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sterility. This lecture comes from a doctor who is explaining the cause of a recent infant death. The second message concerns the necessity of prenatal care and here Coley, or "Miss Mary" as she's referred to in the film, functions as the expert. The film follows her through two births, the first of which focuses on a woman who has had several successful deliveries, while the other woman has had two miscarriages due to lack of prenatal care. Under Coley's careful guidance and tutelage, both women achieve successful pregnancies and home births. Films such as
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and the inaugural
Flaherty Film Seminar in 1953. It met all the requirements of the Health Department for safe birthing and was officially sanctioned for medical audiences due to the birth scene. This meant it could only be shown at private screenings, which included the New York locations, where it
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that it is important to meet the black community where it was at to create an authentic film and not solely rely on information from experts and books. Coley advised on the film as well, helping to plan and structure the film's scenes so they were more realistic to her work. While some scenes were
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as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". The film is the subject of a short 2006 article by
Christine Dell'Amore. Photographic stills by Robert Galbraith from the film formed the basis of an exhibition curated by Linda Janet Holmes called "Reclaiming Midwives: Stills from
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Stoney partnered local
African American Dr. William Mason to gain the trust of the black community while Stoney, with backing from the health department, worked on gaining trust from the white community. To gain their trust, Stoney assured the white community that the film would not suggest an
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The film was produced as a method of educating "granny midwives," the term applied to
African-American lay women who delivered the majority of both black and white women's babies in the rural south, and their patients. The film stresses the need for midwives to maintain scrupulous standards of
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of God, and where Mary Coley attended, not to be afraid of white people. Coley and the congregation therefore welcomed both blacks and whites, including the all-white film crew, and weren't overly suspicious due to Bishop Noah's direction. While the white film crew and cast had a good working
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midwife from Albany, Georgia who helped deliver over 3,000 babies in the middle part of the 20th century. On
December 17, 2002, it was announced by Librarian of Congress James H. Billington that "All My Babies, George Stoney's landmark educational film used to educate midwives in Georgia and
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relationship, the film's production wasn't devoid of segregation or bias (racial and north–south) between the white community and cast and the crew and black cast. The southern medical establishment was also uneasy with the film's glorification of the midwife's role in the community.
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unhappy relationship between blacks and whites existed and worked with the local press to publish favorable articles. Stoney also gained the support of progressive black pastor, Bishop Noah, who preached to the
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would not be fined or censored. Stoney also encouraged the restriction desiring to protect the film's subjects and legitimatize the film as a teaching tool. The film was distributed by
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and performed by the
Musical Art Chorus in Washington, D.C., gives the film a sense of joy during childbirth. Coley also sings throughout the film as she cares for mothers.
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The film met some criticism with the public due to the graphic nature of the birth scene, but was still shown to avant-garde audiences in New York at
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scripted, the film is notable for featuring a 15-minute real-time sequence of a live birth, a technique pioneered by filmmakers
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and promote greater cooperation between midwifery and the modern health system. It was produced by the
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throughout the South" was among the annual selection of 25 motion pictures to be added to the
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Medical
Visions: Producing the Patient Through Film, Television, and Imaging Technologies
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was written produced and directed by documentary filmmaker,
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Dell'Amore, Christine (February 2006). "Labors of Love".
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National Museum of
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and eventual elimination of lay midwifery (also called
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596:"Reclaiming Midwives: Stills from All My Babies"
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691:United States National Film Registry films
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