WITH WOMAN
A Documentary by Mia Harvey
In Illinois Black women are 8 times more likely to die in childbirth than white women.
With Woman follows Sister Star, a Black student midwife helping women of color give birth at home in Illinois. The film sensitively follows her on prenatal visits, the birth and then ending with postpartum care of mother and baby. We learn what motivates her and the barriers that herself and other Black women in the US have to overcome to give birth safely. Taking note from the long tradition of Black midwifery, we see the relationship and connection she builds with her clients and community and how she supports them both medically and emotionally in the most important and vulnerable days of their life. The film is 20 minutes long and filmed in Black and white in observational, fly-on-the wall style.
Near the end of the film Raven’s birth progresses into a medical emergency with the complication of shoulder dystocia, a condition that happens when one or both of the baby’s shoulders get stuck during vaginal delivery. Once this becomes clear, Star’s training enables her to affectively assist baby safely from thCe birth canal and into mother’s arms.
We hold the deepest gratitude to Raven for her willingness to share her intimacy with the world and Mia Harvey with her team for this beautiful documentary.
Shortlisted
Nominated
“Study after study has also found that the US medical system’s approach to pregnancy and childbirth is riddled with racial biases and inequalities. Black, Indigenous and Hispanic women are far more likely than white women to report that their childbirth providers mistreated them, such as by scolding or threatening them, having people they didn’t consent to in the birth room, or even physically abusing them…
Ali has a goal: a midwife in every neighborhood. She loves to see how empowered families can feel after a home birth; it’s the most fulfilling part of her job. ‘They were able to have this birth that they envisioned and they knew they could have, because they’re equipped,’ Ali said [of the documentary]. ‘They just needed to be reminded and be in a space that facilitated and supported it.’”
From the Related Article by The Guardian
Mia Harvey, student at National Film & Television School (and BBC Scholarship Awardee) spent time following Star August Ali, President and Cofounder of HBC, through her patient visits, advocacy efforts, and everyday life.
The documentary chronicles Star and several other Chicago-area women’s experience and intimacy while planning and giving birth — and the realities of working with a community based homebirth provider.
“I was inspired to make this film after hearing my grandmother talk about the community midwifes in Barbados back in colonial times.
She would tell me about the community women who would deliver everybody’s babies and the traditions that were passed down from generation to generation. This led me to consider how I would like to give birth and what are the risks that I could encounter in the system that has become so medicalized. In Illinois Black women are eight times more likely to die in childbirth.
I hope this film will show how the Black community, especially Black women, have come together to fight back and improve healthcare disparities.”
Mia Harvey | With Woman Filmaker
“I’m aiming to reflect the resurgence of midwifery in the United States and show a US and UK audience how healing and beautiful the midwifery model of giving birth is. I would love to capture the important connection between mother and midwife, female empowerment is very much at the center of this film.”
Meet Mia Harvey
Mia is a British emerging documentary filmmaker of British and Barbadian heritage. She is currently studying Directing Documentary MA at the National Film and Television School where she was awarded a BBC Scholarship which is funded and supported by BBC Studios. She has worked in the TV Industry for over five years as an assistant producer, working on BAFTA nominated productions such as Black Power: A British Story of Resistance (BBC ONE) which was executive produced by Steve McQueen and James Rogan.
Her other credits include The Truth About Police Stop and Search (Channel 4) and the longitudinal observational documentary series This is Our Family (SKY). She is currently working on a single for Channel 4 and she was selected for Sheffield Doc Fest UK Broadcast Production Talent Market 2021.
The film was made as part of her course and was viewed by students, staff, and industry professionals from the BBC, Netflix at the graduation showcase held at a major cinema in London in Jan 2023. NFTS also submits film to major film festivals and are usually very successful.
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