The students who made the film graduated, but stayed in touch with Cassanello and Mills about the films success. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and conservative allies to secure an ideological majority on the Supreme Court a successful push FRONTLINE chronicled in the 2020 documentary Supreme Revenge: Battle for the Court. Booth had the previous year participated in the Freedom Summer Project in Mississippi, and says she learned "that sometimes you have to stand up to illegitimate authority, and sometimes there are unjust laws that need to be challenged.. Dorrie Barron tells us what it was like for her to get an abortion before the Janes and Roe v. Wade came along. UCF Center for Distributed Learning, 2015 - University of Central Florida Two new films tell the story. DEL BARCO: The film shows how the Jane Collective was different. Members were able to set up a much more compassionate setting that was respectful to women, she said. In 1965, Heather Booth received that call for help a friends sister was suicidal for want of an abortion. The film traces the committee's origins in the era of McCarthyism and anti-gay propaganda while detailing the personal stories of those intimately involved with its activities. Ned Lamont, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, and local OB/GYNs spoke at the event put on by DefendDemocracy to protest against the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade. In reality, the Jane Collective was not unique. University of Central Florida College of Arts & Humanities. In 2009, one of the very few remaining providers of third-trimester abortions in the country, Dr. George Tiller, was shot to death. And many documentary filmmakers have used their medium over the years to reflect on what led to the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision and what historical and political developments have led to the continued debate over a womans right to choose. Rev. ELIZABETH JENSEN-FORBELL, LOGAN KRIETE In 1963, 280 deaths were recorded in the U.S. from induced abortions, and in 1965, they dropped to 235, according to Pew Research, which indicated that the numbers fell to single digits or zero every year after Roe v. Wade was decided. The couple said they wanted to send a message of being "pro-love" rather than "pro-choice" or "pro-life," but viewers have . The USs role as a leader on the world stage does not exempt the country from these obligations in fact, it should require them to do more, said a representative from the Global Justice Center, which is one of the signatories. On Sept. 1, the state . MARIE LERNER: We need to turn the anger, the fear, the concern we've got into protest. Actress Sarah Jessica Parker narrates the piece, acknowledging briefly in the introduction that her own family faced financial difficulties during her childhood. As far as I can tell, theres a huge commonality of interests between radically different levels of affluence, he said. The collective was always under surveillance, but, they noted, because male authorities from police to judges had themselves solicited services for their wives, daughters and mistresses, they were able to operate largely without police interference. There is no moral argument for legacy preferences at places like Yale University. Both projects wrapped up this month. These abuses lie firmly at the Biden administrations door, added Ryan from the Global Justice Center. Drawing on a landmark FRONTLINE film from the 1980s, the documentary. Connecticut Gov. The movie focuses on the tale of a real person, Abby Johnson, a former director of Planned Parenthood, who claims she left the organization after witnessing a 13-week abortion on an ultrasound.. U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., speaks during the pro-abortion rights rally at the Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Bridge in downtown Westport, Conn. Sunday, May 8, 2022. The documentary and supporting materials serve as a perfect springboard to have healthier, deeper, more connective conversations about abortion in your context. And then it was time to do something else. FLORIDA MOVING IMAGE ARCHIVES, UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, SMATHERS LIBRARY SPECIAL AND AREA STUDIES COLLECTIONS, UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA The documentary and supporting materials serve as a perfect springboard to have healthier, deeper, more connective conversations about abortion in your context. The films stories of womens desperation are haunting and ominous. We must care with compassion, and unlike in the male-dominated medical establishment, encourage collective care and knowledge. CHUCK WOODS These developments follow a decades-long effort by U.S. "We went old school to find one of the . The letter sent on Thursday was addressed to a number of UN agencies and officials, including the Working Group on Discrimination against Women and Girls; the Special Rapporteur on Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment; and the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Privacy. Documentary shows how women ran underground abortion network before Roe v. Wade ruling, according to a 2019 BuzzFeed essay written by Allan Weiland. Roewas egregiously wrong from the start, Alito wrote in his draft, which also takes aim at the 1992 Supreme Court rulingPlanned Parenthood v. Casey. Abortion: Stories Women Tell directed by Tracy Droz Tragos, documents what women at an Illinois abortion clinic were experiencing when Missouri legislators passed the extreme law mandating anin-person informed consent process and a mandatory72-hourwaiting period between the time you sign your consent and your procedure. As media typically displays and argues abortion is for careless young women, this documentary depicts how those in need of abortion range in age, race, motivation and marital status. The House Oversight and Reform hearing came a day after the Senate Judiciary Committee held a similar hearing on the legal ramifications of a controversial Texas law. Florida Senator Charley Johns chaired the committee, and its aim was to root out communist and homosexual teachers and students from state universities. That said, Himes is committed to shaping policy that evens the playing field. After the genocide in Rwanda and atrocities in Srebrenica, Bosnia, in the 1990s, the world vowed never again. Then came the conflict in Darfur, Sudan, which began 20 years ago. Pregnant women seeking abortions in Chicago had few options before 1973, when the Supreme Court codified the right to have an abortion in Roe v. Wade. 3 min read The Supreme Court's Dobbs decision has successfully overturned a woman's federal. Click here to find a screening in your area. A new documentary tells the story of "The Jane Collective," a group that helped women with nowhere else to turn for a safe abortion, in the days before Roe v. Wade. Lessin said the group treated women with care and concern leading up to and during their appointments and stayed in contact with them after their procedures, in contrast to many back-alley male doctors, the worst of whom performed abortions while drunk and sometimes sexually assaulted their patients. We tried to do it with as much respect and understanding as we could.. Signatories in the letter list prior actions from the UN Human Rights Committees over abortion access in countries such as Ireland and El Salvador, arguing for similar scrutiny of the US. MANDALIT DEL BARCO, BYLINE: Heather Booth was on vacation when she got the news that the Supreme Court may soon rule that abortion is once again illegal in the U.S. HEATHER BOOTH: I was horrified but not surprised. Im just enormously happy with the outcome of the committee, Himes said. For information about screening the film as an individual, in a classroom setting or for your organization, please complete the following form and we'll be back in touch soon. AT UCF In documentaries and related reporting, weve tracked developments related to this contentious issue including, in recent years, the Mississippi law at the center of the draft Supreme Court decision and the ways states have prepared for a potential post-Roe v. Wade world. Copyright 2022 NPR. But months before her passing, Nick Sweeneys documentary examines how McCorvey overcame poverty, neglect and abuse all while being positioned as the symbol in one of Americas most contentious modern debates. Feel free to share it around. The documentary explores how the killings ignited a fierce debate about the intersection of free speech, abortion and religion and contributed to a Massachusetts law allowing a 35-foot buffer zone around abortion clinics that would be struck downby the U.S. Supreme Court in 2014. And why it wasnt stopped sooner. After a Supreme Court draft opinion was leaked last month indicating that the justices are likely to overturn Roe v. Wade, it felt like the time for us to come together to give women a platform to talk about what it looks like when abortion is criminalized, Pildes said. In the documentary, members of Jane, who themselves were predominantly middle- and upper-class white women, spoke about recognizing the problematic dynamic. MONICA MONTICELLO, MONICA MONTICELLO How American Politics Reached This Fraught Moment: 12 Documentaries to Watch Ahead of the Midterms, How the Supreme Courts Conservative Majority Came to Be, Mass Shootings, a Supreme Court Ruling, Bipartisan Legislation: How America Reached This Moment on Guns, From the Archives: How the World's Deadliest Ebola Outbreak Unfolded, Russias Invasion of Ukraine, One Year Later, War Crimes Watch Ukraine: More Than 650 Documented Events, From the Archives: How the U.N. & World Failed Darfur Amid "the 21st Century's First Genocide". BOB GRAHAM The abortion clinic is less than a mile from Texas, where abortion is illegal. It uses medicine or surgery to remove the embryo or fetus and placenta from the uterus. Rep. Barbara Ehardt, R-Idaho Falls, and Rep. Kevin Andrus, R-Lava Hot Springs, presented the . Screenings come with free resources, including the official ABORTION TALKS dialogue guide by Essential Partners. The Committee is a documentary film about the little-known Florida Legislative Investigative Committee of the State Legislature from 1956-1965. ACOG Committee Opinion No. Florida Film Festival 2013 Susan Geiger The Labrant family's YouTube documentary on abortion was met with immediate contempt on social media. The Jane group evaded law enforcement until seven Janes were arrested in 1972. Click here to learn more about hosting a screening. They each were charged with eleven counts of abortion and conspiracy to commit abortion. The Dobbs ruling pushed the US even further out of line with its human rights obligations, including its obligation to ensure access to abortion and to eliminate structural racism and discrimination, said Annerieke Smaak Daniel, womens rights researcher at Human Rights Watch. Copyright Laws of the United States, Finally the filmmakers took out a newspaper ad in The Chicago Reader. Won an Emmy award for his abortion documentary "The Committee" in 1971 only one year after he left his advertising business and established Cusack Productions. Booth tells her story in "The Janes." Abortion reversal laws are based on contested science but states keep passing them. I cried with her: the diary of a doctor navigating a total abortion ban. COMMANDER MICHAEL CALDERIN AND THE To help you learn more about the history behind this courts contentious ruling, TheWrap has gathered five essential documentaries to watch. The film details how the women of the Chicago-based group worked and helped women obtain safe and affordable abortions. Check your local listings for air dates and times. Washington D.C., Jun 23, 2021 / 09:00 am. Directors: Erik Cieslewicz, Brooke Sperry | Stars: Dino Corvino, Liz Hayes, Chrystina Head, Frances Irwin 9. Wade.' The class also watched the only documentary previously made on the subject, Allyson Beutkes Behind Closed Doors: The Dark Legacy of the Johns Committee. The film points out that Black women and Latinas suffered the most from the criminalization of abortion in Chicago and nationally because they often could not afford to travel abroad or to other states that legalized abortions beginning in 1970. The . He said he often gets asked how its possible to represent a population with such a wide range in income and wealth disparity. The documentary serves as a cautionary tale, with its release just weeks after a leak from the U.S. Supreme Court suggested the landmark 1973 ruling that established abortion rights nationwide . Natasha Hellerich by removing unnecessary regulations on certain drugs. But people would be banned from using the process to change abortion laws. Students were required to read And They Were Wonderful Teachers, a book by Karen Graves, Ph.D., about the Johns Committees persecution of public school teachers. We knew that some would be injured, some would die, former member Judith Arcana says in the film. Suncoast Emmy Award Nomination - Editor But when youre talking about people and their hopes to better themselves economically, you can tell some wonderful stories., Drawing a parallel to the U.S. House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack, Himes said, They radically changed the way a congressional committee communicates with the American public and we did the same thing with this documentary.. The group helped an estimated 11,000 women in Chicago get access to safe, affordable abortions in the late 1960s and early 70s. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. The abortion debate has long dominated political discourse on Capitol Hill, particularly in recent years. And at that point, I realized we better set up a system. In fall 2011, professors Robert Cassanello and Lisa Mills taught an Advanced Documentary Workshop class at the University of Central Florida. Almost daily, the Reproductive Health Services clinic in Montgomery, Alabama, receives several versions of the same call: Are yall still doing abortions?". Prior to the Roe v. Wade case, the so-called "Janes" built the underground organization and assisted an estimated 11,000 women. Many of them hadnt even told the stories to their families or their friends, so this was a big move for them, Lessin said. Mandalit del Barco, NPR News. The 8-5 vote along party lines in the House Judiciary Committee came shortly before a Senate Health Policy Committee also voted Wednesday to repeal longstanding Michigan abortion policies. Attorney General Merrick Garland on Wednesday fielded questions from lawmakers regarding alleged anti-Catholic, anti-pro-life bias within the . Abortion restrictions compound economic, social, and geographic barriers to healthcare, including contraception, disproportionately impacting Black womens ability to access the care we need.. DEL BARCO: Until the Supreme Court decision in 1973, abortion was a felony in the state of Illinois, as in most of the country. June 8, 2022. The leaked draft opinion from the Supreme Court signaling an intention to overturn Roe v. Wade makes HBO's upcoming documentary "The Janes" extremely timely. When the decision was delivered on Jan. 22, 1973, legalizing abortion throughout the United States, Wolfson quickly petitioned the district attorney, and all charges were dropped. Since Planned Parenthoods decision to remove itself from Title X, the federal program that provides reproductive care for nearly 4 million low-income Americans, thousands of health care workers and administrators have been scrambling. But now, without having to pay Mike, they remodeled their payment service by reducing the price from $500 to $100 and offering a pay-what-you-can option. And all of a sudden, they were gone. These documentaries offer context on how America reached this moment. Jane was born first as a continuation of Booths referral service, and then as a counseling service. The documentary begins with a cautionary tale. We must help everyone no one was turned away for lack of funds. Here is a partial list of stations that will air The Committee. (Photo by STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images). The authors say the curtailment of abortion rights in the US is of a piece with the countrys history of devaluing the lives of Black women, who are hit worst by abortion restrictions. I was just laying there trying to, you know, get my breath, and I knew I was bleeding. In the spring of 2012, the film began screening in film festivals in Florida and over the next two years it screened in festivals all over the world, winning many competitions, prizes, and awards. That was it. Her first book, "Breaking Free," will be published on September 5, 2023. PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Served with the US Army in the Philippines in World War II. More 33 mins 13 Jun 2018. A new documentary series warns about the dangers of chemical abortions, as the Biden Administration has recently removed restrictions on the abortion pill . These courageous leaders risked their personal safety and professional livesto meet secretly for six years under the guidance of Essential Partners co-founder Laura R. Chasin and mediator Susan Podziba. They say that between 1968 and 1973, they provided free or low-cost abortions to more than 11,000 women. Members of the public gather outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on May 2, 2022, after a leaked draft majority opinion signaled the likely end of Roe v. Wade and nearly 50 years of abortion law. Some would die. Lets hope it incites us to action, and not to despair. They felt compelled to do this even as they understood their own limitations.. Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival 2013 But for those who remained, as Jane member Judith Arcana put it, if he could do it, we could do it medical degree be damned. Judith Arcana was one of them. I asked if you thought it was OK. Overriding nearly five decades of legal precedent, the Supreme Courthas overturnedRoe v. Wade, the landmark1973 ruling that legalized abortion in the U.S. used by permission and protected by the IE 11 is not supported. In this short documentary, FRONTLINE followed a group of African American anti-abortion activists and their work inside the Black community. Screenings come with free resources, including the official ABORTION TALKS dialogue guide by Essential Partners. 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Documentary filmmaker and video producer Aaron Hos, representing the UCF Center for Distributed Learning (CDL), was brought onto the project as Producer and Supervising Editor. After Tiller is an essential watch to understand the emotional and misunderstood elements of the late-term abortion debate. It chronicles the real-life story of a group of women who helped those seeking abortions in Chicago more than 50 years ago. Jon and Jo Ann Hagler on behalf of the Jon L. Hagler Foundation. A decade after Roe v. Wade, FRONTLINE visited an abortion clinic in Pennsylvania, covering the conflict over reproductive rights like never before on American television. Its pretty hard to tell stories and to be evocative about tax policy, Himes said. Featuring two of the victims and one interrogator, the film exposes the committees subversive activities and how its effects are still felt today. In fall 2011, professors Robert Cassanello and Lisa Mills taught an Advanced Documentary Workshop class at the University of Central Florida. As the day nears that the Supreme Court might overturn Roe v. Wade, the directors said they hoped viewers would draw inspiration from the former Janes.. He would assist Dr. Cassanello and Dr. Mills in guiding the students through the various technical and creative facets of the film's post-production and marketing phases. Lawmakers may have the power to legislate which actions are legal and which are not, but they cannot simply end abortions. As a new U.S. Supreme Court term begins, revisit FRONTLINE documentaries that show how conservatives gained a court majority and give context for last term's major decisions on abortion, guns & more. Officials from the US mission to the UN and the US Gender Policy Council, a White House office established by the Biden administration, did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication. These Documentaries Show How We Got Here. They note that the UN committee has already established that denial of abortion can cause physical and mental suffering so severe in pain and intensity as to amount to torture. This story was originally published by Idaho Reports on March 3, 2023. The films stories of womens desperation are haunting and ominous. The class sought out interviews with experts who could speak with authority on the Johns Committee or the current state of LGBTQ affairs in the state of Florida. Several decades after Roe v. Wade, the anti-abortion movement had successfully spearheaded campaigns in multiple states, passing laws that limited access to abortion including in Mississippi, where a single facility performing abortions remained. According to the media gossip platform Def Noodles, the video received more than 33,000. And for too long, the US has been able to avoid that type of international scrutiny, she said. The stories and experiences of those interviewed demonstrate how care is a radical act and how it served as the organizational principle that shaped the collectives operations. 1970. "We've been telling you for the last 20 years, no one wants that! to meet secretly for six years under the guidance of Essential Partners co-founder Laura R. Chasin. later, the body is removed and disposed of as medical waste. Though illegal under Illinois law, the Janes, as they called . Excellent, important, timely, urgent, and needs to be seen and discussed widely., Peter Coleman, expert and author of The Way Out. Top human rights organizations are calling on the United Nations to intervene over the destruction of abortion rights in the US. The film will debut on HBO on Wednesday, June 8 and will then be available to stream on HBO Max. A new documentary tells the story of "The Jane Collective," a group that helped women with nowhere else to turn for a safe abortion, in the days before Roe v. Wade. You can always mobilize to help one another, you can organize, and ultimately thats what matters most, Pildes said. Detailing the decades-long abortion debate, these docs give context to the historic Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade. Abortion restrictions, the signatories write, deny womens decisional and bodily autonomy in a way that rejects the agency, dignity and equality of people who can become pregnant.. The assurance, the trust, the respect I got when I tell you they changed my life, they changed my life., She added, holding back tears, When I saw women caring about women it was a whole new world for me., The Jane Collective is estimated to have provided around 11,000 abortions from 1969 to 1973. So goodbye Jane.. Booth says she found a willing doctor who promised safe, secure procedures. Howard, a Black surgeon and civil rights leader who had recently moved to Chicago after receiving death threats from the KKK for speaking out about Emmett Tills murder. None of the participants would change their minds, but the dialogues changed their lives. The complexion changed, noted Marie Leaner, one of the only Black women in the collective. New HBO doc The Janes offers a preview of a post-Roe future by looking to the past, The Janes, a new documentary premiering on HBO, New documentary tells story of a secret all-women group who provided safe abortions before Roe, Support for legal abortion now at its highest point ever, polling shows. Among the signatories are the Global Justice Center, Pregnancy Justice, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. Powerful evidence of the unimaginable Clara Germani. A doctor hugs a patient at an abortion clinic in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, on 13 January 2023. . You need an abortion. Any exceptions allowing abortion in very narrow circumstances for example, where an abortion is necessary to save the life of the pregnant persons life, or when the pregnancy is the result of rape are practically unworkable, the signatories write. The law cannot and should not stop people from seeking out life-saving health care. Tel : 617-923-1216 Web Site Copyright 1995-2023 WGBH Educational Foundation. DEL BARCO: In 1972, police raided the operation and arrested seven of the Janes, including Arcana, who told NPR she was a nursing mother at the time. The documentary also reported on the increase in clinic invasions and threats. WUCF-TV is now streaming The Committee for FREE on their website! The committee was tasked with producing a report with policy recommendations, but Himes wanted to go further than that. Cassanello, Mills, Hos and their former students launched a fundraising campaign to cover the cost of licensing images and music in the film. DEL BARCO: Posting the phone number on bulletin boards and underground newspapers, the Janes set up a clandestine system. Jane filled the vacuum. Enlarge this image. Prior to the Roe v. Wade case, the so-called Janes built the underground organization and assisted an estimated 11,000 women. Wes Moore, behind her, during a news conference in support of bills to protect access to abortion. Some women tried to self-induce abortions using objects or chemicals, which often led to infection and sometimes death. Casey allowed states to restrict access, so long as they did not place an undue burden on women seeking the procedure. They just left. One Jane would drive them to a home they called the front, where another Jane would counsel them. After helping organize Black voters in Mississippi, she turned her activism to women with unwanted pregnancies. Send questions and comments to Lisa.Mills@ucf.edu.