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We deserve better across the entire medical industry. We deserve to be believed. We deserve to be understood. We deserve to be empowered to at least understand ourselves and not have vital lifesaving information hidden from us for profit. It has honestly been one of the most illuminating and heartbreaking things I've ever seen. I will never forget the experience of watching your documentary... I can't wait for the revolution that I believe that you are at the forefront alongside so many amazing activists that have had their voices suppressed.
Jameela Jamil
Actress, Activist
Host of I Weigh
Synopsis
Sixty years after the pill revolutionized women's emancipation, The Business of Birth Control examines the complex relationship between hormonal birth control and women’s health and liberation.
The documentary traces the feminist movement to investigate and expose the pill's risks alongside the racist legacy of hormonal contraception and its ongoing weaponization against communities of color.
Weaving together the stories of bereaved parents, body literacy activists and femtech innovators, the film reveals a new generation seeking holistic and ecological alternatives to the pill.
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Host a private screening to bring The Business of Birth Control to your community!
Become a Member
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As a Film Circle Member you will be directly supporting the creation and distribution of our films and our educational impact work. We deeply appreciate your patronage and are pleased to offer you lifetime access to:
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Our 10 acclaimed feature films including The Business of Birth Control and The Business of Being Born.
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Our newly released 9-part educational series More Business of Birth Control
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Our 40+ hour video library of expert-led webinars and celebrity conversations
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Our exclusive community events designed to deepen your body literacy, hosted by Ricki and Abby
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Free gifts from our partners starting with a Better Periods Box from Agni ($48 value)
What Our Viewers Are Saying:
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#betterbirthcontrol
About the Filmmakers
Ricki and Abby’s award winning, critically acclaimed documentary The Business of Being Born debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2007. The film is is hailed as the “must see” film among mothers-to-be.
Together they co-wrote the book, Your Best Birth and released More Business of Being Born a four-part DVD series featuring celebrities sharing their birth stories, as well as an in-depth discussion on the birth process.
Under their joint venture BOBB Films they served as Executive Producers for Breastmilk and The Mama Sherpas.
The duo also teamed up for Weed the People, which premiered at the 2018 SXSW Film Festival and won the Audience Award at the Nashville Film Festival.
More Films by Ricki & Abby
The Business
of Being Born
Birth: it's a miracle. A rite of passage. A natural part of life. But more than anything, birth is a business. Compelled to find answers after a disappointing birth experience with her first child, Ricki Lake explores the maternity care system in America with filmmaker Abby Epstein.
More Business
of Being Born
This four part series continues the provocative and entertaining exploration of the modern maternity care system, featuring poignant birth stories from stars including Alanis Morissette, Gisele Bundchen, Christy Turlington-Burns, Cindy Crawford, Molly Ringwald, Laila Ali, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, and Melissa Joan Hart.
Weed the People
Medical marijuana has the potential to save lives, but existing legislation prohibits millions of Americans from experiencing the life changing benefits of cannabis as a cancer treatment. This look beyond politics and propaganda will challenge everything you might have known about cannabis and reveals the brave stories of ordinary families who are exploring the benefits of medical marijuana to save the lives of their most precious loved ones – their children.
Breastmilk
Pregnant bodies are easier for society to accommodate. What follows birth is a different, messier story. Breastmilk follows the lives of breastfeeding women and addresses the many questions around breast milk.
The Mama Sherpas
From executive producers Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein, this topical new documentary, directed by Brigid Maher, examines a growing shift in the birthing industry: the rise of Caesarean sections.
With C-section rates dangerously over 30% in America, are midwives the solution? This moving and urgent film provides an intimate lens into how midwives across the country work within and better the hospital system, redefining how the US looks at the birthing process.
The Face of Birth
An inspiring look at how wonderful birth can be when your right to choose how, where and with whom you give birth is respected and protected.