DW Documentary

The American abortion war

In the USA, abortion rights are tearing the nation apart. Abortions are banned in the state of Texas, but that's not enough for anti-abortion activists. They go even further -- and encounter resistance. The film follows one of America's leading abortion opponents, Mark Lee Dickson, in Texas. He wants to prevent women from traveling to another state for an abortion. Dickson and his followers believe that abortion is always murder. They do not even accept the birth control pill. They believe that life begins with the union of sperm and egg. As a result of Texas' strict abortion policy, clinics offering abortions have had to relocate to neighboring New Mexico. How do the bans affect women? And what is it like to work as a doctor who performs abortions? The film examines questions like these. But the film also shows that there is resistance to Dickson's campaigns, including a women's group that opposes the ultra-conservatives.