Baptist minister Curtis Boyd relinquished the pulpit in the 1960s to become a doctor who provided thousands of safe, illegal abortions prior to Roe v. Wade. This film tells the story of Dr. Boyd and a group of compassionate clergymen, who remain dedicated to the idea that all women have the right to a safe abortion.
In an era when women could not get legal abortions there were only a handful of courageous doctors who risked imprisonment, loss of license, and their future in order to provide safe abortions to women. The filmmaker’s father, Dr. Curtis Boyd, was one such individual. A one-time Baptist preacher, Dr. Boyd was influenced by the social changes of the Sixties. As a small-town physician he worked with a nationwide network of clergymen who referred women to his clinic. Prior to Roe v. Wade, he performed thousands of abortions to desperate women. Ironically, it was only after abortion became legal in 1973 that Dr. Boyd became subject to the most severe harassment. Despite this, at age 85, he continues to provide abortion services because he believes abortion is not only a fundamental women’s rights issue, but that it is a human rights issue. As he puts it "I decided this was important. This was a place where I could strike a blow for human freedom…for liberty.”
Kyle Boyd - Producer/Director/Editor is a graduate of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, where he received the Award for Excellence in Documentary upon graduation. His student film, Side Tracks (a profile of homeless men in NYC), won top awards at the NYU Film Festival, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography and Best Editing. In addition, he received the Student Emmy for Best Documentary at the 1990 Academy of Television Arts and Sciences College TV Awards.
Boyd has since directed more than a dozen award-winning documentaries and educational programs on such topics as apartheid, the history of trade unions, teen suicide, and understanding prejudice. Beyond producing and directing, Boyd is also an accomplished editor, having worked on dozens of television series for networks including Discovery, History Channel, TLC, HGTV, Sundance and Nat Geo.
He currently resides with his wife along the leafy streets of Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, which they have called home for the past 18 years. In 2013 he founded the neighborhood Facebook group Boerum Hill at Large in an effort to foster community spirit and help neighbors connect and support one another.
Doors open at 7pm, screening at 7:30pm, with discussion to follow. Running time 50 minutes.
Reviews
“With Life Matters, the documentary filmmaker does the nation a real service by thoughtfully portraying someone who does not fit our stereotypes: his own father, Curtis Boyd, a Pentecostal preacher turned abortionist. Life Matters is not propaganda. Filmmaker Kyle Boyd wants us to understand his father, whether or not we agree with the man. He shows us paradoxes and ironies often ignored in the heat of argument. He also shows us why this divisive conflict won't go away. Whatever your position in this debate, Life Matters provides food for thought.”
— Thomas W. Goodhue, Minister & director of the Long Island Council of Churches. Columnist for The United Methodist Reporter.
“This visually compelling documentary uses vintage family photos, home movies, interviews and contemporary footage to assemble a thoughtful portrait of the man and the curious series of events that led him to his life’s work.”— Belinda Acosta, The Austin Chronicle
Admission
Suggested Donation at the Door
Location
51 Bergen St.