My New Project

I'm at film school at the moment and recently I've had the opportunity to put together a proposal for content on a local TV channel. Obviously I'm jumping at the chance to put together something about pregnancy and childbirth.

At the moment I'm in the planning stages of making a 6 part documentary series that will cover a broad variety of aspects surrounding the childbirth process from a uniquely South African perspective.

Here are a few of the ideas so far:

• How does government vs private care compare?
• What are the circumstance women from the lower income brackets facing when expecting, and having, a baby? (showing how they often have a baby alone, and then get kicked out of hospital mere hours after giving birth to navigate long journeys home on public transport)
• What is being done about the lack of governmental facilities? (coverage on the work of Bossom Buddies who are doing fantastic work already!)
• How does care in SA private hospitals compare to overseas?
• How does South Africa's c-section rate, and various related topics, compare to the international trends?
• Homebirth - how is it viewed, what is it like?
• Interesting and less well known aspects of childbirth such as - Lotus Birth, Unassisted/Free Birth, VBAC/HBAC, Birthing from Within, Doulas, Hypnobirth and anything else I can think of!
• A post birth episode that covers things like PND, post-natal care and how what happens in SA compares to places like the UK who have a "health visitor" program giving support to women in the months following the birth.

I'm completely overwhelmed with the amount of work this is going to be, but I am incredibly excited! I get to put my two greatest passions together :D !! I think it will also be a fantastic journey for myself and the other people involved in helping me make this.

I am hoping to put together an all female crew as well. Not that I don't think boys can't do it, but one of the things that will help me get the proposal approved is to have a high PDI rating (which means that the film is made by previously disadvantaged individuals, which women are considered to be) but I also just like the coolness factor of the "girl power" side of it. ;-)

So if you are reading and think you might be able to help in the form of information or interviews, or anything, then please contact me here or privately.

xx