Seattle International Film Festival 2025: Film #8
Benefits from a comparison with the scenes with the housemaid from Portrait of a Lady on Fire in the specific sense in that the abortion there was present principally to demonstrate that these were fairly common occurrences: to, in some sense, normalise them. Also reminds me of Happening (L'Événement), the 2021 French film directed by Audrey Diwan based on the autobiographical novel by Annie Ernaux. But most of all, through its examination of the slippage between truth, law, morality and justice in a beuroacracy, it recalls Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (2011).
Some context that April introduces ambiently or not at all, the film’s lack of exposition always to the benefit of its earthy and hyper-experiential storytelling: Abortion is legal for up to 12 weeks in Georgia, but clinics are allowed to perform them at their own discretion. Most refuse. That’s especially true in rural areas where Orthodox Christianity defines the social order, girls are often married before the age of consent, and many hospitals don’t even stock the contraception pills they’re legally obligated to provide.
— David Ehrlich (IndieWire)
Synopsis: Nina, an OB-GYN, faces accusations after a newborn's death. Her life undergoes scrutiny during investigation. She persists in her medical duties, determined to provide care others hesitate to offer, despite the risks.