As the abortion debate has once again inflamed a nation, HBO Documentary Films is releasing a documentary that sheds light on a time when the practice was considered entirely taboo and criminal, and the network of women that came together and worked to change minds and policies, The Janes.
With Oscar nominee Tia Lessin and Emmy nominee Emma Pildes helming the documentary, The Janes looks to explore the network of seven women who, in 1972, ran an underground abortion service that was later raided by the Chicago Police Department that spring. The raid became the driving force for Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide in 1973.
Many of the women who participated in the documentary are speaking out for the first time about how they were able to defy the Illinois law that banned abortion within the state. According to a press release, The Jane Collective provided low-cost to free abortions to nearly 11,000 women between 1968 and 1973. “We were ordinary women trying to save women’s lives; but, we were criminals,” a member of The Janes stated in the opening of the trailer to the HBO documentary, which gives an idea of what the viewer will be in for once the documentary premieres.
The trailer didn’t give away too much information, only highlighting what was once an obscure story of a network of outlaws who risked everything to help women in need. Before coming to HBO, The Janes had a world premiere at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, which Ms. Magazine called “lively,” adding that the documentary was “much more than a mere history lesson,” but a film that spotlights a small group of women who did “tremendous work on a large scale.” The Jane Collective also inspired the 2022 film Call Jane, which received middling reviews for its sanitized, overly feel-good narrative. The Janes looks to provide a stark glimpse at a country without the protections of Roe v. Wade.
The Janes will premiere on HBO on June 8, and will also be available to stream on HBOMax. Check out the trailer below.
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