"I was ready for a film about midwives and mothers, but Catching Babies surprised me in its utter beauty and thoughtfulness." -Sarah Tarver-Wahlquist from SQUAT Birth Journal

Catching Babies is complete! We are now setting up private screenings in select cities across the Southwest. I am raising funds to translate the film into Spanish, submit to film festivals and to produce DVDs to donate to Maternidad La Luz School of Midwifery and Clinic and to Birth Justice organizations.

Visit CatchingBabies.net to learn more.

Catching Babies is the journey of women as reclaim the tradition of midwifery on the border. I spent three months in El Paso with the midwives, mothers and co-producer Jennifer Lucero. Catching Babies is a 60-minute documentary that tells the story of women as they become midwives in El Paso, Texas. Kennasha, Jessica, Diana and Sandra are students of midwifery on the border. They are struggling through one of the most demanding schools of midwifery in the country, Maternidad la Luz, which was designed to be stressful in order to push women to understand their own strength. Sandra's clinical studies go hand in hand with her spiritual studies as she learns the Mexica, indigenous Mexican, traditions around birth and pregnancy. The group bonds as sister-midwives in this transformative space, which gives birth to babies, mothers and midwives. Catching Babies is the personal story of three women as they strive to change the world by changing the way babies are born.

Shot in cinema verité style, Catching Babies takes viewers are taken into an intimate space with the midwives and families by using close-ups and the background sounds of bustling households. In the vibrant colors of this border town, slow-paced and reflective moments will be contrasted with the fast pace of the Birthing Center. The midwives narrate the unpredictable shifts in the Birth Center on-camera as they perform the meaningful work of supporting women through the most important moments of their life.

While to some the idea of midwifery conjures up images of primitive healthcare practices, to others it is reminiscent of the ways of their homeland. This field synthesizes advanced medical technology with traditional skills into a healing women’s space. Learn about midwifery through the journey of women who are dedicated to empowering mothers and welcoming healthy babies.