Black Maternity
Giving life shouldn’t be a death sentence
ABOUT
The high Black maternal mortality rate is just one facet of medical mistreatment against Black women. This film documents how Black doulas and midwives are allaying the fears of prospective Black mothers about childbirth by reviving ancestral practices where modern methods have failed. When implicit bias is acknowledged, Black people can learn to heal from this trauma and seek improved treatment.
YEAR 2022
RUN TIME 24:32 Min
EMAIL contact@gilliangoodwin.com Website: www.gilliangoodwin.com
CAST & CREW CREDITS
DIRECTOR Gillian Goodwin
CO-PRODUCERS Gillian Goodwin & Kaitlyn Briselli
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Jiangshan Li
ORIGINAL SCORE Joe Cahill
PRODUCTION DESIGNERS Kit Scott & Crystal Tubman
PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS Xiran Luo
EDITOR Gillian Goodwin
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
I use my work to promote thought, conversation, and ultimately change, with a focus on socio-political issues that disproportionately affect Black communities.
Black Maternity was born of the idea that when a woman makes the choice to start a family, to love and nurture a life, she shouldn’t have to worry about whether she will be able to take that baby home and watch it grow. I take a personal documentary approach to telling the stories of Black mothers as they struggle with an inequitable medical system.
DIRECTOR BIO
Gillian Goodwin is a director, writer, and producer living and creating in Baltimore. She has worked with Raw Honey Films, JL Media PR, the Morehouse College Human Rights Film Festival, and the Diversity in Cannes Film Festival. She holds a BS in Communication and Media Studies from Kennesaw State University and an MFA in Filmmaking from the Maryland Institute College of Art.
FILM AND PRODUCTION STILLS
AWARDS
FULL FILM
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
Gillian Goodwin is a director, writer, and producer living and creating in Baltimore. She has worked with Raw Honey Films, JL Media PR, the Morehouse College Human Rights Film Festival, and the Diversity in Cannes Film Festival. She holds a BS in Communication and Media Studies from Kennesaw State University and an MFA in Filmmaking from the Maryland Institute College of Art.
(Update provided in May 2022)