UnionDocs documentary art collaborative hosts screening of the new documentary SPEAK OUT: I HAD AN ABORTION on June 2, 2005 at UnionDocs (322 Union Ave., Williamsburg) at 8 p.m.

SPEAK OUT: I HAD AN ABORTION attempts to crack open the country's most
divisive issue, revealing some of the stories that make up the 1.3 million abortions each year. Women speaking out now—when abortion is legal but still so stigmatized that it's never discussed in polite company—could personalize what has become a paralyzed and abstract debate.

One of the messages of the film—as well as that of the campaign to encourage people to come out about their experiences with abortion—is that women might have complex, or even painful, experiences with abortion, but they are still grateful to have had access to a safe, legal procedure. The film represents a tapestry of voices that spans seven decades and reveals an unexpected hidden history that, until now, was largely untold. It features the stories of eleven women (including feminist icon Gloria Steinem), as well as younger women who had their abortions just a year or two ago. The film was created and produced by writer Jennifer Baumgardner (co-author of Manifesta and Grassroots) and is directed and produced by Gillian Aldrich (a producer for Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine).

The film will be preceded by three short artistic presentations: Internationally acclaimed street artist SWOON will present a slideshow of her work. SWOON has recently been featured in PS1's Greater NY 2005 Show and The Armory Show 2005. She looks forward to a solo exhibition at the Deitch Projects in July of this year. Linda Zacks will show her new painting series "It Smells Like a Girl."

The event will also feature the photography of Tara Todras-Whitehill, who photographed many of the women appearing in the film and others wearing a t-shirt which reads "I had an abortion." The film will be followed by a discussion with the filmmakers and a few of the women who appear in Speak Out: I Had an Abortion.