Have you ever watched a movie and thought, “the only thing wrong with this is that more people aren’t gonna see it?”
This was the feeling I had after watching the premiere of Tracy Droz Tragos’ documentary Plan C at SXSW last month. It was being shown on Sunday morning at the ZACH theater. I had been warned by veteran attendees that in order to secure my spot for a SXSW film screening, I should get in line at least an hour beforehand. However, this advice did not apply to films shown on Sunday morning at the ZACH. Despite being a stately and comfortable theater, it is removed from downtown by a significant shuttle ride, and Sunday morning is a sacred time at any festival weekend, reserved for quiet contemplation of one’s hangover. When I showed up just before 10 am (with a burbling stomach and headache) the 427-seat theater was only about a quarter full.
But maybe this isn’t the only reason it was low capacity. At the Q&A following the screening, when Tragos herself and several of the activists profiled in the film took the stage, one audience member queried, “is it legal for us to even be watching this?” Chuckles blew through the crowd. Then eyes turned serious toward the filmmaker. Was this, in fact, legal? We were, after all, watching a film about medication abortions. In Texas. (On Sunday)