HBO has snagged the worldwide rights to Erin Lee Carr’s “At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal.” The premium cable network announced the news in a press release, and revealed that the upcoming doc will debut on HBO sometime in 2019.
“At the Heart of Gold” includes exclusive interviews with survivors and shines a light on those “who made courageous efforts to reveal a dangerous system that prioritized winning over everything,” according to its synopsis. The film “examines how abusers such as Dr. Larry Nassar, the osteopathic physician for the U.S. women’s Olympic gymnastics team, could go unchecked for so many years.”
More than 300 girls and women came forward accusing Nassar of sexually assaulting them. McKayla Maroney, Gabby Douglas, and Simone Biles are among those who publicly shared their stories. Nassar is now serving jail time after pleading guilty to charges including sexual assault and child pornography.
Carr’s docs “Thought Crimes: The Case of the Cannibal Cop” and “Mommy Dead and Dearest” both aired on HBO. The former followed an ex-New York City Police Officer convicted on the charge of conspiring to kidnap — and whose online history revealed searches about how to kidnap, kill, cook, and eat women — and the latter told the story of a woman accused of murdering her mother.
“Find something that speaks to you, and make it your beat,” Carr urged when we asked her advice for other female directors. “Don’t be afraid to ask others for help, and definitely find a female mentor who can counsel you through this wild ride.”
Survivors of the USA Gymnastics sex abuse scandal received the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at this year’s ESPY Awards. Check out the powerful moment below.
