“Lake of Fire”

Ever since Roe v. Wade, the United States has been deeply divided on the issue of abortion. In that landmark case, an unmarried woman was refused an abortion in Texas. The judicial challenge that followed won women the right to legal abortions. Proponents and opponents have lined up on either side of the issue ever since, launching verbal abuse — and worse — at each other. As the religious right has increasingly flexed its power, the issue has become even more divisive — and violent.

Interviewing a range of individuals — from fundamentalist Christians to professors of sociology, philosophy, and bioethics; from hardcore pro-lifers to equally impassioned prochoice advocates — Kaye splices into what motivates both sides. It is in the grey areas that we find some of the most interesting commentary, much of which is provided by Noam Chomsky, who intelligently dissects the issue. Kaye also devotes time to nurses and doctors who have been threatened, some wounded or killed in attacks on their lives and clinics. This is not a film for the faint-hearted; be warned that there are graphic images of termination procedures and their aftermath.

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