WILLIAMSBURG — “The Janes,” a documentary film about a group of women who helped provide safe abortions in the years before Roe v. Wade, will be shown at the Williamsburg Regional Library Auditorium on Sept. 12.
The showing, scheduled for 5 p.m., will include an introduction from the award-winning directors Emma Pildes, who was nominated for an Emmy for “Jane Fonda in Five Acts,” and Tia Lessin, who was nominated for an Oscar for “Trouble the Water.”
“We’re excited that the directors were available for us,” said Pat Evers, board member for the League of Women Voters. “Their story seems so relevant following the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson that eliminated the constitutional right to an abortion, especially since Virginia is now the only southern state without an abortion ban.”
The film tells the story of a group of women, called the Janes, who risked their personal and professional lives to help others when abortion was a felony in Illinois. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2022 and was released on HBO Max on June 8, the month after a leaked draft opinion for Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization was released and sparked protests across the United States.
“With our abortion rights once again at the mercy of the states, this film serves as an eye-opening reminder of why we must vote this November for legislators who support reproductive freedom and will keep abortion legal in Virginia in 2024 and beyond,” said Alexis Gayle, Hampton Roads Community Organizer for Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia.
The movie showing is free to the public, but seating is limited, so registration is requested. To register, please visit Eventbrite.
The event is sponsored by the League of Women Voters Williamsburg Area, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia, and the Williamsburg Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
For more about the League of Women Voters, visit its official website.
