A long arc of social change meets cinema as the United States and many other nations reframe the rights surrounding abortion from the early 1970s onward. This list surveys films that illuminate the themes of health, autonomy, privacy, and the social pressures that shape women’s decisions about their own bodies. It also reflects a pivotal moment for women’s rights, documenting both progress and ongoing struggle across different eras and cultures. The discussion centers on how these works capture the personal and political dimensions of abortion and its impact on individuals and communities. [Citation: Film history reviews and scholarly analyses on reproductive rights in cinema].
1. ‘One sings, the other does not’
Agnes Varda’s film preserves the pulse of its era by charting an epidemic in near real time. It follows two young women and their evolving attitudes toward abortion and motherhood within the French Women’s Liberation Movement of the early seventies. By weaving personal experience with political context, it portrays sincerity in activism and the energy of reform. When the two protagonists reconnect during a courthouse moment, the film marks a turning point as the reforms initiated by the Veil Act of 1975 begin to take shape. The slogans and debates remain strikingly familiar, underscoring enduring questions about choice, stigma, and state power. [Citation: French feminist cinema studies].
2. ‘A Woman’s Matter’
Claude Chabrol turns a sharp lens toward hypocrisy and social contradictions, adapting Francis Szpiner’s novel to recount the story of one of the last women in France to face an abortion during the occupation. The director exposes the oppression and vulnerability women endured in a hostile postwar climate, blending historical context, political tension, and intimate portraiture. Isabelle Huppert delivers a central performance that anchors the film in memory and power. The work remains a touchstone in a long line of films that scrutinize gendered discrimination. [Citation: Cinematic analyses of postwar French cinema].
3. ‘Father Amaro’s Crime’
A transformation of a classic novel places the story within a Mexican setting through a priest who manipulates a minor into an abortion. The production sparked controversy as Catholic and pro-life groups challenged its premiere, citing blasphemy and moral risk. The film’s blend of church, power, sexuality, and political drama created a charged conversation about autonomy, guilt, and authority. Its provocative nature helped launch broader debates about morality, law, and personal rights. [Citation: Latin American cinema and religious institutions analyses].
4. ‘Vera Drake’s Secret’
Set in postwar London, this intimate drama follows a modest woman who doctors abortions for those in need, without compensation. The director captures the era’s dreariness and the burden on families overwhelmed by poverty, portraying a quiet heroism grounded in empathy and moral complexity. The film treats the heroine’s private struggle as a public tragedy, highlighting solidarity among women across class lines and the violence endured by those seeking healthcare. [Citation: British social realism and gender studies].
5. ’4 months, 3 weeks, 2 days’
Romanian director Cristian Mungiu places viewers inside a clandestine abortion during the late Communist period. The narrative unfolds in a near-documentary cadence, sustaining a sense of fear and moral peril as two young women confront a life-altering moment in a harsh, surveillance-heavy world. The film’s long takes and claustrophobic structure render its subjects’ trauma almost tactile, earning the Palme d’Or for its stark, unflinching portrayal. [Citation: Cannes showcases and Eastern European cinema scholarship].
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6. ‘Swallow’
In a tense, modern fable, a young woman appears to live a flawless life until pregnancy unsettles her. The impulse to swallow objects becomes a dramatic, self-destructive coping mechanism as she grapples with not wanting a husband or a child. Carlo Mirabella-Davis crafts a disturbing, freighted coming-of-age tale about female resilience and resistance to patriarchal constraints. The film anchors a broader conversation about consent, autonomy, and the limits of social expectations. [Citation: Contemporary horror and feminist cinema studies].
What follows is a quietly devastating account of abortion in the United States, beginning with a stark, intimate journey: two teenagers from a small Pennsylvania town travel to New York in search of options. The pacing is restrained and sorrowful, revealing loneliness and the pressure of a future that feels uncertain and constrained. The narrative reflects a period when legal and social barriers shaped experiences of pregnancy and care. [Citation: U.S. reproductive rights history].
8. ‘not pregnant’
In a road comedy twist, Elizabeth Hitman’s film flips the script with humor and resilience. Two friends, one deciding not to keep a pregnancy, navigate a cross-country road trip filled with misadventures, including a run-in with a pro-life couple in transit. Director Rachel Goldenberg demonstrates that laughter can illuminate political commitment and feminist solidarity, even when discussing heavy realities of choice and consequence. The film culminates in a message about empowerment and solidarity rather than resignation. [Citation: Studies on humor and feminist cinema].
9. ‘Green wave (Let there be law)’
A foundational documentary tracing the emergence of a reproductive rights movement in Argentina. The film compiles powerful testimonies, street actions, and the determination of women who marched for bodily autonomy despite repeated congressional setbacks. It communicates anger and optimism in equal measure, inviting viewers to reflect on the power of collective action to influence policy and culture. [Citation: Latin American gender and social movements research].
This Venice Golden Lion winner from a few years back has already earned a place in classic cinema. Audrey Diwan’s adaptation of Annie Ernaux’s autobiographical novel delves into the sixties, following a young woman determined to pursue education while facing pregnancy. The camera traces her isolation and feverish anxiety as she asserts her body and desire against suffocating social hypocrisy. Available on VoD from July 8. [Citation: Contemporary European cinema reviews].