Hillary Clinton made a compelling appearance at the Telluride Film Festival, where she championed reproductive rights during the premiere of Zurawski v Texas, a documentary she produced. The film, which chronicles the struggles of women who challenged Texas’s restrictive abortion laws, was met with a powerful reception from the audience at the festival’s Palm Theater.
During her address, Clinton urged the audience to reflect on the current state of reproductive rights, drawing a stark comparison to the dystopian world of The Handmaid’s Tale. “We need to return to a time when our government wasn’t making decisions about our personal choices,” Clinton asserted, highlighting the critical nature of the film’s subject matter.
Zurawski v Texas, directed by Maisie Crow and Abbie Perrault, follows the legal battle of women who were denied abortions under dangerous health conditions due to Texas’s stringent abortion laws enacted in 2023. The screening of the film, which was sold out and left many in tears, was an emotional and impactful event for attendees.
The documentary is part of a broader collection of politically charged films featured at the festival, alongside works like Ali Abbasi’s The Apprentice, a portrayal of a young Donald Trump, and Errol Morris’s Separated, which delves into the Trump administration’s controversial family separation policy.
Clinton emphasized the film’s significance in breaking through public indifference and denial about the harsh realities faced by many women today. “It is crucial that we acknowledge the impact of these stories,” she stated during the post-screening Q&A session, which was moderated by this reporter. Present at the event were several plaintiffs featured in the film—Amanda Zurawski, Samantha Casiano, and Austin Dennard—as well as Molly Duane, senior staff attorney at the Center for Reproductive Rights, and Chelsea Clinton.
HiddenLight, the production company co-founded by the Clintons with Sam Branson, is behind Zurawski v Texas. The company, which previously won an Emmy for In Her Hands, a documentary about a female mayor in Afghanistan, is also involved in other significant projects, including a film on George and Amal Clooney’s efforts to investigate Russian war crimes in Ukraine.
Chelsea Clinton spoke about the mission of HiddenLight, emphasizing their commitment to bringing urgent and often uncomfortable stories to light. “We merged our ideas, hopes, and frustrations into HiddenLight to support projects that need to be told, even when they make people uncomfortable,” she explained. “When we discovered Maisie and Abbie’s work, we knew we had to help in any way we could.”
The documentary sheds light on the consequences of the Texas abortion ban, which was a direct result of the 2022 Supreme Court ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health that overturned Roe v. Wade. Reflecting on the ruling, Hillary Clinton admitted she was not surprised by the decision, having observed the persistent attacks on reproductive rights. “It was distressing but not unexpected,” she said, acknowledging the pre-existing concerns about the judicial system’s direction.
The film features personal and poignant stories from the plaintiffs, including Samantha Casiano, who shared her painful decision to continue her pregnancy despite knowing her baby would not survive. “I wanted to remain anonymous, but after the birth of my daughter, I knew I had to speak out,” Casiano explained, recounting the heart-wrenching experience of her baby’s brief life.
Molly Duane, a key figure in the legal battle depicted in the film, also spoke about the importance of sharing these stories. “We wanted to ensure that these women’s experiences were visible and acknowledged,” Duane said.
Looking ahead to the November elections, where abortion measures will be on the ballot in ten states, including Colorado, Clinton expressed hope that voters will reject the regressive policies highlighted in the film. “I hope people will demonstrate through their votes that they stand against the kind of policies shown in this documentary,” she concluded, reinforcing the film’s call for action and change.
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