Garbus, a mother herself, says she understands the struggles Mari must have faced in trying to get her children the right care in a system that often overlooks people of lesser means, particularly those with mental health issues. The daughters grew up going in and out of foster care, which is referenced in the film, specifically when it comes to Mari’s treatment of Shannan. Mari, who reportedly suffered from mental illness, struggled to get help for Shannan and at least one of her other daughters as they dealt with their own mental health issues, according to Garbus and other reports.
Her own attempt to find Shannan led to the discovery of several others. In real life, Mari Gilbert, a mother to four daughters, became a fierce advocate for murder victims in the wake of her daughter’s disappearance. But Mari’s anger pushes authorities to act, even though it takes several months for them to locate Shannan’s remains. All feel ignored and demoralized by the lack of effort from police. Hardworking, angry and determined to find answers, Mari becomes the de facto leader of the families who come together in the wake of their relatives’ disappearance and the discovery of their remains. The Gilbert family did not agree with this assertion, and released an independent autopsy in 2016 that suggested Shannan could have been murdered.Īmy Ryan’s Mari in Lost Girls is a complicated figure - a mother who loves and cares for her three daughters, even though she sometimes relies on them for money and emotional support.
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13, 2011, police have said they don’t believe her death was linked to the others murdered by a serial killer, and that they suspect that she drowned. Police have said they suspect a single serial killer was responsible for their deaths.Īlthough Shannan’s remains were eventually discovered in a marsh near Gilgo Beach on Jones Beach Island on Dec. Their bodies were found near Gilgo Beach on Long Island’s South Shore - discoveries that shocked local residents and the New York community at large. More remains were found in 2011, eventually leading to the discovery of at least six other people, many of whom were believed to be sex workers who had disappeared without explanation. The search for Shannan initially led police to discover the bodies of four other women in December 2010. A haunting recording of a 911 call made the day she disappeared reveals that she screamed, “They’re trying to kill me.”. Who was Shannan Gilbert and what happened after she disappeared?Īn aspiring actor from Jersey City who had worked as an escort, Shannan Gilbert disappeared at the age of 24 on May 1, 2010, after seeing a client.
Here’s what to know about the true story behind Lost Girls. “And it’s a story about the value of human life, and the judgments that our system puts into the lives.”
“It’s a story about believing women, about the power of community and family,” Garbus tells TIME.
Garbus says it was important to focus this story on the families of the murder victims, drawing out their relationships to their lost loved ones and portraying sex workers as three-dimensional people, especially because they are so often rendered in stereotypical terms and dismissed by authorities. Her 2015 film What Happened, Miss Simone?, about the life of Nina Simone, earned an Oscar nomination. A heartbreaking story about one mother’s efforts to find answers about her child, and the community she builds along the way, Lost Girls is the narrative feature debut for director Liz Garbus, whose previous work has focused on documentaries.