There are nine states that currently allow third trimester abortions without restriction. Third trimester abortions make up fewer than one percent of all abortions in the United States. And – after the murder of Doctor George Tiller in 2009 – only four doctors in the country perform them.
Dr. Susan Robinson, one of the four doctors profiled in “After Tiller,” said of the emotional toll that patients experience: “I think the emotional toll is huge. I see that because I see that women struggle desperately with this decision. They wrestle with very complex ethical issues. They come for abortions often feeling a huge conflict between what they know is right for their family and what they’ve been told they ought to do, by people who, incidentally, know nothing about them.”
The new film, “After Tiller,” centers on these doctors, their work, and what they face on a day-to-day basis.
One of the patients profiled in the documentary said: “The most loving thing I could do is to let him go now. We just didn’t want to have to make the choice later. Because I don’t know if I could say to not ventilate him, or to not do something to save him. It was really important that he had somewhat of a dignified birth… That we had the option to spend some time with him afterwards was really important.”
Lana Wilson is the film’s co-director, along with Martha Shane. Dr. Susan Robinson is one of the four doctors profiled in “After Tiller.”
“After Tiller” will premiere at Sundance on Friday, January 18.
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