VEGAS BABY Breaks the Silence on America’s Fertility Industry

 

VEGAS BABY

From Academy Award® Nominated Director Amanda Micheli

and Executive Produced by Morgan Spurlock

 

Examines the Emotional and Financial Gamble of Infertility

 

National Television Broadcast Premiere

June 27, 2017

8 p.m.

on PBS World Channel’s AMERICA REFRAMED 

 

While exposing private pain online to win a contest is a brutal proposition, IVF is rarely covered by insurance, so many infertile couples consider this a gamble worth taking. Within the exploding world of reproductive medicine, the US is the most expensive and least regulated country in the world. VEGAS BABY navigates the complexities of America’s burgeoning fertility industry and paints an intimate portrait of the diverse individuals – from a devoutly Catholic Latino couple in Texas to a lesbian Lady Gaga Impersonator in New York – determined to have a baby against all odds. 

 

Despite the fact that 1 in 6 couples worldwide struggle with infertility, for fear of judgment or heartache or both, would-be parents tend to keep their infertility stories secret. VEGAS BABY breaks the silence around this often misunderstood medical and social issue, and through her intimate lens, Micheli explores universal themes of desire and loss.

I had a chance to see VEGAS BABY last week at the premiere and I can tell you this is one heartbreaking film! My husband and I had our own issues with getting pregnant and it is something that a lot of couples don’t want to talk about openly.  When a woman is unable to conceive, so many thoughts and emotions run through their minds.  From feeling inadequate as a woman (why aren’t I able to get pregnant) to bouts of sadness and hopelessness.

Director Amanda Micheli film VEGAS BABY opens this door and allows others to see what people are going through to start a family. The fertilty industry is growing more and more each year pretty much unregulated.  What that means for some is that they are literally betting the house on the treatments in hopes of starting a family.  One couple has tried over 5 times and the end does not seem to be near.  The wife is willing to put them into major financial debt because she wants to have a biological child more than anything in the world.  We are privy to their journey and it is easy to be empathetic to their situation but at what point does one stop?  That is one of the questions Micheli asks the viewer in the documentary. VEGAS BABY is an emotional, candid  exploration of the struggles of infertility. 

 

Be sure to check it out on June 27th on PBS World Channel’s AMERICA REFRAMED and it will begin streaming on Netflix July 4th.

 

Check out our interview with Director Amanda Micheli where she speaks about her own infertility journey and why she felt it important to open the door to this important topic.

https://www.facebook.com/DandelionMoms/videos/946559038820665/

 

Q & A Interview with Director Amanda Micheli, Producer Morgan Spurlock, and Producer Serin Marshall.

https://www.facebook.com/DandelionMoms/videos/946666742143228/

And be sure to check out our interview with Producer Morgan Spurlock here.

https://www.facebook.com/DandelionMoms/videos/946668412143061/

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