Screening Choice

The representation of the abortion issue in
American
film has been deeply effected by the social and
historical climate within which these
representations
are produced. However this does not mean that
representations has accurately, or even remotely,
resembled the lived experience of people going
through the struggle of abortion decisions at any
given time. Rather, the representations created
are
more a reflection of political, social, medical
and
religious discourse at the time of the films
productions. The Abortion Issue in American Film:
1900-2000 explores how these external discourses
shift and change the representation of several key
figures in the story of abortion: The Patient, The
Abortion Provider, and The Male Partner. These
characters are traced and placed in context
starting
from 1916 through 2000, choosing key films to
analyze
the changes in representation and their
relationships
with American values, morals, medicine and
politics
through the decades.

Autorentext

Heather MacGibbon holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in Cinema Studies fromNew York University specializing in Feminist Film Theory,Documentary Film and issues of Race & Nationalism in the media. Her academic writing is complimented by over 10 years of activismand educational work around reproductive rights issues in theUnited States.

Klappentext

The representation of the abortion issue in Americanfilm has been deeply effected by the social andhistorical climate within which these representationsare produced. However this does not mean thatrepresentations has accurately, or even remotely,resembled the lived experience of people goingthrough the struggle of abortion decisions at anygiven time. Rather, the representations created aremore a reflection of political, social, medical andreligious discourse at the time of the films'productions. The Abortion Issue in American Film:1900-2000 explores how these external discoursesshift and change the representation of several keyfigures in the story of abortion: The Patient, TheAbortion Provider, and The Male Partner. Thesecharacters are traced and placed in context startingfrom 1916 through 2000, choosing key films to analyzethe changes in representation and their relationshipswith American values, morals, medicine and politicsthrough the decades.