Freedom of Choice
“My Choice,” A Documentary by Patricia Mooney
In 2004, I produced a musical documentary of the March for Women’s Lives called “My Choice.” Indie Slate Magazine featured this story about it.
A Mother and Daughter Event
Freedom of choice has always been important to me. In 1970, my mother, Magi, and I both began on the path of feminism and social justice together. So when we heard that seven organizations were planning an event in Washington, D.C. called the March for Women’s Lives on April 25, 2004, we made plans to join up in Detroit (where my mom lived) and fly to D.C. together.
At 83 years old, Magi’s presence there was a true testimony to her convictions. This march was important to both of us, as sort of a full circle in our feminism, and a chance to be together at one of the most “herstorical” moments of our lives.
As a partner at Crystal Pyramid Productions, a full-service video production house, I have access to all of our equipment. I decided to take our “stealth” camera, the Sony PD-150, and a tripod. The PD-150’s low profile made it seem like a home video camera (less hassle from airport security people), while the resolution came reasonably close to that of the Sony Betacam SP without the weight (and the price tag.) It meant a woman with a gimp knee like me could cruise around shooting without too many problems.
From One End of the Mall to the Other
There was one location requiring a lot of footwork: The National Mall. There were two stages – a “morning stage” at the foot of the Washington Monument, and the “afternoon stage” on the other end of the Mall below the Capitol Building. As producer, director and grip, I wended my way through the throngs of marchers toward the morning stage where I was able to capture several celebrities and musical artists who spoke and entertained prior to the march at noon. Then I walked to the afternoon stage (taking a route apart from the marchers) and arrived just in time to videotape Gloria Steinem.
I had a great position at the morning stage. However, it was a little harder to find the perfect shooting spot at the foot of the afternoon stage. By then, the sky behind the speakers was blown out, and there seemed to be a hundred more videographers there jockeying for position.
All the Amazing Women
I gathered some great footage of speakers and entertainers including Cybill Shepherd, Whoopi Goldberg, Susan Sarandon, Holly Near, Ashley Judd, Ani DiFranco, Laura Dawn and Moby, and many others. I used their music and speeches to propel the story with no commentary from me, and cut in lots of B-roll of the marchers and Washington D.C. It came out great, and several organizations want to use “My Choice” as a fundraising tool and to raise consciousness prior to the November elections.
Women Around the World Deserve Choice
I’m a perpetual student although ironically have never earned a college degree. After my second year of college, I decided to quit and hitchhike to California to concentrate on my writing. I’ve been a poet and author since I was 15, but had temporarily stopped writing poetry and short stories. Instead, I decided to use photographs and video to relate my poetic feelings. How convenient that I was a partner in a video production company and could use the equipment as I wished. I produced, shot and edited “My Choice,” which is an accomplishment I’m proud of, but in a way, I’m just a tool for the message inherent in the video, and that is, as Cybill Shepherd put it, “Women around the world deserve choice.”
Thanks to My Mother
I must thank my mother, Magi, for not only accompanying me to the march, but for giving me life, and showing me that I had choices in my life. I thank my husband and business partner, Mark Schulze, for his support and encouragement in all that I do. Thanks to the seven organizations who sponsored the March for Women’s Lives, and all those who participated, some putting their careers on the line for “coming out” in support of women’s choice. And I thank the million plus people who marched together at the largest march in history. What an awesome day it was! Very empowering. After returning from that weekend in Washington, D.C., I was indeed ready to roll up my sleeves and get to work.
I am past the child-bearing age, so I no longer have the worry of unwanted pregnancy, but not so for many women around the world. And our policies here in the U.S.A. affect women of all countries. I re-edited and remastered the 2004 video because people need to see it. We are still grappling with the issues women faced in 2004. And we have lost ground when it comes to a woman’s bodily autonomy.
With hopes that my multi-award-winning 30-minute show can open some eyes and inspire an awakening of people who will stand up to fight for the right of a woman to choose.
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