Charlize Theron Opens Up About 'Badass' Mom Who Searches for Daughter in New Her Netflix Doc“ Into the Fire” (Exclusive)

The actress talks to PEOPLE about 'Into the Fire: The Lost Daughter,' the documentary she produced about a mom's quest for the truth about the daughter she placed for adoption

Placing her baby for adoption in 1974 at age 17 was one of the most painful things Cathy Terkanian has ever had to do.

The now-retired nurse, 66, says she made the difficult decision because she believed she was giving the baby girl she named Alexis a better life.

Any hopes and dreams she had for Alexis were shattered in 2010 when officials contacted her asking her for a DNA sample to see if remains that had been found in Wisconsin were those of her daughter.

She was shocked to learn that Alexis, renamed Aundria Bowman by her adoptive parents, Dennis and Brenda Bowman of Hamilton, Mich., had been missing since 1989, when she was just 14.

Thus began her quest to find out what happened to Alexis, no matter what. “I saw the fire and I walked right in it,” she says in the trailer.

The more Terkanian learned about her daughter’s life, the more she had a gut feeling that something had gone horribly wrong.

“There’s the story they’re telling you,” Terkanian says in the trailer. “And then there’s the likely story.”

She adds: “I could just feel it in my bones.”

Terkanian’s 10-year search for the shocking truth about her daughter is detailed in the gripping new Netflix two-part documentary, Into the Fire: The Lost Daughter. The documentary is currently streaming, and a trailer is shown below.

Out Thursday, Sept. 12, the two-part series was produced by Academy Award-winning actress Charlize Theron and helmed by Ryan White, the director behind the Emmy-nominated 2023 Netflix documentary about Pamela Anderson, Pamela: A Love Story.

PEOPLE spoke to Theron via email about how she learned about Terkanian, how she set out to make a documentary about her tireless search for justice, and what she hopes will happen as a result of telling Terkanian’s heartbreaking story.

How did you find out about Cathy Terkanian? 

I found Nile Cappello’s fantastic article in The Atavist when I was doing my nightly scrolling through Apple News on my phone. The title and tagline hooked me, and once I started reading it I was blown away. I instantly sent it to my partners at my production company and said “we have to do this.” The next day we were off to the races.

What drew you to Cathy’s incredible story?

Her determination, resilience and honestly how badass she was! She never let anyone tell her no, she trusted her instincts, and she is a true personification of the power of motherhood.

Tell me how you ended up bringing this story to Ryan White and his team. 

When we got the article, we made a shortlist of filmmakers we wanted to work with. And when I say short, it was pretty much just Ryan! We’ve been of fan of his from afar for years, and we took a swing and sent it to his team. And thankfully he and his producing partner Jessica Hargrave saw the potential we saw in the story.

Why did you want to do a documentary about this?

There’s so much true crime out there nowadays, and trust me I love it, but this felt different. A story that touches on the complexities of adoption, motherhood, found family. You don’t see that too often in this genre – it felt fresh and much needed.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

How would you describe Cathy?

I think Sue Engweiler summed it up pretty well in our doc – she’s a pit bull with lipstick! Tenacious and bold, yet kind and maternal. You really get the best of both worlds with Cathy.

Was making the documentary emotional for you in any way?

Definitely. I got teary eyed watching every cut. And not just at the obvious emotional beats, but Ryan’s filmmaking has such an incredible way of evoking so many different emotions. Whether it’s a beautiful still shot of Cathy or a scene with Aundria’s high school friends who had her back, each time I watch it, I’m surprised by what part really gets me.

What do you hope viewers take away from Into the Fire?

I hope they feel moved by Cathy’s story, and also inspired by her resilience. And if this film can move people to be more proactive when they see injustices occurring and can prevent things like this from happening in the first place, that’d be incredible.

Do you plan on doing more documentaries?

A ton more! Anyone who knows me knows that I am obsessed with docs, and our production company Secret Menu is making a huge push in the space. We have a handful of projects in early development right now, and one really exciting one that’s gearing up to shoot that we’ll be announcing very soon!

Into the Fire: The Lost Daughter is currently streaming on Netflix.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.