Birth on the Border
- Description
- Reviews
- Citation
- Cataloging
- Transcript
This intimate and personal documentary follows two women from Ciudad Juárez as they cross the U.S.-Mexico border legally to give birth in Texas, putting their hearts and bodies on the line as they confront harassment at the hands of U.S. border officials.
One million people legally cross the U.S.-Mexico border every day in both directions. Among them are women who cross for the purposes of childbirth. With the threat of obstetrical violence in Mexican hospitals and the desire for natural birth with midwives, Gaby and Luisa make the difficult decision to cross the border to El Paso, seeking a safer future for their children. Even with papers, their journeys are uncertain.
Against the backdrop of oppressive U.S. border policy and growing debates over immigration, these women's stories of risk, strength, and resilience shed light on the realities and challenges of life on the border.
"BIRTH ON THE BORDER places you in the hearts and minds of women who make large and often terrifying sacrifices for the health and safety of their children. Whatever your views on immigration, this film will challenge what you think you know."
Angie Reza Tures Founder and Producer of Femme Frontera Film Festival
"BIRTH ON THE BORDER uses beautiful imagery and compelling stories to illuminate an important yet often overlooked topic: childbirth and the border. Not only is this film timely, but it also has broad appeal to those interested in the US health care system, US-Mexico borders, and/or immigration. Although this is not a typical educational documentary style film, I showed Birth on the Border in my university course because it touches on so many aspects of the human experience. Unsurprisingly, it generated rich discussion."Ophra Leyser-Whalen, PhD Professor, Dept. of Sociology & Anthropology, University of Texas, El Paso
"This film explores the politics of care work and the lived experiences of women for whom dangerous border crossings are a daily reality. Birth on the Border is absolutely essential viewing for all race, class, and gender studies courses.”
Diana Cage Professor, Art & Gender Studies, San Francisco State University
Citation
Main credits
Lobovits, Ellie (film director)
Lobovits, Ellie (director of photography)
Other credits
Assistant editor, Peter Biella; color editor, Janzen Adisewojo; music, Lulaeruza.
Distributor subjects
Documentary Films; Human Rights; North American StudiesKeywords
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(crickets chirping)
00:00:21.834 --> 00:00:27.001
(woman)
I can recall a really powerful
dream that I had.
00:00:27.067 --> 00:00:30.500
A woman walked in through
the clinic doors.
00:00:30.567 --> 00:00:35.400
She laid down in the hallway
to have her baby...
00:00:35.466 --> 00:00:39.433
and it was a breach delivery.
00:00:39.500 --> 00:00:40.800
I was alone.
00:00:40.867 --> 00:00:45.833
Suddenly, I saw these spirit
hands over my hands,
00:00:45.900 --> 00:00:48.834
and they were guiding me.
00:00:48.901 --> 00:00:52.566
And I knew that it was--
it was my mother's hands.
00:01:02.167 --> 00:01:05.100
(ultrasound waves)
00:01:09.900 --> 00:01:12.833
♪
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(Spanish song playing)
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(song continues)
00:02:23.733 --> 00:02:25.666
(song fading)
00:02:43.033 --> 00:02:45.967
When people come
to birth in the US,
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and they have visas,
00:02:47.934 --> 00:02:50.067
they're within
their legal rights
00:02:50.134 --> 00:02:52.801
to acquire these services
here in the United States,
00:02:52.868 --> 00:02:58.000
but there is that unseen
pressure where it's wrong.
00:02:58.067 --> 00:03:00.633
It's taboo.
This is a white country.
00:03:00.700 --> 00:03:03.999
We don't want more
brown people to be born here.
00:03:11.501 --> 00:03:14.066
Over 80, but it's
been up to 140.
00:03:14.133 --> 00:03:16.100
Okay.
00:03:16.166 --> 00:03:19.400
But the diastolic
has been...
00:03:19.466 --> 00:03:22.734
Yeah, it's never
above 82, 84.
00:03:22.800 --> 00:03:24.900
Okay...
(continues in Spanish)
00:03:24.967 --> 00:03:26.733
She has a good pulse,
good temp.
00:03:26.800 --> 00:03:28.567
Mm-hm.
Good,bien.
00:03:28.634 --> 00:03:31.067
I'm just gonna get her
more water, and she just ate.
00:03:31.134 --> 00:03:34.666
Okay...
(speaking Spanish)
00:03:34.733 --> 00:03:36.834
(responding in Spanish)
00:03:36.901 --> 00:03:38.633
So who is she going
to be turned over to?
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(speaking Spanish)
00:03:41.366 --> 00:03:43.467
Blanca?
Probably Blanca.
00:03:43.534 --> 00:03:45.099
Is that right?
And then Sofía.
00:03:47.700 --> 00:03:49.334
I grew up in South Central L.A.
00:03:49.400 --> 00:03:52.101
So not just L.A., right,
but South Central.
00:03:52.167 --> 00:03:55.067
So, there, if anybody makes
eye contact with you,
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it's like a threat,
you know?
00:03:56.533 --> 00:03:59.633
It's just like, "What, fool?
What you lookin' at?"
00:03:59.700 --> 00:04:01.034
There was actually
a client was like,
00:04:01.101 --> 00:04:04.134
"Who's the midwife
here today?"
00:04:04.201 --> 00:04:05.568
And someone's like, "Lina."
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"And Lina, is that the midwife
that goes like this a lot?"
00:04:08.967 --> 00:04:12.200
You know, and it's like,
"Yeah, that one. That's her."
00:04:12.267 --> 00:04:14.034
And it was like, "Ah, man."
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It's a good reminder to,
you know, soften my face.
00:04:17.967 --> 00:04:20.500
I'm not in the hood
anymore in L.A.
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There's so much stress
surrounding that crossing,
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that interrogation.
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Will I make it?
Will I be rejected?
00:04:33.801 --> 00:04:35.601
What's gonna happen
to my family?
00:04:35.668 --> 00:04:37.335
What's gonna
happen to my baby?
00:04:37.401 --> 00:04:39.568
Because every time you cross
the border
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whether you see it or not,
it's an interrogation, right?
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(door shuts)
00:05:52.500 --> 00:05:56.201
(ultrasound waves)
00:05:56.268 --> 00:05:59.934
I feel, immediately,
like the first 20 minutes
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of any appointment
is just kind of like,
00:06:02.034 --> 00:06:07.666
all right, let's...
let's try to de-escalate
the stress, right?
00:06:10.667 --> 00:06:13.667
And you can see it not only
in their face, in their body,
00:06:13.734 --> 00:06:17.333
but in their blood pressure
as well, like PTSD
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from the stress
of crossing the border.
00:06:29.533 --> 00:06:32.466
(ultrasound waves)
00:06:35.234 --> 00:06:38.367
The stress of birthing
in a moving car,
00:06:38.434 --> 00:06:41.033
and then having to pretend that
you're not in labor,
00:06:41.100 --> 00:06:42.866
it's hard.
00:06:49.467 --> 00:06:52.734
How bad does it have to be,
and how important
00:06:52.800 --> 00:06:56.799
is this when you are willing
to crown on a bridge?
00:06:58.367 --> 00:07:00.868
How could anyone
be that strong?
00:07:00.935 --> 00:07:04.467
And how could anybody
be that powerful
00:07:04.534 --> 00:07:05.934
and that amazing?
00:07:06.001 --> 00:07:10.768
And how can something
be this beautiful?
00:07:10.834 --> 00:07:13.067
When you're living
in a community that has
00:07:13.134 --> 00:07:17.767
such a high rate of violence
that is run by cartels,
00:07:17.834 --> 00:07:20.501
that is infamous
for femicides.
00:07:20.568 --> 00:07:23.834
It seems like a no-brainer,
that you would want
00:07:23.901 --> 00:07:26.000
your child to have
a different life.
00:07:38.600 --> 00:07:42.001
(ultrasound waves)
00:07:42.068 --> 00:07:44.767
(Lina)
A client was having
a precipitous birth.
00:07:44.833 --> 00:07:46.501
A fast birth.
00:07:46.568 --> 00:07:50.468
She gets in her car,
crosses the border.
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She was already feeling
the urge to push.
00:07:54.935 --> 00:07:56.634
Maintained her cool
the whole way,
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was holding that baby in.
00:08:00.401 --> 00:08:02.967
As soon as she got
to the birthplace,
00:08:03.034 --> 00:08:07.034
pretty much had her baby
in the hallway.
00:08:07.101 --> 00:08:09.801
It was just like,
phew, a sigh of relief
00:08:09.867 --> 00:08:11.800
as soon as you
open the door.
00:08:14.700 --> 00:08:17.533
(ultrasound waves)
00:09:54.933 --> 00:09:57.866
(chatter)
00:11:39.534 --> 00:11:42.467
(ultrasound waves)
00:11:44.134 --> 00:11:48.500
(chatter)
00:15:13.267 --> 00:15:16.200
(music playing)
00:15:34.867 --> 00:15:37.033
(buzzing sound)
00:19:49.333 --> 00:19:52.366
(music playing)
00:19:52.433 --> 00:19:53.599
(crank winding)
00:19:55.333 --> 00:19:58.266
(music playing)
00:20:02.066 --> 00:20:04.999
(music continues)
00:23:06.000 --> 00:23:09.799
(baby grunting)
00:23:29.166 --> 00:23:32.099
(birds cawing)
00:23:34.834 --> 00:23:38.434
(Lina)
Where is that scar
that divides?
00:23:38.500 --> 00:23:42.667
The others, the unknown,
the brown people, the darkies,
00:23:42.734 --> 00:23:44.933
everybody that they fear.
00:23:46.900 --> 00:23:49.633
The reality is,
for thousands of years,
00:23:49.699 --> 00:23:51.933
that word did not exist.
00:23:53.300 --> 00:23:55.667
Border is just a new thing...
00:23:55.734 --> 00:24:00.300
and we are still crossing.
00:24:13.367 --> 00:24:16.300
(ultrasound waves)
00:24:21.400 --> 00:24:22.867
(waves stop)
00:24:22.934 --> 00:24:25.867
Okay.
(speaking Spanish)
00:24:30.200 --> 00:24:33.133
(breathing heavy)
00:24:37.667 --> 00:24:41.067
(whimpering)
Muy bien.
00:24:41.133 --> 00:24:43.133
Just breathe.
00:24:50.700 --> 00:24:53.633
(breathing continues)
00:24:59.900 --> 00:25:02.833
(ultrasound waves)
00:25:25.767 --> 00:25:27.233
(heavy breathing)
00:25:27.300 --> 00:25:30.233
(groaning)
00:25:31.400 --> 00:25:32.600
Baby's born.
00:25:32.667 --> 00:25:34.467
Put the baby head down,
face down.
00:25:34.533 --> 00:25:37.066
(baby crying)
00:25:42.600 --> 00:25:45.700
(speaking Spanish)
00:25:50.566 --> 00:25:53.833
(both speaking Spanish)
00:25:58.600 --> 00:26:00.833
(speaking Spanish)
00:26:04.599 --> 00:26:08.199
(baby crying)
00:26:16.900 --> 00:26:19.833
(crying continues)
00:26:46.499 --> 00:26:49.433
♪
00:26:52.700 --> 00:26:58.467
♪ (Spanish song playing)
