Childbirth film for ballot

Press, 10 June 1977, Page 11

Childbirth film for ballot

By

ROBIN TURKEL

New Zealand television viewers may see the emot i o n-charged childbirth film. “Birth with R. D. Laing,” in September or October. It is expected to come up in the Broadcasting Corporation ballot in August. Assuming one of the networks wants it — almost a foregone conclusion — it will be merely a matter of slotting in the programme. After the wealth of publicity “Birth” has engendered in Britain, neither Avalon nor Anzus House is likely to sit on this documentary for long. “Birth with R. D. Laing” is a 50-minute New Zealand-produced film that backs the Scottish psychiatrist’s controversial theory, that childbirth

belongs to women and their babies — not doctors and hospitals. “It is highly emotional propaganda — and I mean propaganda in the literal sense,” said the directorwriter, Sam Pillsbury.

“There is a message — and that is that mothers and babies know instinctively what is best for them, and that doctors and hospitals should be geared to run for them instead of the other way around.”

Helen Brew, who played Vai Hearte in TVl’s “Close to Home” until she was “killed off” to concentrate on “Birth,” produced the documentary. She took it to England recently, and trade and press screenings there confirmed the film’s emotional impact. The

childbirth scenes are explicit, and the interviews are heartfelt.

Both the 8.8. C. and I.T.V. are reported to be interested in it. The film is built around interviews with Dr Laing

when he was here four years ago. It was shot in three Wellington hospitals.

Pillsbury said permission to shoot in the hospitals had been difficult to get, but once it had been granted co-oper-

ation was full — even though hospital administrators knew “Birth” would be critical of their institutions’ maternity practices.

The initial budget was $20,000. including Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council money and $BOOO from the N.Z.B.C. in return for New Zealand television rights.

Inflation ate at the budget over nearly four years of on-again off-again production, and last year Helen Brew managed to get an additional SBOOO in Government money to complete the project.