The rePROFilm Periodical – featuring a new film and podcast each month – is generously underwritten and is FREE and available to anyone.
Through film and conversation, rePROFilm advocates for reproductive health, justice and bodily autonomy. We lift intersectional issues, using the power of storytelling as a catalyst for knowledge, intention and action.
VOLUME 12 – Part 1:
Many Happy Returns
In the words of Cat, the protagonist of our Vol. 12 short film “Miso,” “Shit’s been rough.”
Indeed.
2022 was a historically chaotic year in the reproductive justice timeline. But we also noticed a bright, shining silver lining: mutual support. We showed up for each other this year, y’all. We used our vote, our dollars, our thoughtfulness, our time — and we made a difference in ways large and small.
Showing up is at the heart of “Miso,” a film about Cat, who has an at-home, medication abortion with the assistance of Sophie, a doula. After you watch the film, listen to the Periodical Podcast convo with filmmakers Karen Walker, Mariah Bess, and Alex Sgambati, who talk about how they want “Miso” to both tell a compelling story and educate audiences about the existence of options they might not know much about.We love this mission because we’ve learned so much about options to support our reproductive health over the past year. We’ve highlighted organizations that help women, trans and nonbinary folks, and people with racialized identities meet their individual reproductive health needs. Abortion funds, travel funds, low-income clinics, advocacy organizations, support groups, medical research … If you have a repro-related concern, there’s a good chance you can find support.
Not to mention, we now know abortion is widely popular in the United States (even if it’s still stigmatized in many spheres).
The help and support are out there. And like Cat, we need to ask for it when we need it.
Here’s to both giving and receiving,
xoxo
The rePROFilm Team
P.S. A note to our friends and supporters: Thanks for spending some of the last year with us, whether that meant watching one of the 14 short films we presented, listening to one of 15 podcasts, donating to one of our favorite reproductive justice organizations, or simply skimming these emails every now and again. This past year has been a rollercoaster, and we’re glad to be on this ride together.
VOLUME 12 – Part 2:
Reproductive justice and new beginnings
Lately, we’ve been reflecting on how abortion can be both an ending and a beginning. That’s the case for Mia, the protagonist of “Miso,” the rePROFilm Vol. 12 short film selection. She’s just finding her way after moving to a new city, and it’s simply not the right time to have a baby.
Fortunately, she has access to both medication abortion and an abortion doula. Over the course of the film, doula Sophie helps Mia end her pregnancy — and preserve the new beginning she’s looking for.
Last year, in our very first volume of the rePROFilm Periodical, we declared abortion is community. One year later, in a post-Roe world, we continue to recognize the power of solidarity – and “Miso” could not be more relevant in this moment.
We all deserve a new beginning — in January, certainly, but also whenever we need one. As we negotiate our current reproductive landscape, that’s something we need to remember.
Here’s to fresh starts,
The rePRO Team
SOLIDARITY
To match the vibe of Vol. 12 short film “Miso,” we made a list of songs about support, compassion, and empowerment. From Dolly to Gaga, Aretha to Rihanna, this playlist is like a big, warm hug. So, put on your headphones and ground yourself in your intentions for 2023.
And while you’ve got you’re there, , head over to the rePROFilm Pod to learn even more from the “Miso” team. ❤️
4 things to know about the FDA’s move to expand access to abortion pills
Soon, residents of U.S. states where abortion is legal will be able to get abortion pills at their local pharmacy, thanks to the Food and Drug Administration. While this is a big win for abortion rights, it will also increase the access divide between states with differing abortion laws.
Abortion bans don’t prosecute pregnant people. That may be about to change.
We’re hearing rumblings from a couple of red states about prosecuting people who self-manage their abortions. It’s a relatively fringe idea, even among the anti-abortion crowd — but certainly something to keep an eye on, especially if you live in Oklahoma or Alabama.
( 19th News )
In North Carolina, more people are training to support patients through an abortion
Since last summer’s Supreme Court ruling on abortion, demand for training to become an abortion doula has skyrocketed in the Tar Heel State — which is also the home state of “Miso” star and rePROFilm team member Alex Sgambati.
( Kaiser Health News )
11 ways to support a friend who’s considering getting an abortion
You don’t need to train to be an abortion doula to support a friend who is ending their pregnancy. This story offers 11 different ways to lend a hand, from practical help to emotional support.
( Self )
The Story of “Plan C”
Last month, we told you about the organization Plan C. If you’ve been following the news about abortion pills, you’ve probably heard about them. Now, award-winning documentarian Tracy Tracy Droz Tragos takes us inside the grassroots organization dedicated to expanding access to medication abortion. You can catch “Plan C” online at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival (and hopefully soon on a screen near you). Amongst its executive producers is filmmaker Jess Jacobs (“Choices”), a rePROFilm friend & supporter.
Plan C worked with the “Miso” filmmaking team to edit the educational credits that close the film about a medication abortion. Widely considered the go-to source for information on at-home abortions, the organization provides up-to-date information on how people in the U.S. are accessing at-home abortion pill options online.
Through film and conversation, rePRO advocates for reproductive health, justice, and bodily autonomy. We lift intersectional issues, using the power of storytelling as a catalyst for knowledge, intention, and action.
