By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 2.5 cats
Director: Diana Whitten
Country: ecuador, indonesia, ireland, netherlands, pakistan, poland, portugal, spain, tanzania, united_states
Year: 2013
Running time: 90
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3311588/combined
Chris says: “Founded by Dutch physician Rebecca Gomperts, Women on Waves is an organization that assists women with having abortions who live in countries where the procedure is illegal. VESSEL spends over a decade following Gomperts and her crew as they travel by boat to these countries (such as Ireland and Portugal), bringing women on board and taking them to international waters where the procedure is then induced by medication. Eventually, the organization expands its global reach via the Internet, which proves more effective in reaching those in need of their services. Footage of Gomperts repeatedly facing
opposition from protestors gives the film its only dramatic weight; the rest plays like a feature-length commercial for Women on Waves, not going any deeper into any analysis of its achievements (or consequences). There’s nothing wrong with that—the film makes for a solid educational and promotional tool. However, as documentaries go, unless you want to learn more about the organization without visiting its website, VESSEL is skippable. 2.5 cats
“(This film screened at the 12th annual Independent Film Festival of Boston).”