- Directors: Aideen Kane, Lucy Kennedy, Maeve O'Boyle
- Type: Documentaries
- Year: 2021
- Language: English
- Length: 94 minutes
This is a featured presentation of our A Look at Health program area.
The 8th traces Ireland’s campaign to remove the 8th Amendment – a constitutional ban on abortion. It shows a country’s transformation from a conservative state in thrall to the Catholic church to a more liberal secular society.
The film follows pro-choice activists Ailbhe Smyth, the veteran campaigner, and the self-described glitter-activist, Andrea Horan, as they chart a bold strategy of grassroots activism and engineer the impossible. An urgent narrative, a cautionary tale and a roadmap for progressive reforms in a modern era where authoritarianism is on the rise, The 8th shows a country forging a new progressive path at a time when reproductive rights are threatened around the world.
Watch our Q&A with the filmmakers here.
