Many Americans first learned about Sister Helen Prejean , the Catholic nun and prominent death penalty abolitionist, through the 1993 book, Dead Man Walking, and its acclaimed movie adaptation two years later.

More than 30 years after Prejeans book was published, a new documentary is offering a more comprehensive look at her life and work through a contemporary lens.

Directed by Dominic Sivyer, Rebel Nun premiered Thursday at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival in New York. Actor Susan Sarandon , who won an Oscar for her portrayal of Prejean in Dead Man Walking, was expected to attend the debut screening. Two additional screenings are set for Friday and Sunday.

Together with Sivyer, Prejean pored through 60 years worth of personal archives as she recalls key moments in her decision to join a Catholic religious order in the mid-1950s and, later, her rise to national prominence as an unflinching opponent of the death penalty in the 80s.