A new work by Joss Whedon emphasises the important role of the organisation that has found itself under threat due to Trump’s policy.
The creator of the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and films The Avengers and Avengers: Age of Ultron released a three-minute film Unlocked. It shows how the unavailability of services provided by Planned Parenthood can affect women’s lives.
The film is Whedon’s response to the healthcare act proposed by Donald Trump. The act may eliminate funding to Planned Parenthood, though the organisation provides important reproductive and sexual health services. If the organisation is closed down, millions of women won’t be able to get access to contraception, STI and cancer screenings and educational programmes. It will affect both US residents and women in other countries, as Planned Parenthood has partners around the world.
“It is about whether they have control over their bodies and whether they have control over their minds and their education and their decisions,” Whedon says, speaking about the role of Planned Parenthood.
The film raises the issue of system changes achieved by the organisation. It asks “What world do you want?”, offering to think about the future and consequences of the decisions taken by the current administration. The short film ends with the hashtag #StandWithPP, calling on viewers to support the organisation and its values.
Planned Parenthood provides access to reproductive healthcare services in the US and across the world through a network of partner organisations. They give information on family planning and contraception, perform abortions and conduct screenings for reproductive system diseases. The organisation also has education programmes to inform people about reproductive and sexual health. The organisation already said it would lose 40% of funding if Trump’s budget were enacted.
Producer Justine Ciarrocchi is working on a film about Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood who was the first person in the US to promote birth control and struggle to legalise contraception.
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