AFTERSHOCK
ABOUT THE FILM
Directed and Produced by: Paula Eiselt and Tonya Lewis Lee
Featuring: Shawnee Benton Gibson, Bruce McIntyre, Omari Maynard
89 minutes | USA | 2022 | English | Color
LOGLINE
Following the preventable deaths of their loved ones due to childbirth complications, two families galvanize activists, birth-workers and physicians to reckon with one of the most pressing American crises of our time – the US maternal health crisis.
SYNOPSIS
In October 2019, 30-year-old Shamony Gibson tragically died after being ignored by medical providers 13 days following the birth of her son. Two months later, we began filming Shamony's surviving mother, Shawnee Benton Gibson, and bereaved partner, Omari Maynard, as they began to process what happened and figure out their new normal.
In April 2020, 26-year-old Amber Rose Isaac, died due to an emergency c-section that stemmed from medical negligence. Within weeks of Amber's death, Omari reaches out to Amber's surviving partner Bruce McIntyre and a lifelong bond is formed. Together, Omari and Bruce begin the fight for justice for their partners with their families and community by their side, while caring for their children as newly single parents.
Through the film, we witness these two families become ardent activists in the maternal health space, seeking justice through legislation, medical accountability, community, and the power of art. Their work introduces us to a myriad of people including a growing brotherhood of surviving Black fathers, along with the work of midwives and physicians on the ground fighting for institutional reform. Through their collective journeys, we find ourselves on the front lines of the growing birth justice movement that is demanding systemic change within our medical system and government.
DOWNLOADABLE RESOURCES
TAKE ACTION
To honor the life of Shamony Gibson and support transformative maternal health activism in her memory,
please contribute to the ARIAH Foundation.
To honor the life of Amber Rose Issac and support transformative maternal health activism in her memory,
please contribute to the Save a Rose Foundation.
Visit the film’s website to learn more, watch it again on Hulu, and share it with your community, organization, school, university
to help this important movement.
Post on social media and tag the series on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Use #AftershockDoc in your posts
to help spread awareness about the U.S. Maternal Health crisis.