Preconceived

In this probing exposé on the anti-abortion movement, women looking to terminate their pregnancies are lured into visiting Crisis Pregnancy Centers (CPC) with promises of testing and ultrasounds, only to be met with manipulation, junk science, misleading information, and weaponized faith.As openings of crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) rise, and a growing number of abortion clinics are forced to close across the country, many women facing unplanned pregnancies find the resources available to them both confusing and hard to come by. PRECONCEIVED follows the stories of Maleeha and Maria and their experiences as clients of CPCs—or “fake clinics” as some refer to them—along with interviews with investigative journalists, doctors, and legislators who claim these centers use deceptive talking points and coercive methods to push religious views and the anti-abortion movement. Leaders of CPCs also weigh in on their mission and services, painting a complex picture of what these centers are all about. As the highly politicized issue of abortion continues to evolve, the film illustrates how critical it is to understand the full scope of which medical, mental, and emotional services are accessible to pregnant women. —A.B. GUEST(S) IN ATTENDANCE