The 2002 film, Magdalene Sisters, written and directed by Peter Mullan, portrays the experiences of four young women who were sent to the Magdalene Laundries where they were expected to work to achieve redemption through labor intensive, typically for the entire duration of their lives. These women were considered “fallen” for committing sins such as promiscuity, pregnancy out of wedlock, coquetry, and even for being victims of rape or incest. These inmates were beaten, dehumanized, humiliated and stripped of their dignity. This film, based on the documentary Sex in a Cold Climate, highlights the mutual influence of the Catholic Church and society that shaped the views and treatment of women, which ultimately led to the creation and perpetuation of the Magdalene Laundries until to 1996. After the creation of In the Irish Free State, the highly intertwined nature of Irish society and Catholicism allowed for a rigorous interpretation of Catholic teachings that openly condemned, dehumanized, and sexually repressed women. The distorted Catholic teachings that shaped expectations for women profoundly affected all levels of laundries' operation, including society at large, inmates, and nuns in a way that perpetuated and facilitated oppression and abuse. Society viewed a respectable woman as having utility for marriage, reproduction within marriage, and domestic work (McLoughlin 81). If a woman did something to violate her obligations it was as if she faced a moral death, losing all her value and connection with her previous life. These values ​​are based on the extreme interpretation of Catholic teachings brought to bear on society following the independence of the Irish Free State in the 1920s and 1930s (Hayes and Urquhart 96). The Disquiet... Middle of Paper... 100 Years, It's vital that viewers understand that this is a flawed system and that it's not just the Church's fault. Despite this, most viewers will likely infer that the nuns themselves were partially victims of this system. Overall, this film does a great job integrating many components that contributed to the cycle of laundry abuse. The director demonstrated how the teachings of the Church were distorted in such a way as to control Irish society and create deeply rooted situations of abuse. These views were not only held by society, but by many girls themselves who began to see themselves as dishonorable and undeserving. The unlimited power of the church in the Irish Free State gave church leaders the power to shape society's opinions, which ultimately led to the desexualization and condemnation of many women.