Midwife (2013) Online

Instead of taking on the big business of birth, Allison Kuznia paints a tender picture of a newly certified homebirth midwife setting forth to catch (not deliver!) babies in urban Minnesota. The film is peppered with politics and occasionally seeks to tear down the system of medicalized childbirth, but it is mostly the story of families giving birth at home with care providers who maintain a nurturing, caring, safe environment. The families - especially the dads - are incredibly charming. Kuznia chose her subjects well.

While I felt like the film could have ended sooner (the back-and-forth between various midwives and birth advocates at the end was drawn out longer than it needed to be), it was, overall, a fantastic documentary and one that may overtake The Business of Being Born in its importance to the homebirth movement.

This movie gives an honest portrayal of the spectrum of birth. It steps into the beauty that exists within the midwifery model and therefore normalizes birth. It shows how birth care, in a out-of-hospital model become a trusting partnership between provider and patient. Watching the journey of a student midwife becoming a professional helps viewers see the rigor associated with the acceptance into the profession. Additionally, it highlights the challenges providers and birthing families face when trying to birth out side of the hospital. I highly recommend this film to everyone. Birth is relevant to everyone at every stage of life--we all ought to be exposed to all our option, and have equal access.

I had the opportunity to watch the screening of "Midwife" in Fargo with the filmmaker in attendance. It followed Minnesota homebirth midwife Sarah Biermeier through her first year as a certified professional midwife. Four edge of your seat births later, I was laughing, crying and just plain thankful for the work of birth workers everywhere throughout the film. The film exposed homebirth midwifery for what it is: a safe, viable option for women and families to give birth on their terms in a safe, supported way...in this case, that place is the dining room! This is a beautiful documentary that is never too preachy. I believe this film will catch fire and be viewed and loved across the country.