In the wake of the recent Supreme Court decision-which, while not overturning Roe vs. Wade, did seriously weaken it by granting individual states the right to enact legislation regarding abortion-this is a timely and likely to be controversial program. Although the video opens up with an abortion filmed in real time (about 90 seconds), the focus is not on bludgeoning viewers with graphic sights of aborted fetuses (a frequent ploy used in anti-abortion literature). On the contrary, this well produced video is about information. Combining interviews with medical experts, and sharp charts and graphs which give a worldwide perspective on the issue, Abortion: For Survival briefly addresses the legal history of abortion, before moving on to examine the effects of limited availability of contraceptives in foreign countries, the success/failure rate of various methods of birth control, the overall world population picture, and the promise of new breakthrough drug RU 486, which has been developed in France-but is being blocked from introduction into the U.S. But the overriding message that sounds loud and clear throughout the program is the fact that a woman dies every three minutes from a botched abortion. No legal measures have ever reduced the number of abortions (and, in fact, some evidence suggests that the abortion rate is higher in countries -such as Brazil-which don't have legalized abortion). Since the tape is pro-abortion it does, of course, represent only one side of the story, but name-slinging is kept to a bare minimum ("anti-abortion extremists" is about the strongest term used, which, even so, suggests that the abortion issue has no philosophical basis, when it very clearly does). This is a compelling, level-headed approach to educating the public about a highly charged topic. It should be considered a priority purchase for all public libraries. Highly recommended. (Available from: Fund for the Feminist Majority, 1600 Wilson Blvd., Suite 704, Arlington, VA 22209.)
Abortion: For Survival
(1989) 30 m. $20. Fund for the Feminist Majority. Public performance rights included. Vol. 4, Issue 7
Abortion: For Survival
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: