Director Rayka Zehtabchi, who last year won the Best Short Subject Documentary Oscar for Period. End of Sentence, has helmed Ours to Tell, a short film for Planned Parenthood and We Testify, which screens today (1/28) at the Sundance Film Festival as part of a Planned Parenthood: Storytelling as Activism panel discussion.
Produced by Ventureland in association with PRETTYBIRD–the production house which handles Zehtabchi for spots and branded content–Ours to Tell centers on four people who live full and empowered lives because they were free to access abortion. Actor, writer, and comedian Natasha Rothwell narrates the film which showcases what is at stake for many and, importantly, what many more have never had–the capacity to control their own bodies, and thus the power to decide their own futures. Ours to Tell spotlights what it means to a person’s future to have bodily autonomy and urges a call for compassion and self-determination. The full short can be accessed here. Below, as a SHOOT ScreenWork entry, is the trailer.
The film rolls out as the 47th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision is marked this month.
Zehtabchi said, “Film has the power to challenge the conversation around critical social issues, combat stigma, and ultimately shift culture. Ours To Tell disrupts common misconceptions about abortion–who has access, why, and how that access can help people lead rich and strong lives. This film purposefully centers the lived experiences of those that are rarely seen, including Black, Latinx, and transgender people. Through their stories, we learn that when people have access to abortion, they are able to live the lives they dream of for themselves and their families.”
Planned Parenthood is a leading provider and advocate of high-quality, affordable health care for women, men, and young people, as well as the nation’s largest provider of sex education. We Testify is an organization dedicated to the leadership and representation of people who’ve had abortions, increasing the spectrum of abortion storytellers in the public sphere, and shifting the way the media understands the context and complexity of accessing abortion care.
CreditsClient Planned Parenthood Federation of America Elizabeth Bawol, sr. creative director/executive producer; Lauren Garcimonde-Fisher, sr. creative director, brand projects/executive producer; Ylonda Gault, sr. director, editorial/executive producer; Rachel Velasquez, director of video/producer; Nia Martin-Robinson, director of black leadership and engagement; Caren Spruch, sr. director, arts & entertainment; Rachel Moreno, VP, brand & culture strategy/executive producer; Melanie Newman, SVP, communications & culture. Client We Testify Renee Bracey Sherman, founder & executive director/executive producer. Production Ventureland in association with PRETTYBIRD Rayka Zehtabchi, director; Natasha Wellesley, exec producer; Tina Pavlides, Rachel Main, producers; Dana Kurth, field producer; Miles Barfield, postproduction supervisor. Editorial Final Cut LA Zoe Schack, editor; Sabra Stratton, assistant editor; Ana Orrach, head of production; Suzy Ramirez, exec producer; Taylor S. Rousseau, producer. VFX/Finishing Significant Others Betty Cameron, Flame artist Color Apache Digital Arianna Shining Star, digital intermediate colorist; Chris Lam, color assistant; LaRue Anderson, exec producer; Stefanie Schaidenbrand, producer. Sound Design & Mix One Thousand Birds Jackie Zhou, lead sound designer/mixer; Kira MacKnight, exec producer; KT Pipal, producer/additional sound design. Music We Are Walker Sara Matarazzo, music supervisor; Herdis Stefansdottir, music.
Director Gia Coppola Teams With Mejuri For “A New York Minute”; 1st Episode Takes Us To The Grocery Store
Mejuri, known for turning fine jewelry into an everyday luxury, has partnered with director Gia Coppola (The Last Show Girl, Palo Alto) and The Directors Bureau in Los Angeles, for the first time reimagining the brandโs story as episodic content. In a series of microfilms, co-created by Coppola and premiering following New York Fashion Week, Mejuri eschewed a typical celebrity campaign and cast us as voyeurs to a group of aspiring young women--real people, not actors--at the crossroads of their adult lives against the backdrop of New York City.
Titled โA New York Minute,โ the series features five real-life friends, who include one perfectly imperfect heroine named Emma. The women celebrate ordinary moments and interactions which reveal, sometimes retrospectively, the extraordinary within the mundane. Adjacent to the brandโs own community, the 30-something year old cast includes Laura Love (Emma), Rebecca Ressler, Natalie Vall-Freed and Rozzi Crane. Mejuriโs jewelry makes an appearance as the best supporting actor.
โWhen I met with Gia and The Directors Bureau team, there was instant creative and personal chemistry and a natural alignment on the desire to push and blur the lines between marketing, storytelling, and the construct of what a โcampaignโ could be,โ said Jacob Jordan, chief brand officer, Mejuri. โGia was able to push that idea into something that truly feels new and artful, with a realism and relatability that almost feels jarring. Gia was such a perfect collaborator and partner, someone I had complete trust in to be a catalyst for Mejuriโs values of celebrating women as their truest selves. I canโt wait for us to continue to tell the next chapters of this story.โ
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