Director Alexandria Bombach (Frame by Frame) shot this documentary portrait of human rights activist Nadia Murad not long before her subject received the Nobel Peace Prize, and the movie argues persuasively that the prize was well deserved.

| Mar 11, 2020

Be ready for tears, on screen and your own.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jan 25, 2019

On Her Shoulders is a compassionate, level-headed portrait of a remarkable woman. What it lacks in filmmaking fireworks, it makes up for in the sheer magnetism and moxie of its hero.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jan 24, 2019

Nadia is shown always surrounded by crowds, almost crushed by them. But her utter loneliness is heartbreaking.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jan 24, 2019

On Her Shoulders is close to being awful.

| Original Score: 1/5 | Jan 23, 2019

It would almost be absurd if it weren't so deadly serious.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Nov 1, 2018

Director Alexandria Bombach doesn't settle for simple biography, instead weaving through the film a deft, sobering commentary about the limitations of political action and the tendency of mass media to unintentionally rob advocates of their voices.

| Nov 1, 2018

"On Her Shoulders" is a moving, sensitive portrayal of a woman - and a people's - perseverance.

| Original Score: 3.5/4 | Oct 31, 2018

Its subject compels throughout.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Oct 31, 2018

On Her Shoulders is an intimate, empathetic documentary, made with discretion and power.

| Oct 24, 2018

We see this movie to learn who the young Nobel Peace Prize winner is, but in the end, it is about her challenging us to learn who we are.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Oct 19, 2018

Alexandria Bombach's direction and editing are exceptional; she captures images that are both subtle and formidable.

| Oct 18, 2018

The film is most interested in homing in on the ways Nadia Murad's fragility and self-doubt arise as collateral damage from her fame and steadfast activism.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Oct 14, 2018

Director Alexandria Bombach avoids the details of Murad's brutal captivity, showing instead the intense pressure and responsibility the 23-year-old feels as a spokesperson for her people.

| Mar 29, 2018

[Alexandria] Bombach's ability to thoughtfully examine trauma and its narrative in the media and politics creates a new avenue for Nadia's justice outside of the courtroom or parliament.

| Mar 14, 2018

Festivals like Sundance offer many films about activism and politics and human rights, but Alexandria Bombach's documentary On Her Shoulders feels decidedly different.

| Jan 26, 2018

Being in the same room with Nadia says enough in the very powerful On Her Shoulders, even when she is alone with her thoughts.

| Jan 23, 2018

A heartbreaking film.

| Original Score: 5/5 | Jan 22, 2018

A compelling look at the toll activism takes.

| Jan 22, 2018

People like Nadia can't fix the world, but this vital documentary is proof that it's heroic enough just to be heard.

| Original Score: B+ | Jan 22, 2018