On this website you will find a choice of movies on the topics unwanted pregnancy and abortion.
Deaths and the inconceivable suffering of women as a result of illegal and therefore often dangerous abortions has always touched our society deeply. In view of this it seems clear why movies have often documented this tragedy and shown possible solutions. The first two movies on abortions were produced in the years 1939 and 1940. Their release led to a very strong public response, despite there having been censorship and prohibitions of showings. Following this, a various countries with different cultures started producing numerous films on or including the topic. Showing the suffering and deaths of women as a result of our societies ignorance was common to them all. Sadly enough and without any logical explanations all societies have in the past, decided to forbid abortion, instead of helping the affected women with constructive solutions or informing them about contraception.
Industrialised countries have experienced fundamental changes in the past 30 to 40 years. Their societies were no longer willing to accept the suffering and deaths of their women. Subsequently they legalised abortion. This led to rapid improvement of the health and life of women.
Countries which have been European colonies are still implementing outdated abortion laws inspired by those of the former colonial powers, forbidding and punishing it with several years of imprisonment. As a result of this these countries still have unacceptably high deathrates of mothers. Even though most former colonies are implementing their development programs, the legalisation of abortion, which would save the lives and improve the health of many women, is still not part of their programs.
The legalisation of abortion is often prevented due to ethical and moral arguments, implying that large numbers of illegal abortions and resulting deaths are more socially acceptable than its legalisation.
However, there have been religious and political efforts to turn back the clock in industrialised countries for several years. These efforts aim at complicating or completely forbidding abortion. Such efforts studiously disregard the fact that forbidding abortion is not a solution for dealing with unwanted pregnancies but will merely remove the subject from the social agenda.
Many people have apparently forgotten how cruel and misogynistic conditions before legal abortion used to be. The movies place those past times into our memory. They articulate the importance of preventing unwanted pregnancies and that there are no sensible alternatives to legal and safe abortions.