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The Cannes Film Festival is an innately surreal experience.
Mississippis new law seeks to ban most abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected.
Louisiana, South Carolina, and Missouri are close to passing similar heartbeat laws.
they sang, smiling and laughing, pumping their fists in the air.
I burst into tears, and didnt stop for the next 90 minutes.
Neither did the women to my left and right.
They call themselves militants and feminists, and they span from childhood to old age.
We are the granddaughters of witches you couldnt burn, sings one group of young women.
This is my body; I decide.
Jesus would not want women in jail for having an abortion, says one priest.
The doctors refused to treat her, instead waiting for her to carry the baby to term.
Acevedo, near death, had a C-section at 22 weeks, and the baby died shortly thereafter.
Soon, so did Acevedo.
My daughter was killed, Acevedos bereft mother tells Solanos.
How do we explain this to her children?
She quickly developed a horrible infection.
They werent allowed in the room.
Her sister died from a clandestine abortion, too.
Now her parents are raising Herreras children.
One wears a shirt that reads Love, Love, Love.
As Herreras parents tell the story, her father can barely speak, choking back tears.
She was charged with homicide and is now in jail.
And Lu, who was raped by her mothers boyfriend at age 12.
Lu says she didnt care if I died during the procedure.
If I hadnt [had the abortion], says Lu, I would have killed myself.
They took the secrets to their tomb while being judged, stigmatized, and mistreated.
Shewantedto sleep with her grandmothers partner?
asks the newscaster, incredulous.
Maybe, he says.
Its another sea of green, with women dancing and beating drums, waiting to celebrate the monumental moment.
It begins to rain, but they dont let up.
They gather to watch the verdict projected onto a gigantic screen, gripping each other in excitement.
A senator announces that the vote is negative, with 31 senators in favor, and 38 against.
In the end, it came down to seven votes.
The women begin to sob, turning to hug each other.
We are a wave that cant be stopped.
she asks the crowd, who begin to reanimate.
They resume their chanting.
The film ends with Solanos revisiting each of his subjects.
Que sea ley, they say, one at a time, smiling directly into the camera.
Let it be law.
They held their green bandannas taut over their heads.
The entire theater stood and applauded for several minutes.
Then the audience started chanting along with the women: Que sea ley!
