about LIKE A SHIP IN THE NIGHT
“200 women from this island, every single week, go to England for abortions. Yet nobody ever talks about it.”
Abortion is illegal in Ireland, North and South, potentially punishable by
life imprisonment. And yet at least 8,000 Irish women a year travel to England
for abortions. They make this journey in secret and return in silence, some
of them never telling a soul. LIKE A SHIP IN THE NIGHT is a 30 minute documentary
which follows a young painter, a working class mother of five, and a self-proclaimed
country girl as they plan their secret journeys across the Irish sea.
“I was just so frightened I would be stopped.”
Along the way we hear from community workers, doctors
and counselors about the history of the laws and social attitudes that make
their journey necessary. Louise, Mary and Siobhan are welcomed in England
by grassroots activists who support Irish women during their stay. After their
abortions, the women head home, each armed with a “catalog of lies”
to explain their absence. At the end of a long, often emotional journey, they
are afraid to tell anyone where they have been or what they have been through.
“I just wanted the waters to close right over that experience.”
Although the three women begin their journeys with different views on abortion rights, they all return silenced, terrified, and angry at their country.
“It just tells a story that could be any of us.”
“Melissa Thompson is the kind of activist filmmaker who puts her camera where her head is – reminding us of the importance of protecting and keeping vigilant about women’s rights.” – St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival
SHIP is getting blogged about! Follow this link to the Angry Hedgehog.
LIKE
A SHIP IN THE NIGHT
comes with a a special second DVD that offers more information on the issue
of abortion in Ireland. The following DVD extras are included on disc 2:
• Historical Undercurrents (16 minutes)
• Making Waves: Pro-Choice Groups in Ireland (30 minutes)
• Crossing Over: Logistics of Travel (22 minutes)
• Escorting Irish Women (10 minutes)
• Stuck at Sea: The Current Situation (15 minutes)
The two disc DVD set is now available for rental or purchase from the Cinema Guild.
slí na mban series on Irish women's activism
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produced in association with Ipas - Global Reproductive Health and Rights
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additional support provided by the Princess Grace Foundation, the Gerbode Foundation & PIFVA
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For rental and purchase info, please contact the Cinema Guild.