/ Streaming with closed captions
Persister: Films by women, about women speaking up and being heard
The 8th traces the struggle in Ireland to overturn one of the most restrictive abortion bans in the world and shows a country’s transformation from a conservative state in thrall to the Catholic church to a more liberal secular society—a place where women’s voices are heard. It follows the dynamic female leaders of the pro-choice campaign as they chart a bold strategy of grassroots activism and engineer the impossible. The film includes interviews with the pro-life campaign who feel that their way of life is under siege. This dramatic story is underscored by a vivid exploration of the wrenching failures that led to this defining moment in Irish history. An urgent narrative, a cautionary tale and a roadmap for progressive reforms in a modern era where authoritarianism is on the rise, The 8th shows a country forging a new progressive path at a time when reproductive rights are threatened all over the world.
This film includes a pre-recorded Q&A.
Co-presented with Human Rights Watch Film Festival Toronto
Persister program presented in partnership with Oxfam Canada with the participation of the Government of Canada
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