This intimate and personal documentary follows two women from Ciudad Juárez as they cross the U.S.-Mexico border legally to give birth in Texas, putting their hearts and bodies on the line as they confront harassment at the hands of U.S. border officials. 

One million people legally cross the U.S.-Mexico border every day in both directions. Among them are women who cross for the purposes of childbirth. With the threat of obstetrical violence in Mexican hospitals and the desire for natural birth with midwives, Gaby and Luisa make the difficult decision to cross the border to El Paso, seeking a safer future for their children. Even with papers, their journeys are uncertain. 

Against the backdrop of oppressive U.S. border policy and growing debates over immigration, these women's stories of risk, strength, and resilience shed light on the realities and challenges of life on the border.
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 "BIRTH ON THE BORDER places you in the hearts and minds of women who make large and often terrifying sacrifices for the health and safety of their children. Whatever your views on immigration, this film will challenge what you think you know."
- Angie Reza Tures, Founder and Producer of Femme Frontera Film Festival

"BIRTH ON THE BORDER uses beautiful imagery and compelling stories to illuminate an important yet often overlooked topic: childbirth and the border. Not only is this film timely, but it also has broad appeal to those interested in the US health care system, US-Mexico borders, and/or immigration. I showed Birth on the Border in my university course because it touches on so many aspects of the human experience. Unsurprisingly, it generated rich discussion."  - Ophra Leyser-Whalen, PhD Professor, Dept. of Sociology & Anthropology, University of Texas, El Paso

"This film explores the politics of care work and the lived experiences of women for whom dangerous border crossings are a daily reality. Birth on the Border is absolutely essential viewing for all race, class, and gender studies courses."
- Diana Cage, Professor, Art & Gender Studies, San Francisco State University
About WMM:
From cutting-edge documentaries that give depth to today's headlines to smart, stunning films that push artistic and intellectual boundaries in all genres, Women Make Movies (WMM), a non-profit feminist social enterprise based in New York, is the world's leading distributor of independent films by and about women. Our Production Assistance Program assists women directors with their productions from concept through completion with fiscal sponsorship, consultations and other technical assistance. We work with creative, ground-breaking films which win awards at festivals around the world. Films and filmmakers we have supported have been nominated for or won Academy® Awards in 12 of the past 13 years.