It has been a full year.
Thanks to your support, Vessel was able to follow the activists of Women on Waves through two very different campaigns across five different countries. We filmed heated planning sessions in Amsterdam, anxious anticipation of activists in Ecuador awaiting the arrival of the ship, an unexpected shipwreck in Costa Rica that crippled a campaign, and a somberly triumphant sail in Spain. We met with angry religious leaders, passionate anti-abortion activists, political leaders on both sides of the debate, and abortion providers who work underground in compromised clandestine environments. We followed the young Ecuadorian activists, devastated by disaster, as they recovered their activist spirit and reclaimed their campaign. We interviewed women who came to the ship in Spain for help, and filmed their profound voyage to international waters. And we got to know Rebecca Gomperts and the volunteers of Women on Waves; what inspires and drives them, what exhausts and scares them, and why they dedicate their lives to this work.
I end the year humbled and inspired by the work of Women on Waves, and cannot wait to edit the 140 hours of footage we’ve collected into a film that presents it to you all.
Some good news arrived a week before Christmas: the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation has awarded Vessel a grant that will help us begin the editing process! The fundraising efforts continue, however, so please continue to send any interested supporters our way.
Thank you to all who gave time, funds, and support over this past year, and I will keep posting on the progress of the film!
