It looks that 2018 is over and time for some sum-ups has come.
At the beginning of this year we launched Kickstarter campaign - and we finished it with success, thanks to all of you! Thank you once again!
Raised funds helped us to work on our video capture technology - we want our interviewees to appear as life-like as possible, so we spent few long months on making it possible. In September we were able to say that we are ready. And the results are amazing! Can’t wait to be able show it to you!
Running Kickstarter campaign was stressful as we weren’t sure if we will succeed - and few times we wanted to close it all and never come back ;) But you all answered, you sent us motivating emails and messages all over our social media. And what’s more: many of you reached out to us to share your stories. But many: only with us, not being ready to share publicly, yet needing to share with someone. We are glad that you know that you can trust us, and we hope talking to us is somewhat helpful. But we also see how important it is to keep busting the stigma, and to keep working - so you can also talk to some friends, and family, without fearing the shame.
As a result of the Kickstarter campaign, press reached out to us and shared our message - both very technical VR press, and magazines that write about women’s rights, life style and human rights. Some festivals invited us to show our work when it’s finished.
We were very happy that the subject is getting attention, and then with political events in US in fall of 2018 - we realized that this subject will need much more attention and much more work than we ever imagined. There is little progress, too little. While being happy for #repealthe8th campaign in Ireland, we are upset with not so good results in Argentina, or with still pretty grim situation in Poland. And then again - US…
So what lies is ahead?
Work, work, work!
Currently we are in the middle of recording more interviews. And important information here: if you have a story to share - please, SHARE! Share it here on website, and let us know if you would want to share it in VR. We live in Toronto, Canada, but we are planning to visit few cities both in Canada and in US to shoot more & various interviews there.
And what do we mean by “various”? Canada had Doctor Morgentaler, and Canadian law and society pretty much (not always) allow for terminating pregnancy. This varies, depending on cities and provinces. We talked to a few social workers and abortion providers in British Columbia and Alberta - and stories there are much less straight-forward. There is long history of forced sterilizations of Indigenous People, there is also much harder access to clinics or even a pill - as some doctors would not prescribe it. If you have such story - please reach out to us, so we can show that “abortion issue” is definitely not solved, even in Canada.
Few weeks ago a girl wrote to me, and she shared her story with me. Her story was an abortion story, yes, but quickly I realized that this story is about something completely different. She told me about a man giving her a ride home… A favour, he said. And then - he requested a “favour” from her. In some park, he just took what he thought she should give him, for this ride… So this is an abortion story - as there is no other option for her, but this story is about something completely different. And scary… It shook me a lot, I cannot imagine how it shook her…
Another person who shared her story with us (this one we will be publishing in following weeks) is a story about happy, loving family. Getting pregnant, preparing room for the baby and looking for those cute little clothes. And then - doctor’s upset eyes, and you learn that there will be not happy family, that you have to decide what to do now, what will mean less suffering, for everyone… Is this an abortion story? Or not, anymore?
Abortion is always different, making this decision - is different for everyone. Sometimes it’s very emotional, sometimes it’s not. Sometimes it’s a struggle and the hardest decision ever, and sometimes - it’s quick, it’s relief, it’s getting your life back. Usually - it’s a decision of a woman, who is pregnant. Sometimes, and often - of a couple. And sometimes - a man get’s pregnant, and has to decide what to do, how to deal with very “womanly” issue - that suddenly happened to him. Non-binary people also get pregnant, and not always can or want to keep it. This field is still not much known for me - I briefly talked to few people, but I am aware that I have to become much more sensitive for such messages. And I know that I often use exclusive language - this is not intentional. My very intention is to be open, to show my care, but I know that my language often doesn’t show it well enough, and this does not invite trust. I come from a very catholic country, living in Canada has taught me a lot, but I know that I have much to learn. So here I am asking you: if you noticed this, please help me here, reach out to me, let’s have an email exchange or even better a Skype talk - and teach me what you know. So when a non-binary person reaches out with the abortion story - I will be ready to listen, and to share.
We would like to show those stories, and most importantly: people who make their choices - the best choices they can make in their situation, circumstances, having support or lack of it.
So this is 2019 for us. Looking for people, looking for stories. And learning - as we keep learning every single day, more and more, what is abortion, who are the people who decide to have one, what are the reasons why they decide to terminate - or not to deliver (the same, but not the same).
We also want to invite more people to this debate, open it and make it more inclusive. We ourselves are not always inclusive, and if this happens - please, let us know. We also learn. Every single day.
And we are extremely thankful for that ❤️
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