Reel Birth Film Festival

The Reel Birth Film Festival presents two provocative films exploring our current ideas and understanding of labour and delivery. An expert panel discussion will follow. It promises to be an informative, exciting evening. Tell your friends!

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The Reel Birth Film Festival, June 24th 6pm: $10 at the door, $8 in advance
The Mulberry School

Labouring Under An Illusion: Mass Media Childbirth vs. The Real Thing
Breathe! Push! Hurry! Give me drugs! Oh no! I love you! I hate you! Help! Are we bonding yet?
There are more pregnant women watching TV birth scenes than attending childbirth classes. So when labor starts, they may be surprised by the real thing.A new documentary film, “Laboring Under An Illusion: Mass Media Childbirth vs. The Real Thing,” contrasts actual birth footage with the fictionalized commercial version. In over 100 video clips, anthropologist Vicki Elson explores media-generated myths about childbirth.

As a childbirth educator for 25 years, Elson observes how culture affects birth experiences. In this film, she contrasts fiction with reality. “To understand what it’s really like to have a baby, we have to debunk the silly and scary images served up by the profit-driven media. In reality, birth is hard work, sometimes simple, sometimes complicated, but always miraculous and unforgettable.”

The Business of Being Born
Birth is a miracle, a rite of passage, a natural part of life. But birth is also big business. Compelled to explore the subject after the delivery of her first child, actress Ricki Lake recruits filmmaker Abby Epstein to question the way American women have babies. The film interlaces intimate birth stories with surprising historical, political and scientific insights and shocking statistics about the current maternity care system. When director Epstein discovers she is pregnant during the making of the film, the journey becomes even more personal. Should most births be viewed as a natural life process, or should every delivery be treated as a potentially catastrophic medical emergency?