Abortion: Stories Women Tell

Abortion: Stories Women Tell is a poignant 2016 documentary that provides a multifaceted, genuine insight into one of the most significant and controversial social issues faced in America, abortion. The film is produced and directed by the Emmy-winning filmmaker Tracy Droz Tragos. Known for her skillful documentary storytelling and empathetic lens, Tragos brings the contentious topic of abortion rights to the fore, shying away from partisanship and focusing on the personal experiences of women.

The documentary opens a dialogue surrounding the issue and emphasizes a variety of unnoticed voices and experiences, thus trying to place human faces and stories at the forefront of a highly charged political debate. Filmed in Missouri, a state with some of the strictest abortion laws in America, it delicately reveals the thoughts, emotions, and decisions made by women who face impending parenthood under complex circumstances.

Abortion: Stories Women Tell is not about the political battle turnovers of Roe v. Wade or the desensitizing statistics, often sensationalized by the media; instead, it invites the audience to witness the intimate hopes, struggles, and fears of those most immediately affected by the issue—the women themselves. By focusing on the individuals behind the debate rather than the politics, it humanizes the discourse surrounding abortion.

The film highlights an array of deeply moving, articulate experiences from over twenty women. They are young and old, mothers and non-mothers, wealthy and poor, religious and non-religious. Some are on the precipice of making a decision regarding a pregnancy while others share retrospectives about the choices they made, ranging from the recently decided to years past.

Added to these multi-dimensional narratives, the film profiles a range of professionals tangled within the web of this controversial issue. These include doctors performing the procedures, activists advocating for the rights of women, and clinic security personnel tasked with ensuring the safety of both staff and patients alike. Through these stories, the documentary exhibits the power of personal narrative and its place within broader public discourse.

The discourse moves through bouts of happiness, relief, sadness, and regret but emphatically lets the women speak for themselves, showcasing the diversity of emotions, motivations, and circumstances that surround the choice of an abortion, including the often-underexplored phenomena of relief and positive resolve. However, it doesn't shy away from the complexity of the choice, often involving socio-economic and relational complexities, as well as the risk it poses to women's physical and mental health in the absence of safe medical facilities.

Unlike many documentaries on this subject matter, Abortion: Stories Women Tell is not an overt advocacy piece but rather a forum where women can share their experiences without judgment or political consequences. The film does not attempt to sway public opinion on the abortion rights debate, nor does it seek to moralize or pontificate on the issues at hand. Instead, the aim is to be a mosaic of personal narratives shattering the one-dimensional view often held about women who choose to have an abortion.

Furthermore, Abortion: Stories Women Tell unveils the impact legislation has on the ability of women to control their bodies and make decisions about their lives, often forcing them to journey from their home state to access safe and legal abortions—a reality for many women who could not access abortion clinics in Missouri.

As stark as it is intimate, Abortion: Stories Women Tell invites its audience into a nuanced conversation that transcends the simplicity of pro-choice versus pro-life debates. It provokes viewers to contemplate the personal impact of social, medical, and political policies in new, empathetic ways, focusing attention on lived stories rather than political rhetoric.

In summary, the documentary is an empathetic exploration into the women behind this contested social issue. It shares compelling, visceral journeys that reflect the broad spectrum of experiences tied to the complex landscape of choice and access to reproductive healthcare. Its authenticity and thought-provoking narrative challenges assumptions and encourages viewers, independent of their stand on the issue, to engage in a more empathetic and informed conversation on abortion.