PERSONHOOD tells a different reproductive rights story – one that ripples far beyond the right to choose and into the lives of every pregnant person in America. Like a moment from the chilling “Handmaid’s Tale,“ Tammy Loertscher’s fetus was given an attorney, while the courts denied Tammy her constitutional rights. In this timely documentary, we see her sent to jail, and then forced to challenge a Wisconsin law that eroded her privacy, her right to due process, and her body sovereignty. Through her story, PERSONHOOD reframes the abortion debate to encompass the growing system of laws that criminalize and police pregnant women. At the intersection of the erosion of women’s rights, the war on drugs, and mass incarceration, Tammy’s experience reveals the dangerous consequences of these little-known laws for American women and families.

This film is sponsored by the Starview Foundation

Director's Bio

Jo is the founder of Tandybrook Productions. Her reproductive justice documentary PERSONHOOD explores the growing criminalization and policing of pregnant women in America. This film is Jo's feature directorial debut. An active part of the Seattle film community, Jo is a director and award-winning editor working in both documentary and narrative. Recent documentary editing credits include BEYOND THE VISIBLE: THE STORY OF THE VERY LARGE ARRAY, narrated by Jodi Foster (Media Interpretive Award, Cine Golden Eagle, Telly), and the PBS documentary, INTO DEEPEST SPACE: THE BIRTH OF THE ALMA OBSERVATORY. Other work includes additional editing credit on IMBA MEANS SING (Best Humanitarian Documentary, Global Film Awards, 2016) and the Discovery HD series, “Fantastic Festivals of the World.” Jo is also an instructor at the University of Washington in Seattle, where she teaches digital storytelling in science.