The janes is the story of an underground network of women who banded together to provide safe, affordable, and illegal abortions in the late 1960s and early ’70s in Chicago. Defying state law, the catholic church, and the mob, they risked arrest and a lifetime in prison to save women’s lives.
In the aftermath of the Trump election, the directors and producers (Lessin, Pildes, Arcana, Levin) joined forces in 2018, around the time Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed by the Senate. It was clear to many, especially the filmmakers that Roe v Wade was not long for this world, making this story more relevant and important than ever before. It was important to them to tell this story and lift up these voices, the voices of the women talked about, the Janes. The film was not only able to present this grim reality of what life was like before Roe in an empowering, impactful way but also explore the sisterhood of this extraordinary banded action.
They came together to change the world, making this the right story to tell at the right time – taking it from the small screen (available to stream on HBO Max) to the big screen in May of 2022.
The film along with interviews of actual members of the Janes wonderfully includes a social-historical perspective with the voices of police officers who did the arresting of these women (offering abortions illegally). Thus, enriching the story and setting it apart from the way we’ve seen and heard about it in books and other forms over the years.
The Janes explores a range of powerful emotions, that range from fear to hope to courage to rage to sadness, all for a cause larger than them. For a cause that protected each other and was able to uplift helpless women, giving them the agency to overcome a law that takes away basic freedoms.
These women were severely determined and didn’t let the law scare them from saving lives and doing what they thought needed to be done. The footage in the film is real and not cheated, it depicts the shame felt by these women who were not given the right or luxury to choose how to live in their bodies. They weren’t given access to basic healthcare and that is what this film is about – Those stories coming to light…
Without giving too much away, this is a film worth viewing, despite already knowing the story, you don’t know it quite like this is. The storytelling and raw emotion elicited from the film is unmatched. It makes you want to get up from your seat and do something to change the fate of millions of women faced with a similar situation in our country today.
Stream The Janes today.