Currently in America, anything related to abortion is controversy. People are throwing about hateful and destructive rhetoric like it’s a football, when in fact these words bear much more similarity to a grenade. If we want to win this battle to preserve access to reproductive healthcare, we have no chance to take a break and stop fighting.
Of all the incredible experiences and films at the Sundance Film Festival this year, one of the most powerful and relevant is Across the Line. This is a virtual reality experiences which gives viewers the opportunity to view and be immersed in the event of having an abortion. The film doesn’t deal with much of the medical aspect of the procedure, but rather the politics of abortion.
While in this reality, you are putting on Christina’s shoes to obtain an abortion. You will witness the comfort of a kind physician, the importance of a supportive friend, and the cruelty that people spread to people trying to access basic health services. Many women who experience this type of harassment outside of health clinics are not even trying to procure an abortion. They are trying to get a pap smear or access contraception.
Utah Teens Talk Film bloggers are members of Planned Parenthood Association of Utah’s Teen Council. They are trained to teach about human sexuality and healthy decision making. During the 2016 Sundance Film Festival teen bloggers will be watching independent films and interviewing filmmakers, advocates, and writers with the goal of understanding how film can promote just and humane sexual attitudes and policies.
