Battleground

The Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers connects US-based documentary filmmakers with communities throughout the South for screenings and conversations around important stories and the art of filmmaking. This special screening of BATTLEGROUND will be followed by a post-film discussion with protagonist Samantha Blakely and O Cinema’s Head of Programming, Matt Walter.

THE FILM

BATTLEGROUND is an urgently timely window into the intersection of abortion and politics in America, following three women who lead formidable anti-abortion organizations to witness the influence they wield. As the nation faces the end of Roe, the film also depicts those on the front lines of the fierce fight to maintain access.

Comprised of Gen Z activists, members of the Christian Right, and even some Democrats, there are powerful organizations across the US sharing a common goal: to render abortion illegal. This eye-opening documentary focuses on three women from distinctly different walks of life who are leading the charge in their quest to overturn Roe V. Wade, as they face down forces equally determined to safeguard women’s right to choose. Immersing the viewer in the anti-abortion side of the discourse, we bear witness to their well-organized networks, politically potent activism, and their policy gains under Trump. With first-rate access to protests, conferences, and recruiting campaigns, this may prove to be an illuminating portrayal of anti-abortion advocates for those on the other side of the debate. Told with restraint and balance, director Cynthia Lowen seeks to clarify rather than condemn, and presents a new point of entry for this challenging topic. In the face of rapidly disappearing reproductive rights in America, this thought-provoking piece is certain to spark conversation about one of the most pressing issues of our times.

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SPECIAL GUEST

Samantha Blakely was brought up in the conservative Church of Christ and was one of the only women to speak on the floor of the Alabama senate to oppose the state’s total abortion ban, telling her own story of becoming pregnant after a rape. Battleground follows as Samantha becomes a client services coordinator for Planned Parenthood in Mobile and a Planned Parenthood Storyteller, sharing her experiences with groups in the South, where stigma remains extremely high.

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