Leona's Sister Gerri (1995) Online

I couldn't help but notice that the comments above focused on the "bad decisions" Gerri made. Are you suggesting that her death was somehow justified? Do you know why she waited? It was because abortion was illegal-are you telling me that if you knew your life would be endangered, you would still be able to make a quick decision? Ms magazine used this photo to show what a lack of rights means. It means that you run the risk of ending up face down in a pool of your own blood. I don't care how many "bad decisions" Gerri made. If abortion were legal, and she had been able to access a legal, hygienic pain-managed abortion, she might have been able to grow as a result of reflecting on missteps. Thats typically how humans grow. It is the notion that is at the very heart of redemption. Women make mistakes. Just because we have wombs doesn't mean we shouldn't have the opportunity to make them. Drop the judgment. It won't protect you and it OBVIOUSLY did nothing for Gerri.

This is a simple but excellent documentary that interviews the daughters and siblings of Gerri Santoro a woman who passed away during an underground abortion in 1964. Through simple interviews and occasional images, this documentary details her life and what led to her death. It also has a powerful third act, as the family did not give permission and were not even aware, when Ms magazine published it in in 1973. The film records their initial reactions and how they feel about it twenty years later. The final act also reflects on the use of the image by many pro-choice activists as well as an interview with people who worked at Ms magazine at the time and whom chose to use the image.