it serves as a justification for abuse, assault, and even manipulation. Yet, this careless phrase does a bit more than that, it also muffles the stories and humanity of victims who had to endure such dreadful things.
During the course of working on another project, Zach Marion came across a woman named Peggy Williams in a short article. Marion noticed the title “different times” referring to the decades that Peggiy lived in and it drew his attention. He reached out to her to see if he could whittle down the details and reach out to Peggiy. Well, after doing so, Zach gained insight into the remarkable adventure that Peggy Williams carried throughout her adult life. He found out that Peggy was once diagnosed with rape and came to terms with the fact that she had been assaulted by a man and had to suffer through multiple pregnancies. Most of her family and health professionals tried to simplify matters for her and make her pregnancy go through adoption, but her stubborn attitude was in favor of keeping the child. Eventually, after being taken to the hospital, she was left unfocused and set adrift on drugs during delivery, only to find out postpartum that her baby was taken away due to her never waking up to sign the adoption papers. With a baby monitored to be well nourished, Peggy was made to endure conflicting devastating messages.
Numerous years later, Peggy’s mother repeated this last story while dying. Where She Lies is a documentary that follows the devastating search journey that started in 1962.
While watching the film, I was reminded of the psychological term ‘gaslighting’. This term is utilized in cases where one party tries to manipulate the victim to the point where the victim constantly questions their sanity, memories, and overall reality. And even though “gaslighting” was not a term Peggy knew during the 1960s, it does not change the fact that this precisely happened to her. The amalgamation of these incomprehensible and heartbreaking stories and events was the spark that ignited her 55-year quest to uncover what truly happened to her daughter Darlene.
While watching this film, people would have compassion and empathy for Peggy who doesn’t know if she should start the grieving process that she has long avoided for 50 years while hoping that her baby Darlene is still alive or if she should celebrate a reunion with her daughter.
Where She Lies raises a lot of questions while providing barely any answers. I was fully immersed throughout the movie, which is filled with shocking twists and devastating turns. This documentary addresses topics such as rape, unexpected pregnancies, gaslighting, women’s rights, family secrets, and the damage they can cause. It also looks at the difficulty of fully experiencing life while grappling with the trauma of a loved one. Where She Lies, alongside Peggy Williams’s haunting story, will stick with you. Zach Marion’s involvement in the documentary was endearing instead of estranging, this was because you could tell he actually cared about Peggy William’s well-being instead of using her as a means to get his narrative across.
At the heart of this documentary, Where She Lies is not only a wonderful tale to tell, but it also serves as an astounding first feature for Zach Marion. I will certainly keep an eye out for his brand in the coming years.
On November 10, Where She Lies will be made available on VOD and its runtime is 1 hour and 40 minutes.
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