All My Babies: A Midwife's Own Story

In 1952 the Georgia Department of Health made the surprising decision to allow filmmaker George C. Stoney to follow the daily routines of "Miss Mary" Coley, a black midwife who devoted much of her life to birthing the babies of Georgia's largely rural and poor black women. Mostly narrated by Coley herself, All My Babies finds Miss Mary at the health office meeting women in the early stages of their pregnancies (most of the women have had previous deliveries and are comfortable with their condition, but a few have mixed feelings, don't eat a healthy diet, or are otherwise failing to take care of themselves). Coley visits these women during the later stages of their pregnancies, eventually helps to deliver the babies, and assists with postnatal issues. Stoney's film takes the viewer back to an earlier America, a time when babies were delivered in tarpaper shacks using such props as newspapers and cardboard boxes. Yet, despite the downtrodden conditions, the documentary itself is mostly upbeat (although the choral music seems intrusive). In 2002, All My Babies was selected for inclusion in the Library of Congress National Film Registry, and this DVD presentation has been restored with outstanding picture and sound qualities (although viewers should be warned that the program includes some graphic footage of delivery and afterbirth). DVD extras include a director's audio commentary, the 1949 documentary short “Palmour Street: A Study in Family Life" (which looks at family relations in a black community), and a video reminiscence by Coley's grandson. Essential for black history and cinema collections, this is also generally recommended. Aud: C, P. (S. Rees)