Synopsis
with:Angelika Hochdorfer, Sabine Klein-Schonnefeld, Dr.Susanne von Paczensky, Elfie Mayer, Renate Sadrozinski, Gerlinde Walka, Monika Fischer-Stenzel, Beate Lier, Anne Leiper, Ullabritt Horn, Jasmin Ebertz, Dr.Heribert Kentenich, patients of Dr.Theissen, pedestrian in the streets of Memmingen, and others.
The reason to shoot and edit this film were a big processes taking place at least five years in Bavaria. In Germany it is forbidden to do abortions without consultation official counsellors and proving an indication. In Bavaria, women after an abortion had to stay in a hospital for five days or more. Dr.Theissen did abortions in Memmingen without keeping the women for five days in a hospital, took money for the traetment but did not pay tax for this. It was a rumour, that one of his female asisstents had told to a clerk of the tax office about this inofficial income and the processes started. The police went to the house of the doctor and took his card-index with more than 1 500 cards. Later the policemen went to the houses of more than 300 women, which had an an "I"( for Interuption or Indication) on their card and said : " You have murdered a child."
Angelika Hochdorfer civil servant in Memmingen:
Sunday morning in front of the church, the priest and the teacher of the village are talking about the demonstration, which takes place in the next little town. Why they are fighting for the right of abortion ? This is future life. And they start to discuss, when life starts - and cannot make ends meet. Finally they decide to ask an expert - a old farmerwoman, who passes by. She is the mother of six children, she must know it. So they ask her: Zenzi, when does life start. She smiles : You really do not know it ? Life starts when the husband is burried at the chuchyard and the children are out of the house.
Sabine Klein-Schonnefeld scientist, Bremen:
Equality of law is a formal term. The law itself, promises equality, thats also written in the constitution, but on the other hand, the lawyers know very well, that the law is a social and cultur category. The problem is, that law assumes equality, that there are equal individuals and no differences in society. But the society of whole Germany from SchleswigHolstein to Bavaria has one in common - we live in different societies. The society is different and hierarchical. There are different classes and the social and economic possibilities are different as well. There are foreigners and nativ Germans and this is another hierarchy. And there is hierarchy between male and female as well. As analyses say: Equality of law is only for white, male, Germans of middle class. This is a matter of fact. To have right and to get right is dependent on to my social and economic resources, what education I have got and what my individual standing is like - but here again the inequality of gender is important.
Dr. Susanne von Paczensky author, Hamburg: In literatur we like it, if women stop thinking about consequences and make love. But society want them to take care of prevention and think about what may follow - and maybe then fall in love.
Elfie Mayer nurse and counsellor at pro familia, Hamburg:
We talk with the pregnant women about their conflicts, and we recognize that they really had taken care of prevention and it is insolence to tell them, that they did not, because it is much more different for themselves. _____ The big change is, that women in Bavaria do not even try to get treatment in their hometown or homecountry, they take the train, an airoplane or a cab and go in Amsterdam, Vienna or come to us.
Monika Fischer-Stenzel nurse, Memmingen:
...Here in Memmingen it is impossible and the women are sent to a hospital in Munic. There are two or even three private and expensive hospitals. The public hospitals of the town or the hospital of the university have only few beds for this case and if you can go there, they treatment is very COOL, if you want an abortion....
Beate Lier housewife in a village, not very far from Memmingen:
... I always wanted, that women do not interupt pregnancy. I am mother of twins and the first two years with them was a real hard time. At that time I thought by myself - if I get pregnant now - I shall not get that child - not now.....I talked with some women, who did an abortion and after this I came to the conclusion, that this question a woman has to decide herself - the most important is the soverign right of woman.
Anne Leipert from Memmingen accompanied women from Turkey to the tribunal: Most of them did and still do not feel guilty, because of the abortion. They consider it a bigger crime to get more children and have no possibility to care for them.
Renate Sadrozinski author, member of pro famila, Hamburg: Most of the women feel very sorry, but the reason for this sadness is not the abortion. They are sad and down and out because the circumstances of their life make it impossible for them to live with this child.
Gerlinde Walka therapeut for handicaped children, Memmingen:
I cannot imagine to be a Alleinerziehende Mutter (mother raising a child without father) in this town, where I have no relatives and only few friends. Actually my friends live not in this town but in nearby villages and in Munic.
Ullabritt Horn filmmaker, Vienna:
I think women have the right to do abortions, even if the only reason why is being afraid, that the breast would change its form.
Jasmin, student: My way of prevention worked for years and I was very careful about it, but once a day....
Dr. Heribert Kentenich scientist of medicine, Berlin: The Problem of our days is that many men are not fertile anymore.....