With women’s healthcare and reproductive rights at the forefront of news and surrounding the midterm elections, the documentary BORN FREE is a timely exploration into the bodily autonomy battle that explores the real cost of birth in the United States that shockingly has the highest, and growing, maternal mortality rate in the developed world. Debuting on digital platforms beginning November 8, the moving documentary was inspired by first-time filmmaker Paula James Martinez’ own childbirth experience and features a host of experts and maternal health advocates including Christy Turlington, equitable maternal outcomes expert Chanel Porchia-Albert, Charles Johnson whose own wife died in childbirth, Senator Tammy Duckworth, Senator Joe Kennedy and more who discuss the impact of current medical system standards and ultimate failure for those who experience traumatic pregnancies. In conjunction with the film release, James-Martinez and co-producer Rebecca Dayan are also launching the national charitable organization The Mother Lovers to provide resources, education, and advocacy for expecting mothers. A portion of proceeds from film sales will go to the nonprofit to fund its work.
NOVEMBER 8 STREAMING DEBUT
The Mother Lovers: https://themotherlovers.com
Despite having the most expensive healthcare in the world, the number of women experiencing both pregnancy and childbirth complications in the US has increased 31.5 percent since 2014 (Blue Cross/Blue Shield Study). Many women during pregnancy and childbirth experience post-traumatic stress disorder, emergency surgery, extreme anxiety issues and bankruptcy. For the 1 in 1,000 women who have high risk pregnancies, complications often arise due to lack of informed choice, medical overreach, and sometimes abuse, and this disproportionately affects women of color.
“As a former magazine editor, I’ve spent my entire life telling stories to women through the pages of glossy magazines. But nothing quite as vital as the stories shared in BORN FREE,” notes film director/producer Paula James-Martinez. “After all the research I did when expecting my daughter, I turned to my husband aghast with how mothers were being treated in the United States. A country with one of the highest costs of birth in the world, yet the developed worlds’ only rising mortality rate. He said, ‘do something about it.’ Thus began my journey with BORN FREE.”