“PLAN C is about abortion – specifically the abortion pill. It tells the story of a movement of activists and medical professionals who have been at work in the United States for almost a decade, working to spread the word about, and access to, medication abortion. It tells the stories of women who have used the pill and of those who have prescribed it. The film reassures audiences that there is a movement, that there are strong advocates, seeking to advance reproductive choices despite the post-Dobbs frenzy to eliminate them. There is a way, and there is hope.” Filmmaker Tracy Droz Tragos on PLAN C which screens at this year’s South By Southwest Film & TV Festival.
Welcome to SxSW 2023! Are you attending your screenings in person?
YES. This is my first time at SxSW and I’m attending my screenings on March 12th and 14th in person. I’m really excited to be in Austin and included in the festival and glad to be in Texas where some crucial parts of PLAN C were filmed and that is the front line for reproductive choice.
How did this whole project come together?
It came together the hard way. In 2018, when Brett Kavenaugh was appointed to the Supreme Court, I started researching what people were doing to prepare for the overturning of Roe. I met Francine Coeytaux and was blown away by her courage and her bold vision for medication abortion. I also knew that making a film “about abortion” would be a tough sell, but I felt compelled to do it anyway. Over the next four years, I cobbled together funding with loans and the support of some amazing executive producers. I filmed during COVID, when being on the road with a documentary was extra hard, but the work of Francine and her network was really taking off. I’m an independent filmmaker who doesn’t wait for permission. When a story is urgent and I have been trusted with access, I green-light myself.
While working on a project, what is your creative process? Do you have any particular ritual or tradition when working on something?
Typically, I prefer a quiet approach to filmmaking. I value the intimacy that is earned over many long days with a few people. A lot of that “method” had to be thrown out the window due to COVID-safety issues, the sensitivity of what we were filming, and the exciting reality of the growing network of people involved in the abortion revolution who are spread across the country and around the world. Also, there is nothing about making a film during COVID that lends itself to ritual or tradition, to any sacred process. Making a film during a pandemic about the ever-changing landscape around abortion access – what is allowed and not allowed, the risks of criminalization varying by zip code – was nerve-wracking. It was an exercise in being nimble and journalistic. What grounded me was coming home: reuniting with my family, my husband, my two kids, my three dogs – recharging the camera batteries and my own.
If you had one favourite moment out of this entire project, the “Yes, this is IT” moment, what would that be?
My favorite moment was filming Francine when she was stickering the bathrooms on college campuses in Lubbock, Texas. Not only is Francine an activist and a public health expert, but she is also fun to be around. While her work is serious, she doesn’t take herself seriously. I knew audiences would enjoy her company as I did.
I love to get technical, so I would love to know about the visual design of the movie from the cameras you used and the formats and your relation to the cinematographer.
I sold one heavy camera (the one that got away), my Amira, for a lighter and more nimble camera body, The Canon C500mkII. I kept my cherished vintage Cooke Panchro prime lenses. I used a Canon c500mkII with Cooke Panchro/iClassic primes. It was great for long rolling takes and long hours of hand-held due to its compact size and weight.
What are you looking forward to the most about showing your project at SxSW 2023?
We were honored that PLAN C premiered at Sundance 2023, and we are privileged to bring it to SxSW now, especially as the Austin venue brings the message to a state that has been at the forefront of the anti-choice effort – and the state where right now, the antis are in court seeking to force the FDA to revoke its approval of the abortion pill. In our current climate, more than ever, independent films like PLAN C – films that counter an unscientific, narrow-minded narrative, need to be made and to be seen. At the same time, I’m a little nervous about screening in Texas. We actually filmed a lot here, but this feels like a real “coming out.” I hope Austin audiences will be encouraged to know that all is not lost despite what seems to be overwhelming opposition – that they will know they are not forgotten or alone, and that much is possible when we come together.
Where is this going next? More festivals or a theatrical or streaming release?
Next up, more festivals! I’m going to Cleveland and then to Denver, and a few other places along the way. Ultimately, the goal is that PLAN C will be seen by many people, not only festival audiences – although that’s a terrific start. We’re hoping for both a theatrical and a streaming release.
How do you feel about the current moviegoing climate? Are you wishing more people to see movies in theatres, or is it okay to opt for a streaming release where more people could potentially see a movie?
Honestly, it’s tough out there! Yes, I’m wishing more people saw movies in theaters, and I wish I went to the theater more often myself. The hope is that streaming doesn’t close all the movie theaters. There’s nothing like being in a theater with a live audience. At the same time, streaming is here to stay and we may as well embrace it. Honestly, unless I’m on the festival circuit, it’s the way I see most of my movies these days. I have grown to appreciate seeing movies at home where I can take my shoes off, drink my wine, and have my dogs cuddled up next to me. I can do it on my time. The downside is that it’s easy to be distracted – to watch a film half-way, stop and check email, and pick it back up the next day. That’s not the way I want MY films to be seen – but it’s a whole lot better than their not being seen at all. And maybe, for some, it’s safer to see a film about abortion in the privacy of their home.
What is the one thing that you would say to someone who is looking to get into movies, even now in such a changing world?
Make movies with people you like, especially those who share your creative vision and are willing to collaborate and maybe even to work with you for not much money. Think low budget and local. Try things out on a YouTube channel. Just get your material out there in front of an audience and see what works. If you can build an audience and a body of work without relying on gatekeepers: that’s the dream. The most important thing is to film as much as you can without going broke. Eventually, you’ll build enough work so you will be hired and you don’t have to shoulder the risk yourself.
And final question: what is the greatest movie you have ever seen at a film festival and why?
I’m not just saying this because I’m in Texas, but I saw Richard Linklater’s BOYHOOD in the grand Missouri Theatre in 2014 at Columbia, Missouri at True/False and it blew me away and everyone else in the packed audience. I’d never seen such a long-form documentary approach in a fiction film. It inspired me to continue my work on SARAH, a follow-up project to RICH HILL that’s been over ten years in the making. Movies about time – the effects of time – changing perspectives – growing up – growing old – are often my favorite themes. BOYHOOD is a masterpiece, and so is his BEFORE TRILOGY which I saw streaming at home.
This film and many others like it will be showing at South By Southwest taking place March 10-19. For more information point your browser to www.sxsw.com!