With the Supreme Court’s vote to overturn Roe v. Wade last week, we have entered a period of time where guaranteed, fundamental rights of bodily autonomy have been stripped away from anyone capable of giving birth. The days and weeks after moments like this have a tendency to feel like a caustic combination of grief, anger, and fear, and that’s just the starting point for those who are at most risk of facing the devastation this ruling causes. Everyone copes differently, and I find that a combination of reflection and action is where I fall. In that spirit, below is a list of movies that deal with abortion and reproductive rights. This is by no means a complete list, but rather a glimpse at 5 that have stuck with me. Accompanying each of them is an action step you can take right now to support those at greatest risk. Once again, the action steps are not a complete collection but represent a few options if you are looking for them (click the titles for streaming options), and can be the initial moves in what will be an ongoing push.
Anamaria Vartolomei appears in ‘Happening’ by Audrey Diwan. (IFC Films)When I watched Audrey Diwan’s searing film at Sundance, I was already bowled over by her ability to distill a national crisis about abortion access into a devastating personal story. Adapted from Annie Ernaux’s novel of the same name, Happening follows Anne (Anamaria Vartolomei) while she desperately searches for an abortion in 1960s France. Like the best period pieces, Happening uses the past as a filter to reckon with the failings and dangers of the present. The film is unflinching and forces the audience to bear witness to each dangerous step Anne undertakes in search of bodily autonomy.
Three of the eponymous Janes in a still from ‘The Janes.’ (HBO)A documentary that co-directors Tia Lessin and Emma Pildes started working on in the aftermath of Donald Trump’s election, the project introduces viewers to members of the Jane Collective. This group of women who operated out of Chicago in the 1960s and 1970s worked tirelessly to help people locate safe and affordable abortions. Constructed as equal parts character study, history lesson, and rousing call to action, The Janes spotlights an incredible group of people who have lessons abounding for how to approach a post-Roe United States.
What Can You Do?: Buy and donate emergency contraception through Stix, a company committed to providing a wide range of reproductive health products.
Achouackh Abakar Souleymane and Rihane Khalil Alio in a still from ‘Lingui, The Sacred Bonds.’ (MUBI)The only movie on this list not set in the United Staes, Lingui, The Sacred Bonds foregrounds a mother-daughter relationship in Chad. Amina (Achouackh Abakar Souleymane) discovers her 15-year-old daughter Maria (Rihane Khalil Alio) is pregnant, a development that blows up both of their lives. Abortion is illegal and morally-condemned in the Muslim-majority country, offering a glimpse back the United States’ past and future under a Christianity-guided court. Writer-director Mahamat-Saleh Haroun finds jaw-dropping beauty and aching sorrow alike in this film that will settle into your soul.
What Can You Do?: Visit Aid Access where you can get a consultation about abortion pills by mail, learn about pill options, and even getting pills for future use.
Sidney Flanigan and Talia Ryder in a still from ‘Never Rarely Sometimes Always’ (Focus Features)Eliza Hittman has directed three feature films, and I count all of them among my personal favorites. Chief among the trio is her remarkable Never Rarely Sometimes Always which chronicles teenager Autumn’s (Sidney Flanigan) quest to go out of state and find an abortion. With her best friend Skylar (Talia Ryder) beside her, Autumn trek’s to New York City while working to hide the circumstances from her family. What makes the film so unforgettable is Hittman’s blending of the beauty of Autumn and Skylar’s relationship with the brutality of how hard it is to get the abortion.
What Can You Do?:Educate yourself about self-managed abortions and the law through Repro Legal and share the information with those who may need it.
Olivia Hussey in a still from ‘Black Christmas’ (Warner Bros.)Not always thought of as an abortion film, Black Christmas nonetheless features a prominent subplot about Jess (Olivia Hussey) deciding to get an abortion even though her boyfriend Peter (Keir Dullea) doesn’t want her to. Peter may not be the killer in the movie, but his manipulative and oppressive rage is a chilling reminder that so many pregnant people are killed by angry partners when they can’t get an abortion. Jess is steadfast though, and her incredible strength in every battle she fights makes her a legendary figure.
What Can You Do?: Buy a “Fight Like a Final Girl” shirt from Poltergeists and Paramours who will donate 100% of the profits to local and national abortion funds.
Devin McGrath-Conwell holds a B.A. in Film / English from Middlebury College and is currently pursuing an MFA in Screenwriting from Emerson College. His obsessions include all things horror, David Lynch, the darkest of satires, and Billy Joel. Devin’s writing has also appeared in publications such as Filmhounds Magazine, Film Cred, Horror Homeroom, and Cinema Scholars.
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