LISTEN TO ME

Directed by Kanika Harris and Stephanie Etienne
Free, first come, first served

Listen to Me follows three Black women as they navigate the journey to motherhood in a system not built to protect them. What begins as a documentary about the pregnancies of maternal health advocates becomes a powerful archive of grief, resilience, and healing.

Woven together, these unique stories offer a profound look into the complex and layered lives of Black women and the core issues that place them at higher risk for complications from pregnancy and childbirth. Through intimate storytelling and wisdom passed from mothers to daughters, Listen to Me transcends statistics to reveal the quiet costs of survival, the weight of advocacy while grieving, and the audacity of joy in the face of systemic harm.

Listen to Me is a powerful call to break generational silence and center the voices of Black women. Through a life-course lens, the film reveals that true maternal health begins with how we protect, listen to, and honor Black women and girls long before they ever become pregnant.

The film challenges us to shift the narrative from crisis response to generational care and to reimagine maternal health as a continuum of justice, healing, and radical listening. 2025, U.S., DCP, 77 minutes. Recommend for 15+

Co-presented with the Kentucky BIPOCU Filmmakers Association (KBFA), Black Birth Justice, and Ed Hamilton Studio & Visitors Center.

Featuring a post-screening discussion with co-directors Kanika Harris and Stephanie Etienne moderated by Black Birth Justic Executive Director and Founder Meka Kpoh.

They request donations of baby diapers and wipes to be shared with mothers in need.