Mama.film will present second virtual rePRO Film Fest

One of the great things about movies is that they unite us in different ways for different causes.

Women’s rights — specifically reproductive justice and reproductive health care — is at the core of the rePRO Film Fest, which returns for its second year and will take place virtually Aug. 9-18. Wichitan Lela Meadow-Conner’s mama.film collective is one of the presenters and organizers.

“Our hope for rePRO Film Fest 2021 is to inspire women and men to gain a better understanding about what reproductive justice really means, and to recognize that the future of reproductive justice lies in our hands, through films and conversations,” Meadow-Conner said via email. “We must also recognize that the threat to women’s bodily autonomy remains constant — both here in the U.S. and around the world — and in order to establish a more equitable future for generations to come, we must take action now.”

This year’s lineup will consist of three feature films and twelve short films, and the return of rePRO’s Call-to-Action Conversations — a series of discussions with filmmakers, activists and experts around various reproductive justice topics.

Individual tickets will be $10 per feature film, and $10 per each short film program, available as scheduled screenings during the festival. An all-access pass is $75, which gives you access to all films and events online anytime over the festival’s nine days. All-access pass holders can view any of the films from 10 a.m. central Aug. 9 to 10 p.m. central Aug. 18.

All ticket sale proceeds will be split equally and donated to three beneficiary organizations: Black Women’s Health Imperative, Lilith Fund and No More Secrets.

Tickets can be purchased at https://www.reprofilmfest.com.

Here’s the film lineup:

Features

“Bei Bei” Documentary, directed by Marion Lipschutz and Rose Rosenblatt. Alone in a foreign land, a pregnant woman is abandoned by the man she loves. She attempts suicide and survives, but her baby does not. Is she a tragic heroine or a murderous criminal? (88 min., in English and Chinese with English subtitles) For ticket holders: streaming 10 a.m.-10 p.m. central Wednesday, Aug. 11.

“Fly So Far” Documentary, directed by Celina Escher. The story of Teodora Vásquez, the spokesperson of “The Seventeen,” the women accused of aggravated homicide because of having a miscarriage in El Salvador. (89 min., in Spanish with English subtitles) Streaming from 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday, Aug. 9.

“On the Divide” Documentary, directed by Leah Galant and Maya Cueva. Follows the lives of three Latino people in McAllen, Texas, whose different beliefs end up coming to a head at the last abortion clinic on the U.S./Mexico border. (79 min., in English and Spanish with English subtitles) Streaming 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 18.

Shorts program 1

“Black Birth” Documentary, directed by Haimy Assefa. Three expectant mothers, including the director, navigate the joys, fears and complexity of Black motherhood in America. (20 min.)

“The Gallery that Destroys All Shame” Documentary, directed by Aurora Brachman and Jessie Zinn. One evening in L.A., a group of women gather to learn how to take back the speculum. (12 min.)

“Black Goat” Narrative, directed by Yi Tang. A new girl at a nunnery gets her first menstruation. She believes that to avoid further bad luck, she has to sacrifice a black goat. (12 min.)

“In Accordance With” Narrative, directed by Sarah Ema Friedland and Alessandra Lacorazza. At a border checkpoint, a pregnant woman is forced to endure invasive and emotionally abusive measures in order to get an abortion. (7 min.)

Shorts program 2

“Girlsboysmix” Documentary, directed by Lara Aerts. Examines gender roles with Wen Long, a nine-year-old who wears both boys’ and girls’ clothes and plays with toys intended for both genders. (7 min., in Dutch with English subtitles)

“RESIST: The Resistance Revival Chorus” Documentary, directed by Susan O’Brien. In the midst of a country divided, a diverse group of women and non-binary individuals unite through the historic power of music to create a movement ignited by song. (20 min.)

“Ten Leaves Dilated” Documentary, directed by Kate E. Hinshaw and Ebony Blanding. Uses the make-believe world crafted by Cabbage Patch Kids to examine discourses surrounding childbirth in the American South. (14 min.)

“Umbilical” Documentary, directed by Danski Tang. A mother’s abusive relationship with her husband shapes the daughter’s experiences in a boarding school in China. (7 min.)

Shorts program 3

“Ale Libre” Documentary, directed by Maya Cueva. A woman prepares for the biggest moment of her life — her deportation case. (17 min.)

“Blood and Glory” Narrative, directed by Satinder Kaur. Two homeless, female veterans’ friendship is tested when they confront adversity and discrimination in their attempt to find work and survive the day. (12 min.)

“Postpartum (Wochenbett)” Narrative, directed by Henriette Rietz. Explores the chaotic phase in life of a new mother. (5 min., in German with English subtitles)

“Freeze” Narrative, directed by Maya Albanese. When a woman’s fairytale romance crashes and burns on her 35th birthday, the incessant “tick-tock” of her biological clock pushes her to try new things. (15 min.)

This story was originally published August 8, 2021 at 4:37 AM with the headline "Mama.film will present second virtual rePRO Film Fest."