As we draw near the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade — and its possible reversal by the U.S. Supreme Court — two upcoming films are highlighting the true story of a small band of Chicago activists who risked everything to ensure abortions that were safe, affordable and illegal.
In 1969 on the South Side, a group of women called The Jane Collective covertly organized to provide some 11,000 illegal abortions over a four-year period. The film “Call Jane” is a drama about the collective directed by “Carol” screenwriter Phyllis Nagy, while “The Janes” is a documentary co-directed by Tia Lessin and Emma Pildes.
