A Documentary Film
American Circumcision won the Silver Jury Prize at the Social Justice Film Festival.
You can see photos from our screening there here:
American Circumcision also won Best Documentary at the last festival it played at, the Lone Star Film Festival.
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American Circumcision got some positive press in a write-up on the Social Justice Film Festival:
One film that might raise a few eyebrows is “American Circumcision.” The documentary explores the modern circumcision debate. It shows interviews from those who support the Jewish-ritual-turned-American-custom to those questioning the validity of circumcising male babies.
In the trailer, “intactivists” (intact + activists) are shown carrying signs that read “circumcision is torture,” “circumcision is harmful and unnecessary” and “occupy foreskin.” The nearly two-hour-long film touches on sex, politics and religion.
“I like that film because it’s a topic that most people don’t think of as a social justice issue,” [SJFF Assistant Director] Brady said. “I think that line will be eye-opening, perhaps, or I think at the very least it will make people think and stimulate conversation.”
Read the full article here.
American Circumcision will screen at the Social Justice Film Festival at 6pm this Sunday, November 19th, on International Mens Day.
Our film American Circumcision won best documentary at the Lone Star Film Festival.
We screen again today (Nov 12) at 3:45pm in the AMC Palace Theater (220 E 3rd St, Fort Worth, TX 76102) and next week in Seattle at the Social Justice Film Festival on International Mens Day, November 19.
If you’d like to find out about screenings near you, subscribe to our email list here.
Our associate producer Dr. Teri Mitchell, APRN, CNM, IBCLC handed out flyers for our screening at the Lone Star Film Festival last weekend (Oct 21, 2017) on the North Texas Natural Parenting Booth at Texas Veggie Fair.
Teri writes:
This was the 4th year that North Texas Natural Parenting has had a booth at the Texas Veggie Fair 2017 (a vegan food truck style event). This year, we joined with Your Whole Baby.]
We gave away close to 1,000 bottles of water, marked with our message, the Your Whole baby website, and the American Circumcision film website (also with at least a card asking them to watch An Elephant in the Hospital).
We spoke to people from high school through senior citizen, Jewish people, school teachers, physicians, parents of adult sons, pregnant couples, Christians, various races.
A woman came to the booth to tell us that she kept her son intact after speaking with us there 2 years ago. One school teacher taught 7th and 8th grade health class & wanted to know what info would be good for his students.
The animal rights crowd is very open to our message. Many people hadn’t ever thought about it before, but we could see it click. There was a lot of interest in the film, both from people who already care about this issue, and those whom this is new for…
I think there’s a few flyers left & we plan to distribute them on community bulletin boards.
A huge thanks to Teri for helping to get the word out. You can find her midwifery practice at www.bundleborn.com.
We encourage people to invite friends and tell others about this cause and film.
If you’d like to print flyers for our upcoming events, you can download them here (just right click and save as):
When you post or share them, take pictures, and let us know how it goes!
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We now have posters your can download and share for our upcoming screenings.
Download posters: (just right click and save the links below):
Feel free to print and hang these at local places near where we’ll be playing.
Event details:
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Recently, we saw a comment on social media that read:
Someone close to me is going to circumcise their son. I so badly want to ask them to reconsider. But I don’t no how to.
Starting a conversation about this issue can be challenging. It’s hard to know where to start. But…
Asking someone “hey do you want to watch a movie?” is much easier.
Part of the reason we made this film is to make having a conversation about this issue easier.
Many Americans don’t even know the most basic facts about circumcision. Early in our film an older man approaches a street activist and asks if circumcision is just an incision or if they actually remove tissue. This man is in his 60s. He still doesn’t know.
So having a conversation about this issue might mean that you have to impart hours of information to someone to even get them to understand your perspective. Activists tell us about sending people YouTube videos, books, long articles… It takes time to research and understand a new perspective.
Our film condenses five years of research into a two hour cinematic experience.
You don’t have to tell them “some people feel this way…” They’ll see those people when we interview them. You don’t have to say “some people have this experience…” We talk to those people on camera – and then interview academics who’ve done the research on how common that experience is.
Even making the request to join you at this movie could spark the conversation.
Again, which is the easier ask – “hey, do you wanna talk to me for 12 hours about circumcision, and read all these books and obscure articles?” or “hey, do you wanna come see a movie with me?”
Oh – and it’s an event better ask if you invite them to a festival screening.
Think of the way you’re framing the conversation if you take them to a prestigious event with lots of people who are there for the same thing. Now, you’re not one lone voice – you’re part of a movement. Plus, you can tell them, “the director will be there and you can ask him questions if you like.”
The conversation after a screening of our film will be completely different.
Here’s our ask of you: Invite three people to a screening.
Everyone in our audience knows at least three people who they want to have this conversation with. Now is your chance. Invite them to a screening.
If everyone who RSVP’d online invites three people, we’ll have a full house everywhere we go.
We say three, because if you want to get at least one yes, you might have to overshoot your goal. But by all means, ask ten people if you know them. Ask a hundred. A thousand. Three is just a manageable number that we’re pretty sure everyone can handle. It’s a challenge that’s doable.
We’re reaching out to people in every city we go to, but an asking one friend from another will always be more powerful. Word of mouth.
If you want to have a conversation about this issue, now is your chance.
Upcoming screenings:
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