The Athena Cinema will show a film on reproductive rights Thursday night as part of an event put on by Medical Students for Choice, Generation Action, Athens Community Leadership Council and Planned Parenthood.
The film, Trapped, a documentary by Emmy-winning filmmaker Dawn Porter, will be shown at the Athena Cinema, 20 S. Court St., at 7 p.m. and will be followed by a discussion panel. Admission is free.
"Trapped is a documentary that gives really great insight into what TRAP laws are, which is Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers. ... It’s a documentary that shows the different stories of how these restrictions have panned out in everyday lives," Sarah Inskeep, regional field manager of Planned Parenthood, said.
Trapped first premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival and won the Special Jury Award for Social Filmmaking. Since then, it has been a part of many other film festivals, including the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, the Miami International Film Festival, and the Athena Women's Film Festival.
"This movie has been shown around the country and it's very enlightening," Emily Swanson, co-president of Generation Action, said. "It offers a new perspective that is not alienating to people who might be on the fence about this issue. It is a very divisive issue; it’s not black and white."
Medical Students for Choice President Sarah Leslie said the screening is important because it's a reminder that even though the Roe v. Wade decision was made nearly 45 years ago, women today are still trying to fight for their legal right to abortions.
MSFC also offers a different perspective in the fight for abortions, one in which the focus is turned to those who work in the clinical field and are the ones who try to protect their patients.
"I would like viewers to come out of the screening with a greater sense of compassion for those involved with abortion: patients, clinic workers, and doctors," Leslie said in an email. "We need to remember that TRAP laws are not intended to protect anyone and were created with the sole purpose of restricting access to care."
Inskeep and Planned Parenthood came to Athens last summer to show the film the day after the Supreme Court ruled in Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt, which overruled restrictions on abortions in Texas. For the audience, it was a very emotional screening that marked a victory for women's rights, Inskeep said.
"A year later, what legislative pushes have we seen?" Inskeep said. "Is there much proactive work going on in the state? We hope to talk about that (at the panel)."
