Monday, June 22, 2009

Not Yet Rain

"Thunder is not yet rain".
Last week, I had the opportunity to attend a screening of "Not Yet Rain" by Lisa Russell. This documentary talks abortion access in Ethiopia. What I thought was particularly well done was the fact that the messaging and plot were very simple. The later half the film primarily follows two young women through their experience in the abortion system in Ethiopia. It reminded me a little bit of "A Walk to Beautiful".
The screening was followed by a short panel discussion by experts in international reproductive health representing IPAS, The International Women's Health Coalition and International Planned Parenthood.
A couple of facts that I was struck by: aborting was legalized in Ethiopia in 2006 (read more here) and abortion doesn't seem to face the radical opposition we experience in the US in large part due to the hospitalization of abortions (treated more medically than morally) and also the fact that many people actually don't know that it is legal.
You can watch the entire film on its website: http://www.notyetrain.org/ or you can order a free DVD. This generous access makes it a very good tool for advocacy. Please pass the word along.

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