Two years ago I was at a 4th of July picnic at a local park with friends. Three months into my maternity leave and I couldn't stop thinking about this story I wanted to tell.
I wasn't satisfied with the media portrayal of home birth moms as more concerned about their experience than the health of their babies or as an extreme choice for women who reject technology and medical care out of hand.
At the same time I felt a growing sadness over the limited options many women have when it comes to birth.
Back to this picnic. My friend Beau and his family were at the park that day. Beau is a commercial and documentary filmmaker. Extremely talented, soulful, and dedicated to his art and the community, I decided I'd pitch him my idea and see where it landed.
"Sure. A 28 minute documentary. Let's shoot it," he said. That's when Why Not Home? was conceived.
Over the past 2 years the scope of the project has grown in ways I couldn't have anticipated at that moment. With a current running time of 80 minutes, the story has evolved and become stronger with each new voice.
I know many independent filmmakers struggle for 3, 4, 5, 7 years to get their projects launched into the world. It's the trade off for being independent. You don't have to answer to anyone, but you have to make your own way.
Photo Credit: Erin Wrightsman
Happy Independence Day from this independent film celebrating 2 years post-conception! I still can't say what the estimated date of delivery is, but we're getting closer.