"I wanted to say that your work is very special. I think it is very important and it can be very effective. It was an honour for me to have you here."
Dr Agnes Gereb, Budapest, Hungary, May 2012 talking about One World Birth
![Agnes Gereb and Toni Harman]( "Agnes Gereb and Toni Harman May 2012")
Dr Agnes Gereb and Toni Harman, May 2012
UPDATE: FREEDOM FOR BIRTH global launch date is
THURSDAY 20th SEPTEMBER 2012
For more information about how to host one of our 1,000 premieres go to:
http://freedomforbirth.com
About ONE WORLD BIRTH
ONE WORLD BIRTH was co-founded by two filmmakers, myself (Toni Harman) and my partner (Alex Wakeford).
We were inspired to create ONE WORLD BIRTH after the difficult birth of our daughter four years ago, an all too familiar story of a cascade of interventions that led to an emergency c-section.
We thought we could use our skills as filmmakers to make birth better around the world.
So over the past 18 months, we have self-funded our filming (helped by some wonderful contributions from previous Indiegogo campaigns) and travelled from the UK, to France, Canada, the USA and most recently to Hungary. We have filmed interviews with over 100 of the world's leading birth experts (Sheila Kitzinger, Ina May Gaskin, Michel Odent, plus dozens of academics, OB/GYN's, midwives, doulas, campaigners).
oneworldbirth.net
We have spent every penny working on this project and now we are ready to take it to the next level with a powerful hard-hitting campaign documentary, but we need your help.
About FREEDOM FOR BIRTH
FREEDOM FOR BIRTH is a 50 minute (approx) campaigning documentary that spearheads a global movement. There will also be a shorter 20 minute version for internet release.
The film has a clear call to action and we believe, it has the potential to send shockwaves around the world. We believe this film could be the most important film about birth ever made because it explains why and exactly how women will take back childbirth.
To make the biggest impact, our plan is to create a global premiere event, where thousands of people (hopefully including YOU) host screenings of the finished film in their local community in the same week.
Then shortly after the global network of premieres, the film will be released over the internet for free - thus building on the momentum we have started. We want everyone to know about this film and to be inspired to take action.
By strong word of mouth, the circles of people who know about the issues raised will become wider and wider, and so this "movement" gathers momentum. Only then will we create the tipping point globally to take back childbirth.
About THIS FILM
In 2010, Hungarian obstetrician and midwife Dr Agnes Gereb was arrested and imprisoned for supporting women in homebirth.
Although it is legal for mothers to give birth at home in Hungary, any medical professional (without a special license) who helps those women can be criminally charged.
Over many years, Agnes Gereb supported over 3,500 homebirths - each time risking arrest - because she believes in giving women a choice in birth.
Agnes' beliefs are at odds with the Hungarian maternity system. It's a system where, according to the Hungarian Obstetrician we interviewed, medical interventions like induction, epidural and episitotomy are routine, where OB/GYNs are paid cash "gratuitities" by patients to "ensure" good outcomes and where c-section rates hospitals are unnecessarily high, (at Budapest University hospitals c-section rates are reputed to be 50%).
The price Agnes paid for going against the system was to be found guilty of “endangering life in the conduct of her professional work”. She was sentenced to two years in prison. Earlier this year, the court of appeal doubled the suspension period of her medical and midwifery licenses to 10 years. (For more info about Agnes Gereb: here's a
Toronto News report and a link to her bio on
Wikipedia.)
Currently Agnes has just spent her 500th day under house arrest, awaiting news of when she must return to prison to complete her sentence.
The hope right now is that the new Hungarian President shows his wisdom and grants her full clemency (you can click on the link to sign the petition at the bottom of this page).
We have just returned from Hungary where we filmed an emotional powerful and hard-hitting interview with Agnes - an interview that has the potential to send shock-waves around the world.
Dr Agnes Gereb is supported by many of the world's leading birth experts, amongst them legendary midwife Ina May Gaskin, MD and author Michel Odent, AIMS birth campaigner Beverley Beech, social anthropologist Sheila Kitzinger, US midwife Elizabeth Davis plus the newly elected President of the Royal College of Midwives, Professor Lesley Page (read the
RCM statement calling for Presidential Pardon for imprisoned Hungarian midwives)
The criminalisation of midwifery isn't just confined to Hungary. In the US, Australia and other countries around the world, many midwives have been arrested and charged. Many leading experts claim there's an international witch-hunt against midwives.
But this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to injustice and denial of women's human and civil rights.
As birth increasingly becomes seen as a "medical event", so women have frequently been denied the right to decide the circumstances and location of where and how they give birth.
Now it's time women took back those rights.
Over the past 18 months, we have interviewed and mined the knowledge of the world's leading birth experts - now we want this film to share that knowledge.
Our hope is that through watching this film, millions of women are empowered with the knowledge of precisely what they need to do to take back those rights, to take back childbirth.
There is a promise of hope. This film will reveal something huge that could be the catalyst to revolutionise maternity systems worldwide but no-one knows about it....yet.
About THE HOPE FOR THE FUTURE
In the same year as Agnes Gereb was imprisoned, a pregnant Hungarian mother called Anna Ternovsky went to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg to fight for the right to decide the circumstances and location of her birth.
Agnes Gereb had supported Anna with the homebirth of her first child and Anna wanted the same for the birth of her second baby.
In a landmark ruling, Anna won the case. This ruling means that everyone in Europe can claim the same right to determine where and how they give birth. And, according to experts, it sets a precendent that could inspire Human Rights lawyers to pursue similar court-cases in other continents. So this ruling could really impact women in the US and everywhere else right around the world.
This is what the birth world has been waiting for. This could change the future of birth forever, not just in Europe but around the world.
This film will inform people about what is happening with birth today but more importantly, it will inform women how they can use this information to change birth where they live.
About WHAT WE NEED
In Hungary, we filmed amazing exclusive interviews with Agnes Gereb and Anna Ternovsky. But this is just the first part of the story.
The second part of the story takes place at the Human Rights in Childbirth conference at the Hague, Netherlands starting on May 31st 2012.
We need to go to the Hague to film interviews with Human Rights lawyers and other experts to explain the implications of the "Ternovsky vs Hungary" ruling for women in Europe, North America and across the world. We need to find out exactly how women can empower themselves to determine the circumstances and location of their births.
That's how this film can and will change the world. That's how we will take back childbirth. By fully informing women of their rights and how to use those rights. That's why we think this film is the most important film about birth ever.
That's why we desperately need your help.
About IF DO / DON'T REACH OUR TARGET
Our ONE WORLD BIRTH project receives no funding from outside agencies, foundations or organisations. We are completely independent. We have self-funded this project ourselves along with some money we have raised from previous Indiegogo campaigns (for filming in the US & Canada). We have not seen any "profit" or taken any money as a salary. This is our passion project and it means everything to us but now we need your help to see it through to the end.
90% of this film has already been shot from our previous filming over the past 18 months in the UK, France, Hungary, US & Canada - but the remaining 10% is absolutely vital to the success of this whole project.
This remaining 10% is the footage that we will film at the Human Rights in Childbirth Conference at the Hague on 31st May & 1st June 2012.
Without your help, we won't have enough money to get to the Hague and we won't have enough money to complete post-production. And we won't have enough money to produce a screening kit for the global campaign of worldwide screenings. And we won't have any money for marketing.
With this Indiegogo fund-raising campaign, if we don't reach our target, we still get paid most of what we raise (minus the 9% Indiegogo fee and Paypal / bank fees).
So if we raise some money through this Indiegogo campaign, that means we would have enough to film key interviews at the Hague at this "once in a lifetime opportunity", but not quite enough to complete post-production.
This means that we might have to do another fund-raising drive to raise enough money to complete the post-production, mastering and delivery of the film. If we don't raise enough money, we would also need to postpone the global "premiere" screenings until we have enough money to set them up.
We are fully committed to completing and releasing this film. In our minds, this is the most important film we have ever made. We truly believe this film has the potential to revolutionise birth around the world. And we want you to be part of our journey and to play an important part in making this a reality.
Our expected date when the film will be finished and sent out to everyone who has contributed towards the BIRTH ANGEL, BIRTH CHAMPION, BIRTH HERO or BIRTH STAR perks is end of August 2012 - all ready for the global launch on Thursday 20th September 2012.
UPDATE: FREEDOM FOR BIRTH global launch date is
THURSDAY 20th SEPTEMBER 2012
For more information about how to host one of our 1,000 premieres go to:
http://freedomforbirth.com
About HOW MUCH WE NEED
We need money to cover the costs of filming at the Human Rights in Childbirth Conference at the Hague, Netherlands that starts on May 31st 2012. Then money to cover the direct costs for post-production, editing, mastering, delivery and to set up the screenings and also for the free internet release. And we also also need money to pay for marketing costs.
And if all possible, we would also like to cover the money we have spent ourselves on this project from outstanding loans as our distribution plan involves releasing the film freely over the internet after our worldwide premieres.
Here's our budget breakdown.
Hotel at the Hague & sustenance $500
Flights (from UK to Netherlands) $600
Return train travel to UK Airport $100
Camera, lights, audio equipment hire costs for shoot $3,000
Equipment insurance $300
Post-production - edit costs $3,000
Audio, authoring & finalising master $1,000
Duplication of the DVD $2,000
Shipping costs to send out DVDs $3,000
Producing Screening Kit $1,000
Artwork and graphics $1,000
Website Costs $1,000
Campaign Marketing & PR $1,500
Overheads & Misc Production Expenses $2,000
Total: $20,000
Direct costs that we have paid for ourselves up to now
(from outstanding loans): $10,000
Campaign target total: $30,000
Every single penny that we raise through this campaign will go towards the direct costs of making and distributing this film. It's a simple equation, the more money we raise, the greater the impact we can make.
If we are lucky enough to exceed our target, then any additional money will be spent on marketing to raise public awareness of the film and the important issues it raises.
UPDATE: FREEDOM FOR BIRTH global launch date is
THURSDAY 20th SEPTEMBER 2012
For more information about how to host one of our 1,000 premieres go to:
http://freedomforbirth.com
About WHAT YOU GET
If you want to contribute more for each perk, then that's entirely up to you (and very much appreciated!!) Thank you - it all helps!!!!
For contributing:
$1 - BIRTH FRIEND:
Our sincere heartfelt thanks and campaign latest updates
$10 - BIRTH SUPPORTER:
Your name in the "Thanks To" end credits of the finished film. Our sincere thanks and campaign latest updates.
$25 - BIRTH ANGEL:
PERSONAL DVD - You will be sent a link to the digital download for the finished film for home viewing. Your name in the "Thanks To" credits of the film. Our sincere thanks and campaign latest updates.
$40 - BIRTH CHAMPION:
PREMIERE DOWNLOAD DVD - You will be sent a link for the digital download of the finished film. You will receive a public screening license to be one of the global hosts of the film premiere. Plus screening kit with posters, press release and toolkit guides. Your name in the "Thanks To" end credits of the film. Our sincere thanks and campaign latest updates.
$50 - BIRTH HERO:
PREMIERE HARD COPY DVD - The DVD of the finished film (PAL or NTSC) sent to your home address. You will receive a public screening license to be one of the global hosts of the film premiere. Plus screening kit with posters, press release and toolkit guides. Your name in the "Thanks To" end credits of the film. Our sincere thanks and campaign latest updates.
$100+ BIRTH STAR
Personal "thank you" 20 minute skype phone call with Toni / Alex - the film-makers. PREMIERE HARD COPY DVD - The DVD of the finished film (PAL or NTSC) sent to your home address. You will receive a public screening license to be one of the global hosts of the film premiere. Plus screening kit with posters, press release and toolkit guides. Your name in the "Thanks To" end credits of the film. Our sincere thanks and campaign latest updates.
About WHAT ELSE YOU CAN DO
