Film Titles

Presented by UVA Health Office for Diversity and Community Engagement

(Five Time Emmy Award Winning Documentarian, Annette Banks, will be Present for a Q&A)

Maternal Mental Health (29 min)

Depression, anxiety, PTSD, and other psychological difficulties are the most common complications of pregnancy and postpartum - yet 75 percent go untreated. This documentary explores the isolating trauma that too often accompanies child birth. Women of color, women living in rural areas and birthing people within the LGBTQIA+ community are at higher risk. “You’re Not Alone” introduces individuals and families whose lives have been profoundly impacted by maternal mental health conditions while also highlighting the people and programs working for positive change.

Run to Be Visible (19 min)

Lydia Jennings is a member of the Huichol (Wixaritari) and Pascua Yaqui (Yoeme) Nations and holds a doctorate in soil microbiology. Her work is dedicated to environmental science and the essential role of Indigenous communities in these spaces. Her hope is to create more inclusive academic and environmental landscapes.

In place of her graduation, which was canceled as a result of the pandemic, Lydia instead celebrated by running 50 miles in honor of the Indigenous scientists and knowledge keepers who came before her. It’s a run to honor the past and present while looking towards the future.

Figs (12 min)

An 81-year-old Black-American woman talks about her life coming to California from the South as she spends time with her living siblings for the first time in 25 years.

A Crisis in Childbirth (10 min)

Decades of inequity in the healthcare system have led to a crisis in Black maternal health. Mothers and babies are dying in childbirth at an alarming rate, much higher than their White counterparts. In this short documentary, African American women share experiences where their voices were not heard, and the devastating consequences that resulted. 

Beating Batten (11 min)

I have been thrown into the controversial world of stem cell research and medical research by a turn of unfortunate events. My daughter Sara was diagnosed with a rare terminal disease. When I first received this devastating news, my only hope was BDSRA. An organization which, through it’s yearly conferences, connected children and their parents with researchers. However the research was in it’s infancy. I knew, I was relegated to hopelessly watch my daughter slowly regress and die. As the years passed and researchers came up with new results, the atmosphere at the conference shifted. With each new breakthrough came a new hope. Year after year I could feel the change, and that feeling was my inspiration. I needed to show what can be accomplished, even if it takes painfully long time. I hope to let the viewer experience, what I have experienced. Welcome to my world.

Object 817 (22 min)

A poetic journey to the heart of the Ural, where the discovery of an alien creature uncovers a haunting secret.