As the credits rolled, a contemplative silence fell over the room. The audience of over 40 in the Bronx Documentary Center sat as the film’s director, Maisie Crow and executive editor of the Economic Hardship Report, Alissa Quart, then discussed the process of making the film Jackson.
The film follows the last clinic in Mississippi to offer abortion services, and the opposition it faces in the wake of the hundreds TRAP (targeted regulation of abortion providers) laws sprouting up all over the country. The film took more than four years to make, during which Crow said she became immersed in the town and the lives of the people she filmed.
“I don’t think you can tell this kind of story without spending the time. You have to be there when the moments happen, but you can’t expect to be there if you haven’t invested the time in the people” said Crow.
Jackson was the first film to kick off the second annual Women in Film Series at the Bronx Documentary Center on Friday. The idea behind the series is to promote women operating in a field that is mostly male driven. Michael Kamber, the co-founder of the center, saw a need and collaborated with center volunteers to address it.
“I would say that there was just a real response to it [last year]. I think sometimes when you look at the films that are programed out there, it’s a little too male dominated sometimes. So we thought, let’s just try a women’s film festival. And there was just a huge response. And people were excited about it,” Kamber said.
The Bronx Documentary Center in Melrose screens dozens of films every year, examining social issues and topics relevant for the community. A film will only be screened if the director is available for a question and answer session and the community then has an opportunity to engage the filmmakers, inquire about the process, and discuss the issues the films raise.
Bronx resident Lanai Daniels works with the New York Abortion Access Fund (NYAAF), an organization that provides assistance for anyone unable to pay fully for an abortion in the state, so Jackson resonated with her on a personal level.
“To me, this was really powerful,” said Daniels. “There were moments where I got really uncomfortable. I think it’s really important that those scenes happened,” referring to a scene of a woman receiving an abortion.
“It was super important to me to include that scene because it made it seem like a regular doctor’s appointment rather than this crazy thing people think of when they think of abortion,” Crow said.
Daniels voiced her thoughts about the film, on the racism of TRAP laws and the reality of how disproportionately abortion restrictions affect women of color. She then promoted an NYAAF event happening September 10th at 1 p.m. that will feature a panel of women’s healthcare professionals at the New School.
The series’ wraps up on Sat., Sept. 10 at 8 p.m. with Peacekeepers: A Journey of a Thousand Miles.
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