After the Full Frame Documentary Film Fest earlier this month, one might think I'd be documentaried out but I found myself just a few days later again in a theater in the morning about to watch, yep, another documentary. This was a different deal though - a friend who works for Ipas, an international organization working to protect women's health and reproductive rights, invited me to the Lumina theater for a screening of their new 20 minute film NOT YET RAIN (Dir. Lisa Russell, 2009).The title comes from an African proverb: "Thunder is not yet rain", with the focus being on the trials of pregnant Ethiopian women in 2006 despite that a law was just passed that expanded the conditions under which they can seek safe abortions. Interviews, village footage, as well as some almost too close for comfort film explaining procedures, offer many insights into the conditions and ex periences of these troubled women. Russell, who previously made a short film in 2005 about Nigerian AIDS activists (WE WILL NOT DIE LIKE DOGS), effectively portrays these people's plight - especially Aster's (seen below with director Russell), an older woman who lost her daughter because of an abortion done by an unskilled provider.
NOT YET RAIN, which premiered in Washington D.C.on April 7th, is a very well made and compelling film that only has the fault of being too short. A feature length film could be made of this material and I hear that may happen, but until then I urge folks to seek it out. You can view it or order a DVD on the official website here. More later...
