About the Film

LOVE LETTERS tells the remarkable story of esteemed professor and feminist scholar Catharine R. Stimpson and Australian musicologist Elizabeth (Liz) Wood. Now in their 80s, they recall a time when living openly and loving unapologetically was a radical act. For Catharine, this jeopardized her career and relationships with her family. The stakes were even higher for Liz as the mother of four children at a time when judges routinely denied custody to lesbians. Driven by their fierce desire to be together at all costs, Liz battled in Australian family court to be able to bring the children to New York and forge a life with Catharine. Liz’s lesbianism was used against her in court despite the children’s firm desire to remain with her. Ultimately, with Catharine’s unwavering support and that of feminist communities in Australia and New York, including luminaries such as Kate Millet, Adrienne Rich and Rita Mae Brown, Liz prevailed. Her victory established the precedent that lesbian mothers could not be considered unfit simply for who they love, and secured their life together as a family for the next five decades. Both women are motivated to tell their story now as younger generations wage their own battles against the patriarchy.