New documentary shows evolution of abortion politics in Tennessee
The A-Word was shot by British Journalist Bel Trew. It depicts a complex environment in Tennessee, where doctors face challenges in performing necessary abortions.
There’s an excellent documentary that was produced by a British journalist that depicts the evolving landscape of abortion politics as seen by activists on both sides of the issue. It also has patients and doctors affected by new laws put into effect after the demise of Roe.
The A-Word, released on Wednesday and aired on Independent TV, was shot by journalist Bel Trew. It begins in New York City with an interview with feminist pioneer Merle Hoffman, providing historical context.
“So many people in the pro-choice movement trusted that nothing could stop Roe v Wade,” Hoffman said. “It wasn't a worry, and then it happened. It meant the death of the whole architecture and edifice of women's healthcare.”
Most of the documentary centers on what is happening in Tennessee.
One of the more fascinating locations the documentarian visited was Bristol, which is split between Virginia and Tennessee. Since abortion is legal in the former state and not the latter, it complicates abortion politics quite a bit with the jurisdictional division. Roughly 95 percent of the patients at an abortion clinic there are not from Bristol, according to an abortion worker interviewed. Some drove more than 10 hours.
Another woman had a fatal anomaly in her pregnancy. It didn’t have skull bones. She was turned away from facilities that said they didn’t do elective abortions. Her doctor said she would go to jail. She eventually got an abortion after driving for 14 hours, but then she developed an infection that may have left her infertile for the rest of her life.
Other doctors interviewed in the documentary reported that those laws chilled their inclination to perform life-saving care. One of the things that may have been worth including in the documentary to a greater extent was the legal battle ensuing in the EMTALA case, where this issue has played out in the court systems. It’s always a delicate balance between covering the legal part of the debate with what’s happening in real-world situations.
The film also includes interviews with doctors who fear for their lives and freedom in states with restrictive laws or steady antiabortion harassment. In one scene, there is a doctor who carries a gun with him to protect himself. He relays a story about another abortion doctor who used to wear a bulletproof vest to work until he got a letter that they would shoot him in the head if they decided to kill him.
The documentary also featured workers at a crisis pregnancy center. In Tennessee, state legislators have given those facilities $500 million.
The film concludes by mentioning the recent decision by a three-judge panel to issue an injunction against the abortion ban while it is being considered further in the court system.
It’s worth checking out.