The new documentary The Janes comes out when the fight over reproductive rights in the U.S. is getting more and more heated. The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to make a new decision on the legality of the landmark abortion rights case Roe v Wade after it has been “relatively” settled for years. No matter what you think about the issue, the decision that the nine judges on the bench are about to make will have long-term effects all over the United States.
The Janes documentary takes people back to a time in American history when there were no rules about abortion from the government. A group of women who believed in women’s right to choose set up an underground network; that helped thousands of women get safe and cheap ways to end unwanted pregnancies. Abortions were against the law, so these women, who called themselves “Janes,” broke the law and risked everything.
Here’s what we know about HBO’s documentary The Janes.
When Is The Janes’s Release Date?
The first episode of The Janes will air in the U.S. on June 8 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and HBO MAX. So far, there is no official date for when the documentary will come out in the U.K. But it’s likely to be on Sky T.V., the official partner for HBO shows and originals in the U.K.
What’s The Janes about?
“In the spring of 1972, police arrested seven women who were part of a secret network. They were found in an apartment on the South Side of Chicago. The accused had built an underground network for women looking for safe, cheap, and illegal abortions. They used code names, fronts, and safe houses to protect themselves and their work. They both said their name was Jane.
“The Janes tells the surprising story of a group of unlikely outlaws through the words of the women who were at the centre of the group. Many of the women are speaking on the record for the first time. The members of Jane risked their personal and professional lives to help women with unwanted pregnancies. Even though abortion was illegal in their state, the Catholic Church was against it; and the Chicago Mob made money from it.
“Before Roe v. Wade, when abortion was illegal in most states and even spreading information about abortion was a crime in Illinois, the Janes helped about 11,000 women get cheap or free abortions.”
In the documentary, not only will there be former “Janes,” but there will also be women who use their services and legal and medical professionals who will share their thoughts.
The Janes directors
Emma Pildes and Tia Lessin, who are in charge of Janes, are both experienced documentary filmmakers who have dealt with tough topics. Pildes has been nominated for an Emmy for directing the documentaries Jane Fonda in Five Acts (2019) and Spielberg (2018). Lessin is just as well-known and has been nominated for an Oscar for Trouble the Water (2009) and two Emmys for the satirical show The Awful Truth (1999).
How To watch The Janes
The Janes is a movie made by HBO and will be shown for the first time. If you don’t have cable or satellite T.V., you can use HBO Max or live T.V; streaming services like Hulu with Live T.V. and YouTube T.V. to watch T.V. All you have to do is add an HBO subscription your current plan.
