Birth Wars

Told through deeply personal stories in the trenches of the healthcare sector, “Birth Wars” chronicles a power struggle between doctors and midwives in Mexico about whose vision of childbirth should prevail. The film takes viewers on a journey into two worlds riven by prejudices and antagonism and explores how building bridges between these worlds could help save lives.

Janet Jarman is a photojournalist and documentary filmmaker. Since 2003, she has been based in Mexico, where she focuses on topics such as the country’s ongoing security issues, immigration, access to healthcare, and water resource challenges. Her first feature-length documentary titled Birth Wars, has a grant from the MacArthur Foundation. Jarman’s work has been published in The New York Times, GEO, National Geographic and Smithsonian Magazine, amongst others. She has also worked for foundations and NGO’s. Her photographs have been featured at Visa Pour l’Image, Perpignan and have received many international awards. In 2015, she was the Producer of POY Latam (Pictures of the Year Latin America). She was a reportage judge of Pictures of the Year International (POYi) 2016, and she was part of the jury for the FNPI Premio Gabo in 2018. She was also invited to be a judge of POY Latam 2019. Jarman began her career in South Florida after graduating from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She worked as a staff photographer at The Miami Herald, and later obtained a master’s degree in environmental issues at the University of London.

Award Best Documentary – New York Latino Film Festival 2020
Santa Barbara International Film Festival 2020
Richmond International Film Festival 2020
San Diego Latino Film Festival 2020
Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival 2020
Films de Femmes, Creteil 2020
Zacatecas Film Festival 2020
Festival de Film de la Habana 2019
DocsMX 2019
Guanajuato International Film Festival 2019
Best in Fest Award; Best Director – Chain NYC Film Festival 2020
Best in Social Practices Award – Culture Cinema 2021 (India)
Outstanding Achievement Award – Swedish International Film Festival 2021 (Sweden)