People legally cross the U.S.-Mexico border for work, to visit family, or in hopes of a better life. Pregnant women from Ciudad Juárez come across the border specifically to give birth, gaining entrance by way of border crossing cards that allow them 72 hours to conduct their business. Director Ellie Lobovitz speaks with patients and midwives on both sides of the border. Lina, a midwife from East Los Angeles, sees a lot of women who are stressed from the crossing, so her first job is to help them relax. The anxiety is understandable since border guards can be unsympathetic—if not downright hostile—and they reserve the right to refuse admittance, even if a woman’s paperwork is in order. Some start to go into labor—even to crown—while en route. Gaby, who had her son in El Paso (where he now attends grade school), wanted to experience a safer birth than she would have had in Juárez, where natural childbirth is less common and obstetric practices not as advanced. Luisa, who works at a market stall in Juárez, wanted to give her son the opportunities she didn’t have. Although she planned to continue her schooling, the cartel-oriented violence in the area made that impossible, with rape and murder at an all-time high. Luisa’s mother also had four cesarean births, and Luisa wanted to avoid the costs associated with that kind of medical care. According to Luisa’s father, "Childbirth in the hospitals in Mexico is extremely traumatic." Gaby and Luisa both believe that the risk was worthwhile, and Lobovitz treats their stories respectfully in this sympathetic documentary. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)
Birth on the Border
(2018) 28 min. In English & Spanish w/English subtitles. DVD: $89: public libraries; $195: community colleges; $295: colleges & universities. Women Make Movies. PPR. Closed captioned. Volume 34, Issue 5
Birth on the Border
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