Citizen Jane Film Festival - Vegas Baby
Some think an in vitro fertilization contest sounds crazy, but countless Americans desperate to start a family believe this social media experiment is their only hope.
Interview with Director Amanda Micheli
Watch Vegas Baby on Prime Video and iTunes
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Over the last five years, my husband and I have struggled with our own infertility issues, during which he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. I was shocked by my ignorance about my own fertility, and bowled over by the financial and emotional costs of treatment. The family-building options for people like us are either reproductive medicine or adoption, both of which can be financially daunting and emotionally harrowing.
And because reproductive medicine is dominated by for-profit clinics reliant on marketing rather than insurance contracts, patients are often left feeling particularly vulnerable and alone. It was in researching possible solutions to my own situation that I came across Dr. Sher’s contest. This competition struck me as a perfectly absurd distillation of the overwhelming world of reproductive medicine in which I found myself; I knew right away that this was a film I had to make.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Despite the fact that 1 in 6 couples worldwide struggles with infertility, it is rarely talked about. And within the Wild West of reproductive medicine, the US is the most expensive and least regulated country in the world. Desperate patients paying out of pocket — straight, gay, coupled, or going it alone — don’t think an in vitro fertilization contest sounds so crazy. VEGAS BABY breaks the silence around this misunderstood medical and social issue and exposes the emotional and financial costs of the gamble of infertility treatment.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
We followed two very diverse couples and one single lesbian on their journey to try to build a family. Through these intimate portraits, we explore universal themes of desire and loss that anyone can relate to, whether they want to have children or not.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
Since this is a documentary there is no script, and many many, unpredictable events unfolded as we were filming over the course of two years. This kind of film is truly made in the edit room, where you have to make hard choices to tell the story in the most succinct way possible. For example, we originally filmed with six couples, and narrowed it down to three in the final edit.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
We get ALL kinds of reactions to the film — it has been very provocative and always starts a conversation, which was our goal. The most gratifying feedback is when “fertile” people come up to us after a screening and say “I had no idea about this topic at all. I realize how many people I know have gone through this, but we never talked about it and I never would have guessed what they were going through.”
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
We didn’t necessarily expect the subject matter to be as controversial as it has proven to be. There is still a lot of stigma and judgment around infertility — couples who seek treatment are often seen as selfish, and well-meaning people often ask “why don’t they just adopt??”. But most people, after seeing the film, can appreciate that many of these people do try to adopt, and that the specific path to building a family is a very fraught and personal choice. But that doesn’t mean we expect every audience member to empathize with everyone in our film and all of their decisions.
Some people can become addicted to hope and put their physical, mental, and financial health on the line in their quest to have a baby. We encourage the audience to question: at what cost should we pursue this? How does the reproductive medicine industry benefit form the vulnerability of patents? When does it make sense to change course?
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
Like any indie film, we need word of mouth to continue to build an audience. We made the film because we want people to see it, and word of mouth is the best way!
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Journalists and audience members, to join the conversation and share!
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
We want to raise awareness about infertility and the emotional and financial costs of treatment. If we can enlighten a family member or friend of someone already going through this so they can be more supportive and understanding, that’s a win. If the film can help educate young women about the challenges they may face if they wait until later in life to start trying to have a baby, that’s even better!
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Amanda, the director, is finally pregnant, so her next project is shifting from birthing this movie to birthing a child!
Interview: October 2017
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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series and music video. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
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VEGAS BABY
Some think an in vitro fertilization contest sounds crazy, but countless Americans desperate to start a family believe this social media experiment is their only hope.
Length: 76 mins
Director: Amanda Micheli
Producer: Serin Marshall
Executive Producer: Morgan Spurlock
About the writer, director and producer:
Amanda Micheli is an award-winning director and cinematographer. She earned an Oscar nomination for LA CORONA, which premiered at Sundance and aired on HBO. DOUBLE DARE was a winner at festivals worldwide, and her first film JUST FOR THE RIDE won a student Oscar. Other credits include THIN, CAT DANCERS, MY FLESH AND BLOOD and SLOMO.
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): -
Social media handles: @vegasbabyfilm for Facebook/Instagram/Twitter
Other: @RunawayfilmsSF is Amanda’s handle for all
Where will the film screen in the next month? iTunes, Netflix, and Amazon