Hillary Clinton Speaks Out Against Texas Abortion Ban at Telluride Film Festival
At the 2024 Telluride Film Festival, Hillary Clinton delivered a powerful message to audiences during the premiere of the documentary Zurawski v Texas. The film, which chronicles a landmark legal battle against Texas’s restrictive abortion laws, provided a poignant backdrop for Clinton’s remarks on the current state of reproductive rights in America. Alongside the filmmakers, plaintiffs, and her daughter Chelsea Clinton, the former Secretary of State highlighted the critical need to restore and protect women’s autonomy over their own bodies—a sentiment that resonates deeply in a post-Roe v. Wade America.
The Premiere of Zurawski v Texas: A Moment of Reflection and Urgency
Zurawski v Texas, directed by Maisie Crow and Abbie Perrault, received its first screening at the Telluride Film Festival, where it was met with a sold-out audience. The film documents the harrowing experiences of a group of women who sued the state of Texas after being denied medically necessary abortions, a result of the state’s stringent abortion ban that was triggered by the 2022 Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health. The documentary captures not only the plaintiffs’ legal struggle but also the deeply personal and often heartbreaking stories behind their fight.
During the post-screening Q&A session, Clinton expressed her deep concern about the current trajectory of reproductive rights in the United States. “We need to get back to a time when your government is not determining what your choices for your family would be, which is just so Handmaid’s Tale,” Clinton urged the audience, drawing a stark comparison between current policies and the dystopian world depicted in Margaret Atwood’s novel.
Hillary Clinton’s Advocacy: A Voice for Reproductive Rights
Hillary Clinton has long been an advocate for women’s rights, and her involvement in Zurawski v Texas through her production company, HiddenLight, underscores her commitment to amplifying stories that challenge injustice. HiddenLight, co-founded by Clinton, her daughter Chelsea, and Sam Branson, is known for producing socially impactful content, including the Emmy-winning documentary In Her Hands, which told the story of a female mayor in Afghanistan.
At the Telluride premiere, Clinton emphasized the importance of the film in shedding light on the harsh realities faced by women under restrictive abortion laws. “I don’t think we can underestimate how important this film is in order to break through the eye-rolling, the denial, the dismissiveness, the cruelty that has affected so many women’s lives in our country today,” Clinton stated. Her words were a call to action, urging viewers to confront the uncomfortable truths presented in the documentary and to advocate for change.
The Plaintiffs’ Stories: Personal Tragedies and Public Advocacy
The women at the center of Zurawski v Texas—including Amanda Zurawski, Samantha Casiano, and Austin Dennard—shared their deeply personal stories with the audience, offering a firsthand account of the devastating impact of Texas’s abortion ban. Amanda Zurawski, whose name headlines the case, was denied an abortion despite severe health risks, a decision that nearly cost her life. Samantha Casiano, another plaintiff, recounted her heartbreaking experience of carrying a nonviable pregnancy to term, as she lacked the resources to travel out of state for an abortion.
Casiano’s emotional story, particularly her decision to allow the filmmakers to capture the funeral of her baby, Halo, who lived for only four hours, moved the audience to tears. “I wanted to be anonymous at first, and then I gave birth to my daughter, and I saw her eyes bleed,” Casiano shared, explaining her decision to speak out publicly. “From then on, I knew there was no way I could just go on without letting others know that this is reality, and this is what’s happening right now to women.”
Legal Battles and Broader Implications: The Fight for Reproductive Rights Continues
The Zurawski v Texas documentary not only highlights individual stories but also delves into the broader legal and political battles surrounding abortion rights in the United States. Molly Duane, a senior staff attorney at the Center for Reproductive Rights and a key figure in the documentary, emphasized the importance of telling these stories to a wide audience. “Part of this lawsuit was telling these stories to as big of an audience as possible,” Duane explained, underscoring the documentary’s role in raising awareness about the human impact of restrictive abortion laws.
Hillary Clinton, reflecting on the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, expressed her dismay but not surprise. “I had watched in a very concerned way, the steady, relentless attack on women’s reproductive health, and in particular on Roe v. Wade for years,” she noted. Clinton’s remarks serve as a stark reminder of the ongoing struggle to protect reproductive rights in the face of growing legal and political challenges.
The Road Ahead: A Call to Action for Voters and Advocates
As the documentary continues to seek distribution and bring its powerful message to a broader audience, Hillary Clinton and the filmmakers hope it will inspire action. With ten states, including Colorado, having abortion measures on the ballot in November, Clinton urged voters to make their voices heard. “We think we’re in a moment where we actually need to be uncomfortable,” Chelsea Clinton added, highlighting the urgency of confronting the harsh realities depicted in Zurawski v Texas.
The film, backed by a coalition of producers including Jennifer Lawrence’s Excellent Cadaver and Story Force Entertainment, aims to bring the issue of reproductive rights to the forefront of public consciousness. As Hillary Clinton concluded, the hope is that audiences will leave the film not just moved, but motivated to advocate for policies that protect women’s rights and autonomy.
