Customer Reviews

All My Babies

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I first saw "All My Babies" as a new midwife in the 1970s. What an inspiration this tireless GA licensed midwife was to me and to the homebirth/midwifery movement.

African-American families had little or no access to medical care in Georgia during this time but received excellent care from their midwives.

Highly recommended for those who treasure our history!

Although there is no indication in the amazon.com description, this DVD also contains a full-length audio commentary by filmmaker George Stoney on the production of ALL MY BABIES, a somewhat shorter commentary providing an introduction and context for PALMOUR STREET, and a brochure which reprints a long essay by Stoney on the research and pre-production work on ALL MY BABIES. The commentaries were recorded when Mr. Stoney was 90 years old, but reveal him to have been as sharp as a pin, with a remarkably detailed memory of his work, and many insights worth sharing. Full disclosure: I produced this DVD purely out of admiration for this man and his wonderful film, and believe it will touch and impress all who view it.

This film, originally made as a training film for midwives by the Georgia Department of Health, is an incredible document. It documents another era, when "granny midwives" were the only providers available to poor, black women in the rural South.
The subject of the film, "Miss Annie" was like a pillar of strength for families in her county.
Also very moving was the interview with her grandson. He described the journey of discovery that he and his family made, because of the film, and how it deepened their knowledge of their mother's/grandmother's vital place in the community.