Midwives Discussion Guide

Midwives chronicles two women who run a makeshift medical clinic in western Myanmar, a region torn apart by violent ethnic divisions. The owner is Buddhist and risks her safety daily to treat Muslim patients. The apprentice is part of the Muslim minority group denied their basic rights — but is still determined to become a steady health care provider for her people. Winner, 2022 Sundance World Cinema Documentary, Excellence Verité Filmmaking. A co-production of POV.

This guide is an invitation to dialogue. It is based on a belief in the power of human connection and designed for people who want to use Midwives to engage family, friends, classmates, colleagues, and communities. In contrast to initiatives that foster debates in which participants try to convince others that they are right, this document envisions conversations undertaken in a spirit of openness in which people try to understand one another and expand their thinking by sharing experiences and viewpoints and actively listening to one another in a care-forward environment.

Discussion Guide Author, Sadia Arshad

Sadia Arshad is a women’s health nurse practitioner, reproductive justice advocate, and public health educator. She has extensive experience in reproductive and sexual health education and authentic community outreach among historically disenfranchised populations.

 

Discussion Guide Producer:

Courtney B. Cook, Phd | Education Manager, POV

Copyeditor: Natalie Danford