The Shadow of Eve is a 2022 American documentary film directed by Jude Abbott. The film explores the lives of women living in isolated religious communities across America, examining their relationships with faith, identity, and agency. Through intimate portraits of five women from different faiths who chose to leave their communities, Abbott creates a meditation on feminine spirituality and the cost of religious autonomy.

Synopsis

The documentary follows five women over the course of eighteen months as they navigate life after leaving their respective religious communities. The subjects include a former Hasidic Jewish woman in Brooklyn, an ex-FLDS member in Utah, a woman who left an evangelical megachurch in Texas, a former nun from New Mexico, and a woman raised in a Muslim fundamentalist household in Michigan.

Rather than focusing on the sensational aspects of their departures, Abbott’s analog filming technique and observational style captures intimate moments of their daily lives, exploring how they reconstruct their identities and spirituality outside of structured religious frameworks. The film’s title references both the biblical Eve and the shadow of religious patriarchy that continues to influence these women's lives even after leaving their communities.

Production

Abbott shot the film entirely on 16mm film, using vintage cameras and natural lighting. The choice to use analog equipment created a distinctive visual aesthetic that critics praised for its warmth and intimacy. Abbott has stated that the documentary's form was influenced by the cinéma vérité movement of the 1960s, particularly the work of Charlotte Zwerin.

The film was produced independently over two years, with Abbott living out of her RV to maintain proximity to her subjects. Post-production was completed at the Sundance Documentary Film Program, where Abbott was selected as a fellow.

Release

The Shadow of Eve premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for “its innovative approach to documenting spiritual transformation.” The film went on to screen at major festivals worldwide, including SXSW, where it won Best Documentary Feature.

Reception

The film received widespread critical acclaim, with particular praise for its nuanced approach to religious criticism and feminine identity. The New Yorker called it “a masterful exploration of faith, feminism, and the space between,” while Variety praised Abbott’s “remarkable restraint in handling potentially sensational subject matter.”

Critics noted the film’s resistance to easy conclusions about religion or patriarchy, instead focusing on the complex ways women navigate spiritual identity. The Los Angeles Times described it as “a quiet revolution in religious documentary film-making.”

Several religious organizations criticized the film for what they perceived as an anti-religious stance, though Abbott maintained that the film’s intention was to explore individual journeys rather than condemn any particular faith.

Impact

Despite Abbott’s resistance to being labelled as a feminist filmmaker, The Shadow of Eve became a significant talking point in discussions about religious freedom, feminine spirituality, and women’s rights. The film’s subjects have gone on to become advocates for religious reform and women’s autonomy within faith communities.

The documentary’s success established Abbott as a major voice in contemporary documentary film-making, though she consistently redirected attention to her subjects rather than herself in interviews and public appearances.

Awards and nominations

Awards

• World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award, Sundance Film Festival (2022)

• Best Documentary Feature, SXSW Film Festival (2022)

• New Generation Award, Los Angeles Film Critics Association (2022)

• Emerging Director Award, DOC NYC (2022)

• Best First Feature, International Documentary Association Awards (2022)

Nominations

• Best Documentary Feature, Independent Spirit Awards (2022)

• Best Documentary, Gotham Independent Film Awards (2022)

• Grand Jury Prize, Sundance Film Festival (2022)

Critical response

The film holds a 97% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 156 reviews, with an average rating of 8.8/10. The site’s critical consensus reads: “Intimate, observant, and profoundly moving, The Shadow of Eve announces the arrival of a major documentary filmmaker while giving voice to stories that demand to be heard.”

On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 89 out of 100, based on 42 critics, indicating “universal acclaim.”