Do you care about keeping abortions legal?

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/410786032/trust-wom...

OUR FILM

Trust Women tells the inspiring stories of Dr. LeRoy Carhart and Dr. Warren Hern, two of the last physicians in the country who continue to perform late-term abortions--a vital service that protects women's lives and health--despite constant harassment and threats. By making this film, we want to change the way people think about abortion doctors, and we need your contributions to make it happen.

SYNOPSIS

Since the election of President Obama, the American public’s support of abortion rights has dropped markedly, with a recent Pew Research poll suggesting that only 47% of Americans currently believe in a woman’s right to choose. Meanwhile, the murder of Dr. George Tiller in May 2009 was only the most recent in a long history of violent attacks on doctors who provide abortions, their clinics, and their staffs.

In the face of this growing anti-choice sentiment, our film will paint a vivid portrait of two courageous abortion providers who have continued to protect women’s reproductive rights, despite ongoing threats and harassment. The two men this documentary will focus on—Dr. Warren Hern and Dr. LeRoy Carhart—are also two of the last physicians in the country who provide third-trimester abortions for women as needed, making them the current number-one targets for anti-choice fanatics.

The sacrifices that these doctors make—from installing metal detectors in their clinics to avoiding restaurants and other public places—often go unnoticed. Similarly, the complicated medical and personal circumstances that lead many women to seek an abortion are frequently misrepresented or ignored.

This documentary will take audiences into the day-to-day lives of these inspiring doctors, providing audiences with a fresh perspective on this controversial issue. Rather than presenting these doctors as one-dimensional symbols of a divisive political battle, our film will use their everyday routines, personal convictions, and community relationships as gateways for understanding these brave individuals and the many women whose lives they touch.

WHY WE NEED YOUR HELP

We have met separately with Dr. Hern (who is in Boulder, Colorado) and Dr. Carhart (who is in Bellevue, Nebraska), and both of them are excited about the project and have agreed to provide us with as much access as possible.

However, we spent all the money that each of us had personally saved to go visit them and talk to them about the project. Now we need to raise money so that we can go back with a cinematographer over the next few months and officially start shooting.

Your donation will help us cover the costs of the trip, including travel to Omaha and Boulder and lodging, the cost of hiring a cinematographer, and other production costs involved in shooting the film

The phrase “late-term abortion” refers to an abortion that occurs later in pregnancy. Different people define late-term abortions as starting at different times, but for the purposes of our film, we are considering late-term abortions to be those that are performed in the third trimester, at 24 weeks or later into the pregnancy.

This is only a very tiny percentage of all abortions that are performed—according to the National Abortion Federation, fewer than 2% of all abortions are performed at 21 weeks and after, and abortions performed after 26 weeks are extremely rare.

Why do women need late-term abortions?

Although it varies by state, across the country all abortions performed after 26 weeks must be medically indicated—ie, they cannot be “elective” abortions.

Many late-term abortions are performed because of tragic fetal anomalies, such as a fetus developing without a brain. Often these pregnancies are not only planned, but very much wanted, making the decision to have an abortion even more painful for the women. Ultimately, however, these women have decided that terminating the pregnancy is the safest and best option for themselves and their families.

The remaining late-term abortions are performed because the life or health of the pregnant woman is seriously in danger. So no matter what the specific circumstances for each woman, late-term abortions are only performed when absolutely necessary.

The phrase “late-term abortion” refers to an abortion that occurs later in pregnancy. Different people define late-term abortions as starting at different times, but for the purposes of our film, we are considering late-term abortions to be those that are performed in the third trimester, at 24 weeks or later into the pregnancy.

This is only a very tiny percentage of all abortions that are performed—according to the National Abortion Federation, fewer than 2% of all abortions are performed at 21 weeks and after, and abortions performed after 26 weeks are extremely rare.

Why do women need late-term abortions?

Although it varies by state, across the country all abortions performed after 26 weeks must be medically indicated—ie, they cannot be “elective” abortions.

Many late-term abortions are performed because of tragic fetal anomalies, such as a fetus developing without a brain. Often these pregnancies are not only planned, but very much wanted, making the decision to have an abortion even more painful for the women. Ultimately, however, these women have decided that terminating the pregnancy is the safest and best option for themselves and their families.

The remaining late-term abortions are performed because the life or health of the pregnant woman is seriously in danger. So no matter what the specific circumstances for each woman, late-term abortions are only performed when absolutely necessary.