The true story behind the girl in the basement explained

This article contains discussions about child abuse and sexual aggression.

The real crime has been a very The popular genre for a while, so it is not surprising that a genuinely horrible real life case, which occurred in Austria and came to light in 2008, served as inspiration for two films (certainly different). So, if you have seen the original 2021 Lifetime movie “Girl in the Basement”, what is it about … and how do you connect with real -life events?

Released in 2021, “Girl in the Basement” stars Stefanie Scott as Sarah Cody, a rebel teenager who is seeing a boy named Chris (Jake Etheridge) and escapes to meet him against the wishes of his extraordinarily strict father Don Don (Judd Nelson Nelson, probably better known for playing John Bender in the classic film for teenagers “The Breakfast Club”). After returning home, after having been outside the night, Don does something horrible; He hires his own daughter in the soundproofed basement of the Cody family house, without his mother Irene (Joly Fisher) and Sister Amy (Emily Topper). Don then keeps his daughter there for decades, assaulting her repeatedly for years, which makes Sara give birth to three children. When these children grow up, one needs medical attention … and Sara is finally released.

This is, obviously, deeply horrible, and tragically, is Based on a real story. This is what you need to know about Elisabeth Fritzl, her real prison and the award -winning film that was also inspired by her experienced experience.

Now we direct our attention to the Fritzl case, which was first reported in 2008 when a truly despicable situation was discovered in the family’s house in Amstetten, Austria. In an article of The New York TimesThe newspaper explains that Josef Fritzl, the family’s patriarch, imprisoned his daughter Elisabeth for 24 full years in his basement without anyone knowing. During that time, Josef repeatedly attacked his daughter, who gave birth to seven children in captivity. In 2008, Elisabeth’s eldest daughter, Kerstin, who grew up in the Fritzl family secret bunker until age 19, needed emergency medical attention; When Josef took her to a hospital, all her secret was revealed. (Elisabeth was 42 when she finally left the basement).

DNA tests then demonstrate conclusively that Josef Fritzl engendered his own grandchildren and provided a litany of reasons why he kept his daughter in the basement, including a difficult relationship with his own mother and states that he simply wanted to protect Elisabeth and his children of his children of the dangerous outside world. Finally, Josef declared himself guilty of all charges, including slavery, murder, rape, imprisonment and incest; The murder position was defined as negligent homicide due to the fact that he refused to seek medical treatment for one of Elisabeth’s children, a son, who finally died as a result. He received a life imprisonment for his crimes.

The Irish author, Emma Donoghue, was inspired by the horrible crimes of Josef Fritzl and, more importantly, Elisabeth’s incredible resistance, while writing her 2010 novel “Room”. According to Donoghue herself, who spoke with The guardian The same year the book was launched, he felt that he needed to put some Distance between the Fritzl case and his book, so that people do not think they were taking advantage of the very real trauma suffered by Elisabeth and their children. “Saying that ‘Room’ is based on Fritzl case is too strong,” Donoghue told The Outlet. “I would say that it was caused by that. The reports of the Felix Fritzl newspaper (Elisabeth’s son), five years To the world as a Martian who comes to earth: he took me. “

It is said “Sala” mainly from the point of view of Jack, a substitute for the true Felix Fritzl, who left the basement with his mother, as Donoghue said correctly, at the age of 5, whose entire world is contained within a room Underground Because of this, Jack believes that what he sees in “Sala”, including his “ma” and a man who calls “old Nick” (which sometimes brings her candy and makes the beds clash), is all that exists; While Ma and Jack have a small television, she tells him that everything inside is fictional. At one point, Ma discovers that old Nick has lost his job and can lose the house, so he can think of a dangerous escape plan. She rolls a cat scared on a carpet and tells the old Nick that she died, firmly instructing Jack to leave the truck as soon as possible and finds help; He fixes them to do so and the police rescue Ma, leaving both of them to adapt to the real world that Jack did not even know that it existed.

Although “Girl in the Basement” was also inspired by the Fritzl case, there is no doubt that, in terms of pure quality, the 2015 film adaptation of Emma Donoghue is the upper version of this story (and,, Frankly, it is far away. Based on a script written by Donoghue herself, Lenny Abrahamson directed the film, with Brie Larson starring “Ma”, whose name was finally revealed that it is Joy, and Jacob Tremblay making his live film debut as Jack.

“Room”, if you have not seen it, it is a heartbreaking and impeccably made movie, giving more history to the struggles of Ma and following the plot of the book with enough faith. (He doesHowever, cut a moment in which Joy and Jack are going to see “room” after the police dismantle and she tells him about a dead child buried in the property). Ultimately, the film obtained a nomination for the best image in the 88A Awards Academy in 2016, a director nodded with Abrahamson, and a best actress nodded for Larson, who won by his incredible and deeply powerful performance as joy. Perhaps the most successful “room”, particularly the cinematographic version, is the way it shows that in the midst of horrors that seem beyond the scope of possibility, children are still resistant, and Jack’s joy to discover the world Real is what helps your mother start. to work through your own trauma. You can now rent “girl in the basement” on the main platforms, which is also true in “Sala”.

If you or someone you know, you can be a victim of child abuse, contact the Childhelp child abuse line at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or communicate with your Live chat services.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual aggression, there is help available. Visit the Website of the National Violation, Abuse and Incest or communicate with the Rainn National Aid line at 1-800-656-Hope (4673).