One of the fundamental tenets that I hold true is that women’s rights are human rights, and included in those rights is the right to a safe and legal abortion should a woman want or need one. When I was in college (and after), I organized and marched for abortion rights, and I have very dear friends who have dedicated their lives to making sure that women have the right to do what they want with their bodies.
A woman cannot be free if she cannot control her body — and that includes the right to reproduction.
In the new documentary Vessel, directed by Diana Whitten, you see one activist doctor, Rebecca Gomperts, who has given everything to help women have the right to an abortion. We live in a world where the word “abortion” is even a dirtier word that “feminist,” but abortions save women’s lives and give them the ability to take control of their destinies.
Gomperts and her team make sure that women are the priority where politics and religion usually take primacy. Starting in 2001, her “vessel” sailed to countries where abortion was illegal and provided women with safe and legal medical abortions in international waters. Women on Waves stirred up a lot of controversy, but all the people who are part of the work are lifesavers and truly righteous humans.
Gomperts was recently profiled in the NY Times Magazine, which notes that Gomperts has since pioneered the “post-clinic abortion” through the organization Women on Web, which mails Plan B-like pills to women in need of them. Meanwhile, Vessel is about to embark on an international screening tour for nonprofits, student groups, activists, and educators.
For a modest screening fee, you can receive:
- The Vessel DVD
- Public performance rights for Vessel
- Action and Discussion Materials
- Digital Promotional Tools
- Hands-on support from our community-screenings team
If you are interested in screening the film, fill out their request form to indicate your interest, or email vessel@filmsprout.org.
Vessel will be distributed by Filmbuff in early 2015. Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Whitten from SXSW 2014, where the film won the Audience Award.
