Season 4, Epsidoe 28: Why We Need to Evolve Women’s Health with “The Business Of Birth Control” Director Abby Epstein

Hormonally Speaking

This week on Hormonally Speaking, we have Abby Epstein, the acclaimed American film director and producer best known for her work on the documentaries "The Business of Being Born" "Until the Violence Stops,” and “Weed The People.”

Epstein has won several awards for her documentaries, including the Audience Awards at Vancouver’s Amnesty International Film Festival and Nashville Film Festival, as well as premiering at Sundance, Tribeca, and SXSW festivals.

We discuss her and her business partner Ricki Lake's latest movie, “The Business of Birth Control”, which aims to shed light on the effects of hormonal contraceptives and the need for newer and better options. The documentary was inspired by the book "Sweetening the Pill" by Holly Grigg-Spall.

We Cover So Much Including:

✨How the film was not made to promote a specific ideology, despite what some people think

✨That it was difficult to find experts in the field who would speak out against the status quo (but they still found some amazing ones!)

✨The fact that modern medicine has often failed women, leading to poor menstrual health, low body literacy, and high rates of endometriosis, PCOS, fibroids, anxiety, and depression

✨Why there is a need to evolve and develop solutions regarding women's health and bodies, especially in terms of contraception and long-term effects of medications

✨And so much more good stuff!

Our conversation was powerful, and one you don’t want to miss, especially if you are currently on birth control, or have children that are.

You’ll also want to see the movie ASAP - especially since March 8 is International Women’s Day - which you can stream here. Use code “HORMONALLYSPEAKING” at check out to get half off.

ABBY EPSTEIN made her film directing debut at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival with the documentary, V-Day: Until the Violence Stops, featuring Jane Fonda, Salma Hayek, and Rosie Perez. The film won the Audience Award at Vancouver’s Amnesty International Film Festival and premiered on Lifetime Television, receiving both an Emmy and a Gracie Allen Award. In 2007, she teamed up with Ricki Lake for their widely acclaimed documentary, The Business of Being Born, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and was released by New Line Cinema/Netflix and broadcast on Showtime. The film’s success led to their follow-up series, More Business of Being Born, featuring Cindy Crawford, Alanis Morissette, Gisele Bündchen and Christy Turlington plus a book, Your Best Birth, published by Hachette. Next, the duo teamed up for Weed the People, which premiered at the 2018 SXSW Film Festival and won the Audience Award at the Nashville Film Festival. Weed the People was acquired by Netflix for distribution.

Under their company, BOBB Films, Ms. Epstein and Ms. Lake produced the documentaries Breastmilk and The Mama Sherpas and are currently in production on The Business of Birth Control. Prior to her film work, Ms. Epstein directed Broadway theater, helming national tours and international productions of RENT and The Vagina Monologues.

Learn more about "The Business Of Birth Control" here: Facebook, Instagram: Abby Epstein / Ricki Lake Twitter, Website

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