Aftershock

Directed by Paula Eiselt and Tonya Lewis Lee (USA, 2022, 86 min.).

Following the preventable deaths of their loved ones due to childbirth complications, two families galvanize activists, birth workers, and physicians to reckon with one of the most pressing American issues of our time: the maternal health crisis. Aftershock follows two families as they become ardent activists in the maternal health space, seeking justice through legislation, medical accountability, community, and the power of art. Their work introduces us to a myriad of people, including a growing brotherhood of surviving Black fathers and the midwives and physicians on the ground fighting for institutional reform. Through these collective journeys, viewers find themselves on the front lines of the growing birth justice movement demanding systemic change within our medical system and government.

Watch the trailer.

Followed by a discussion with co-director Tonya Lewis Lee. Copresented with the Roxbury International Film Festival and the Wellness Collaborative Inc. as part of the Healing Arts Film and Conversation Series.

The Healing Arts Film and Conversation Series, launched in 2021, is a collaboration between The Wellness Collaborative Inc (TWC) and the Roxbury International Film Festival using film as a catalyst for conversations integrating physical and mental health in BIPOC communities. TWC’s interdisciplinary approach embraces the power of story and film as a central way to raise awareness and uphold the expressive arts as a pathway for increasing wellness that is rooted in cultural experiences, explored through an equity lens, and celebrated across our communities.