68
6.8
International Film Circuit | Release Date: January 9, 2008
Summary: Birth is a miracle, a rite of passage, a natural part of life. But birth is also big business. Compelled to explore the subject after the delivery of her first child, actress Ricki Lake recruits filmmaker Abby Epstein to question the way American women have babies. Epstein gains access to several pregnant New York City women as they weigh their options. Some of these women are or will become clients of Cara Muhlhahn, a charismatic midwife who, between birth events, shares both memories and footage of her own birth experience. Footage of women having babies punctuates The Business of Being Born. Each experience is unique; all are equally beautiful and equally surprising. Giving birth is clearly the most physically challenging event these women have ever gone through, but it is also the most emotionally rewarding. Along the way, Epstein conducts interviews with a number of obstetricians, experts and advocates about the history, culture and economics of childbirth. The film’s fundamental question: should most births be viewed as a natural life process, or should every delivery be treated as a potential medical emergency? As Epstein uncovers some surprising answers, her own pregnancy adds a very personal dimension to The Business of Being Born, a must-see movie for anyone even thinking about having a baby. (Red Envelope Entertainment)
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Details

Runtime: 87 min
Production: Barranca Productions
Genres: Documentary
Country: USA
Language: English
Home Release Date: May 6, 2008
Director Credit
Abby Epstein Director
Cast Credit
Abby Epstein Herself
Carolyn Havens Neimann Herself - Midwife
Eugene Declerq Himself
Gregor Huebner Himself
Ina May Gaskin Herself - Midwife
Julia Barnett Tracy Herself
La Juana Huebner Herself
Louann Brizendine Herself
Michael Brodman Himself
Nadine Goodman Herself - Public Health Specialist
Patricia Burkhardt Herself
Ricki Lake Herself
Robbie Davis-Floyd Herself - Medical Anthropologist
Susan Hodges Herself - President, Citizens For Midwifery
Tina Cassidy Herself
Producer Credit
Abby Epstein Producer
Amy Slotnick Producer
Paulo Netto Producer
Ricki Lake Executive Producer