EXCLUSIVE: Emmy-winning actress Sarah Paulson is signing on to executive produce Baby Doe, a compelling documentary about what has been called “an infamous cold case.”
Jessica Earnshaw directed the film, which made its world premiere at the SXSW in March. It centers on the case of Gail Ritchey, a woman from a conservative Christian community in rural Ohio, who three decades ago gave birth alone in the woods, leaving the newborn there.
“Now a devoted mother of three, her quiet suburban life is shattered when DNA evidence links her to the infamous cold case of ‘Geauga’s Child,’ leading to her arrest for murder,” notes a synopsis. “Authorities dismiss her claim that the baby was stillborn, and the media swiftly vilifies her. Facing a possible life sentence, Gail turns to her husband, Mark, and their adult children, who struggle to reconcile the woman they love with the accusations against her. With her attorney, Steven, she must confront the weight of societal and religious pressures—and her own long-buried shame—to fight for her freedom.”
Director Jessica Earnshaw
Courtesy of Gabriel Hill
Baby Doe won Best Film in the Global Health Competition section of the Cleveland International Film Festival. It next screens on August 19 at the Sidewalk Film Festival in Birmingham, AL. Earnshaw, a photojournalist and filmmaker, earned multiple prizes for her 2020 documentary Jacinta, including awards from the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival in Arkansas and Tribeca Festival, where it won the Albert Maysles New Documentary Director Award (Jacinta is available on Hulu).
“I’ve been following Jessica Earnshaw’s work since Jacinta, which profoundly moved me,” Paulson said in a statement. “She brings such humanity and emotional clarity to her subjects, and Baby Doe is no exception. This story is as urgent as it is intimate, and I’m honored to help support its path into the world.”
‘Baby Doe’
Courtesy of Jessica Earnshaw
Baby Doe “cuts through the headlines to uncover the human complexity of Gail’s case,” the SXSW program says, “examining the intersection of women’s health, justice, and the outside forces that continue to shape stories like hers.”
“Having Sarah join this project means the world to me,” Earnshaw commented. “Her belief in the power of telling women’s stories with nuance, complexity, and compassion aligns so deeply with why I made this film. I’m honored to have her partnership as we share Gail’s story.”
Baby Doe is presented by Impact Partners and is A Sweet Creatures and Lunamax Films Production. It is directed and produced by Jessica Earnshaw, with Holly Meehl Chapman also serving as producer. Cinematography is by Jessica Earnshaw and Emily Thomas. The film is edited by George O’Donnell and Leah Boatright, with John Rudolf as co-producer.
Executive producers include Paulson, Jenny Raskin, Kelsey Koenig, Geralyn White Dreyfous, Meadow Fund, Jamie Wolf & Nathalie Seaver, Debbie L. McLeod, Peggy Case, and Tom Meadows. Co-executive producers are InMaat, Drew Scott, Erika A. Christensen, and Chris Boeckmann. The original score is composed by Gil Talmi.