Every Mother Counts, a maternal health care non-profit dedicated to making pregnancy and childbirth safe for every mother, everywhere, presents CON MADRE, featured on National Geographic. The short documentary film, Executive Produced by EMC Founder, Christy Turlington Burns, highlights the importance of midwifery care in one of the most dangerous countries in Central America to give birth, Guatemala. The film follows Erika and Dora Mariá, students training to be the first university-level midwives, parteras, in the country, as they return to their hometowns in the rural, Indigenous communities of Guatemala. Once there, Erika and Dora María continue their education under the mentorship of traditional midwives, comadronas. Erika and Dora María work with the comadronas to continue their culture’s traditional practices of birth and natural medicine, while also incorporating the new skills and training from school and health centers. Both women share their own personal stories of empowerment and dedication to helping women and families in their communities. Erika, who is pregnant, also plans a home birth under the guidance of her comadrona, Azucena, a powerful leader in her community, and with the help of her fellow midwives at school, including Dora María.
CON MADRE was distributed on National Geographic’s Short Film Showcase in 2017 and was featured as Vimeo’s Staff Pick. Screenings include the Athena Film Festival, Ser Mujer Film Festival (Mexico), MedFest Egypt, ICARO Film Festival (Guatemala), The APHA Global Public Health Festival, and The American College of Nurse-Midwifery (ACNM) Conference.
For more information, visit everymothercounts.org.
