This project is created, hosted and produced by Asha Dahya - a woman of color and an immigrant. With so few minorities being given the opportunity to play leading and authoritative roles in politically-driven documentary series in mainstream media, 'LIFE AT ALL COSTS' aims to change this.

The Filmmaker:

My name is Asha Dahya, I am a journalist and filmaker. "LIFE AT ALL COSTS: Going Beyond Pro Choice vs. Pro Life" is a documentary series I am creating with the aim of radically changing the conversation around reproductive rights in America, by attempting to find common ground between pro choice and pro life.

As a former pro-life Christian Conservative turned progressive women's rights activist, I believe I am uniquely positioned to help bridge the political and ideological divide by looking at the nuance and complexity of reproductive rights.

 

 

My Background:

After leaving my Evangelical community a few years ago I was stunned by what I learned – many women outwardly proclaimed their hatred of abortion, but many were also secretly getting them and going to the very clinics they protested outside of.

 

"You're not supposed to have sex before marriage. And if you do get pregnant, the right thing to do is not get an abortion."

 

The Mission:

We ALL know how divisive and heated the topic of abortion is, especially in politics, newsmedia, and religion. But what if we took a social and human approach instead? Why are there only two labels with which to identify around this issue, when reproductive issues are so nuanced and complex?

Politically, the conversation is all about whether a pregnancy is brought to term or not. But what happens after a child is born? Are there social structures in place to support the life of the child and mother? And what are we doing to prevent unintended pregnancies in the first place?

In this series I will be asking these questions, and more.

 

"Even though I am a pro-life Christian, I decided to get an abortion."

 

"The abuse played a huge role in my decision to get an abortion. Does it mean that it was easy, like going to get my nails done? No!"

 

The Series:

Instead of focusing on abortion I'm going beyond the pro choice vs. pro life paradigm and zooming out a few levels to try and take a whole new approach at the reproductive rights issue.

Each episode will focus on one topic to see if opposing sides can potentially find common ground between pro choice and pro life. To show how complex reproductive issues really are, I plan to explore topics such as birth control, paid leave, poverty, maternal mortality, the foster care system, sex education, and more.

 

 

The Campaign:

I have already begun filming interviews, and now I am launching this campaign to raise money to shoot, edit and complete the pilot episode. I also want to build a following along the way to show future buyers that this project has a loyal audience. There are many documentaries about abortion and reproductive rights, but none that look at it from the perspective I am. 

 

 

Why Now?

Given the current climate around reproductive rights in America, I truly believe NOW is the time to make this series and attempt to steer the conversation around reproductive rights in a more inclusive and empowering direction. Although it may seem like abortion has disappeared from mainstream media in light of other important issues like sexual assault, the truth is there are hundreds of anti-abortion bills being written, introduced and passed in legislatures across the country every day, most of which don't actually help women or children.

 

"No matter which direction you look, there is stigma."

 

 

Why Me?

As someone who has been on both sides of this issue, I am uniquely positioned to tell my story and go on this journey. In LIFE AT ALL COSTS, I will be asking challenging questions and confront bias in the hope that more people can join me in looking at the bigger picture and help create a whole new narrative around reproductive rights.

 

My Agenda:

And for those wondering, yes I DO have an agenda - to radically shift the cultural tone of conversation and perspective about abortion, moving away from politics and ideology and enabling reproductive rights and healthcare to be seen from a human, fact-driven and empowering point of view. 

 

If this series sounds like something you are interested in watching in the near future and want to see it get made as much as I do, every little donation helps make that possible!

 

 

STATISTICS:

 

Sex Education


Only 22 states require public schools to teach comprehensive sex education, and only 13 of those require the information to be medically accurate. Schools teaching “abstinence only” education have the highest rates of teen pregnancies and STDs.





Birth Control


Almost half of all pregnanices in the US each year are unintended. While that rate has slightly declined recently (most notably among teens), the US has one of the highest rates of unintended pregancies in the developed world. Birth control has been proven to be extremely effective in reducing unintended pregnancies and abortion by up to 42% in certain areas.
 


 

Paid Leave


America is the only developed country in the world without a federal paid leave program.
 


 

Maternal Mortality


American rates of pregnancy or childbirth complications are among the highest in the developed world, and rising. Carrying a baby to term in the US is 90 times more likely to kill you than having a legal abortion, and for black women the rates are 3-4 times higher.
 


 

Foster Care


There are nearly half a million children in the foster care system across the US today. More than a quarter of girls in foster care become mothers by the age of 17. 70% of prison inmates across America have been in through the foster care system. 50% of foster kids will not graduate high school. An estimated 60% of child sex trafficking victims in the United States come from foster care.





Teen Mothers


Although teen pregnancy rates are declining overall, the U.S. rate is substantially higher than other Western industrialized nations. By age 30, only 1.5% of teen mothers will have earned a college degree. 
 


Incarcerated Pregnant Women

12,000 women are pregnant in custody every year, and 28 states have no laws against shackling them during labor. Only 54% of pregnant women who are incarcerated are reported to receive adequate pregnancy-related health care.

 

"This isn't just about abortion. It's about how we truly value life, if at all."