Mountain Film: Whitten’s “Vessel” Making Waves

20 May Mountain Film: Whitten’s “Vessel” Making Waves

“Vessel” screens at The Nugget twice: Saturday, May 24, 6 p.m. and Sunday, May 25, 8:45 p.m.

Roe v. Wade is the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision on the issue of abortion. The 1973 court ruled 7– 2 that a right to privacy under the due process clause of the 14th amendment extended to a woman’s decision to have an abortion.

And Diana Whitten’s award-winning documentary, ‘Vessel,” does not attempt to re-litigate the contentious law – though it is a cautionary tale in the face of anti-choice efforts at home. What the documentary does do is supply some sobering statistics: of the 42 million abortions women have every year, approximately half happen happen in illegal settings. And every 10 minutes, somewhere in the world, a woman dies due to complications from unsafe abortion.

“That is about a plane crash a day,” says Whitten.

There have always been networks of women – mothers, sisters, healers – and whispered information to help women access alternatives to violent ways of ending unwanted pregnancies. The abortion pill – now available in most of the world – is the modern “womens’ knowledge” for those living under restrictive abortion laws. Networks of activists are aware of its existence, but not always clear on the protocols. “Vessel” contextualizes the pill, introducing it to a wider audience.

At Mountainfilm in Telluride, “Vessel” is scheduled to screen Saturday, May 24, 6 p.m. at and on Sunday, May 25, at 8:45 p.m., both times at The Nugget.

The film, which focuses primarily on women working in countries without the protection of Roe v. Wade, “stars” Dr. Rebecca Gomperts, a Dutch physician who is founder (in 2000) and director of Women on Waves.

The mission of WOW is to prevent unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortions by providing sexual health services, including early medical abortions (abortion with pills), on board a Dutch ship, outside the territorial waters of countries where abortion is illegal. To that end, Gomperts, a fearless captain, relentlessly sails around the world.

The story begins as flawed spectacle, faced with governmental, religious, and military blockade. But with each roadblock comes a more refined mission, until Gomperts realizes she can use new technologies to bypass law – and train women to give themselves abortions using World Health Organization-researched protocols with pills.

We witness the good doctor creating an underground network of emboldened, informed activists who trust women to handle abortion themselves.

“Vessel” is Gombert’s story, an intimate portrait of a woman who hears and answers a calling and manages to transform a wildly improbable idea into a global movement.

“Vessel” had its world premiere in March at SXSW 2014, where it won both the Documentary Audience Award and a Special Jury Award for Political Courage. The film premiered internationally at HotDocs 2014 and was voted in the Top 20 Audience Favorites.

 “Judging by the screaming “Bravos!” at Vessel’s premiere, the SXSW crowd was hungry for a commonsense documentary showing women taking back control of their own health care choices,” commented LA Weekly.

“A powerful, knock-your-socks-off documentary that will strike fear in your hearts and remind you to get out and fight for what’s right!,” BUST Magazine

“An intriguing story passionately told, shot through and through with activist zeal,” raved Variety.

Not bad, considering “Vessel” is director/producer/cinematographer Whitten’s very first feature film.

Follow “vessel” on Twitter.

Like “Vessel” on Facebook.

And to learn more, click the “play” button and listen to my talk with Diana Whitten.