Emotive and poignant, THE 8th is a documentary which will strike deep into the hearts of women of all ages and backgrounds, and most men too.
With three female directors, THE 8TH might’ve turned out a mixed bag, but just like it took the courage of many women campaigning to raise awareness, all using their different approaches, THE 8TH has benefitted from the collaboration of its directors. Aideen Kane, Lucy Kennedy, and Maeve O Boyle have made a documentary that grabs from the first five minutes and doesn’t let go. The result is a wonderful, classic fly on the wall, diary journey of the campaign led by Pro-Choice campaigners, Ailbhe Smyth and Andrea Horan, as they go head-to-head with the establishment. They face centuries of controlling religious doctrine, and years of unfair bias, to overturn the 8th amendment, which has been in place for 35 years.
So, for those that don’t know, what is the ‘8th Amendment?’ Passed in 1983 in Ireland, it ruled that unborn foetuses and their mothers had equal life status. It therefore made abortion illegal unless the mother’s life was at immediate risk. Putting aside for a moment the cultural, religious and social debates over abortion, the amendment meant that Irish women, essentially, had no rights over their bodies once pregnant. The law then led to tragedy, unhappiness and a lot of anger. It also perpetuated a biased and outdated view of pregnancy and the role of women in society in Ireland. This has also added to a history of hidden, tragic child abuse in Ireland, some of which is still only coming to light now.
Victims of rape or abuse, were put under horrendous strain. Women’s health was also put under strain, as even when doctors knew that a foetus was really sick, which sadly does happen, they could not legally abort the foetus until the very last minute, which pushed the mother’s health into danger, and resulted in a number of tragic circumstances for not just women, but their husbands and families. However, more seriously, it also took away the rights of half the population over their own bodies. It was out of step not just with the UK, (where Irish women would often escape under the radar to have an abortion if they could) but with most of the western world.
Pertinently, accurately and skilfully shot by several camera people, and put together by a clutch of great collaborators, THE 8TH is a high-quality film with wide appeal. For although while these women fought for the what was deemed a ‘woman’s issue,‘ and bore the brunt of negative judgement from an archaic religious and a cultural standpoint that was often sexist, the right to choose how you use your own body is one of the most basic human rights and affects us all. Compulsive, well put together viewing, that will deserve every accolade it gets.
***** 5 Stars.
The 8th is released on 25th May to +30 cinemas and VOD to coincide with the 3rd anniversary of the Irish referendum.
Review by Jane Foster, who is also a Screenwriter/Director who strongly believes in, and champions independent film, and the rights of the individual. janecreates@23-films.com
