An Anthology Film in Response to the Overturning of Roe V Wade
PRODUCED BY NATASHA HALEVI/2022
On June 24th, 2022, the Supreme Court did something that I never thought would actually happen. They overturned Roe V Wade. In a world where every knuckle-dragging mouth-breather on social media has an opinion on everything, the approach to the overturn fit into the normal discourse to online twits – It was simply a different opinion of what a life is and the left needs to deal with it. It blended in with our poisonous, toxic political climate, where suddenly the worst people in the world who excuse away school shootings as a side-effect to freedom are now the ultimate judges on what is a human life and how it’s now their job to protect those lives, even if their form of protection is to put the burden on women. In reality, it was a dangerous decision that unprecedently ignored jurisprudence and further weakened the Court and weakened the trust in the laws of America, along with stripping fundamental rights and decisions away from women.
Give Me an A is an anthology horror/comedy produced by Natasha Halevi and directed by 17 different female filmmakers, Halevi included. The cast includes Virginia Madsen, Alyssa Milano, Milana Vayntrub and Sean Gunn. The different films deal with a spectrum of issues that stem from reproductive rights and the overturning of Roe. Some of these stories deal with the logical conclusion of a world where women have less and less rights, which is the objective of many in the “pro-life” camp. Some of these stories deal with the ramifications that men haven’t thought of that the overturning may cause. Some of these stories imagine a world where if the protection of a “baby” is so important, why can’t it be done in a utopic society where vasectomies are the norm.
But if you think this is going to be a film where it just bashes men, think again, because there is nuance in these films that matches the true nuance in the world. A recent poll showed that 47% of men polled are pro-choice while 48% are anti-choice. With women, 55% were pro-choice and 41% were anti-choice. A pretty big difference, however not as representative of the simplicity of the all-or-nothing approach social media has to the topic. So Give Me an A shows it’s not so clean cut. Some of these stories show that women are the adversary and men can be allies. To have that perception in an enraging moment, immediately post-Roe, makes this a very mature film, even if some on the far-right may try to depict it otherwise. Much like the recent film Barbie, patriarchy is the true enemy.
What also makes this a pretty phenomenal film is for so many entries, the quality is both strong and balanced. Not every film has a twist at the end or a three-act path, as some are more just scenes, but they are all honest, and that makes them so worthy. For instance, in one short, a woman is being harassed by protestors while walking to a clinic as the film cuts to insert shots of sharks swimming and eventually attacking the frame. It’s simple, but honest and efficient.
Roe being overturned last year was insane. At the time, there was an anger in the air that felt like political revenge was inevitable. But thanks to the 24/7/365 news and online debates, like everything, it’s been pushed to the side for other more trivial issues. That’s why Give Me an A, a film conceived immediately after the decision, may feel like it’s in the past with the current debate. But I’d contend it’s an even more important film coming out now than if it had come out a year ago. it’s a reminder that fundamental rights can be stripped, that unthinkable things can actually happen and that apathy and acceptance can soon set in. And a film like this reminds us what is important and what we should keep fighting for.
Give Me an A will be making its St. Louis premier at Arkadin Cinema on September 29th as a fundraiser for Missouri Abortion Fund