Why Bumble — Yes, the Dating App — Is Backing a High-Profile Abortion Film

As a woman who has navigated through the complexities of modern society and its ever-evolving landscape, I must say that I am truly impressed by the bold steps taken by Bumble Inc. in backing the powerful documentary “Zurawski v Texas”. It’s not every day that a dating app company takes a stand on such a crucial political issue, especially one as deeply personal and sensitive as reproductive rights.

A documentary about abortions, supported by Hillary Clinton and Jennifer Lawrence, is reaching audiences in an unconventional way thanks to Bumble Inc., a dating app company based in Austin.

In the film “Zurawski v Texas“, which received acclaim from critics and drew large audiences during the Telluride Film Festival over Labor Day weekend, will have its premiere in Austin on September 24 as part of a nationwide theatrical release funded by Bumble. This dating app, one of the film’s financial backers, will also sponsor free screenings at Alamo Drafthouse theaters across the country on September 25.

The creators behind the “Zurawski v Texas” documentary are still in search of a conventional distributor for their work. This is one of several factual political films trying to find a buyer during this election year, such as Errol Morris’s film, “Separated,” which focuses on Trump’s border policy, and Petra Costa’s “Apocalypse in the Tropics,” exploring far-right politics in Brazil. However, the team behind “Zurawski v Texas” is more concerned with ensuring their movie reaches audiences before the November elections, even if a deal isn’t finalized with a studio or streaming platform.

Blye Pagon Faust, a producer from Story Force Entertainment, points out that the way documentaries are distributed is changing rapidly. However, she suggests that this shift requires us all to think more creatively about how our films reach viewers.

In the documentary Zurawski v Texas, directed by Maisie Crow and Abbie Perrault, we follow a significant court case post-Roe v Wade, where 20 women filed a lawsuit against the state of Texas in 2023. They argued that the state’s restrictive laws hindered their access to medically essential abortions. The story primarily revolves around Molly Duane, an attorney at the Center for Reproductive Rights, and three plaintiffs, including Amanda Zurawski. Unfortunately, due to her non-viable pregnancy, Zurawski could not obtain an abortion, nearly died from complications, and sustained permanent damage that made it impossible for her to carry a baby in future pregnancies.

In 2016, Crow and Perrault collaborated on a documentary titled “Jackson“, focusing on the last functioning abortion clinic in Mississippi. This very clinic became the focal point of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case that eventually led to the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court in 2022. As filmmakers based in Texas, they felt compelled to re-examine this topic as a result.

Similar to how Crow and Perrault were contemplating the impact of the Dobbs case on reproductive health in Texas, Bumble’s legal team found themselves pondering the same questions regarding their employee benefits. Elizabeth Monteleone, Bumble’s chief legal officer, explained, “We began questioning, what should we do next? How can we address this with our employees? What assistance can we provide them?

Monteleone stated that the amicus brief primarily addressed topics such as employment, staffing, and workforce management, along with the challenges faced by companies operating in Texas. He emphasized that these issues have become more prevalent due to additional costs imposed on businesses. The problems mentioned are very tangible concerns for companies when it comes to providing for their employees and growing their teams. Bumble reported losing a third of its Texas workforce following the enactment of 2021’s Texas Senate Bill 8, which outlaws most abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected. Apart from participating in the legal dispute, Bumble also provided funding for the Zurawski filmmakers’ project.

Bumble, established by businesswoman Whitney Wolfe Herd and designed with the unique concept of females making the first move in a dating platform, has faced a challenging year. Similar to other dating apps, Bumble has found it difficult to persuade Generation Z to upgrade to premium subscriptions at the same pace as older generations did. In January, they appointed a new CEO, Lidiane Jones, who previously worked at Slack, with the aim of reversing the decline in their share price, which is currently trading around $6 – a sharp decrease from the $76 per share it reached during its 2021 Initial Public Offering. In the spring, Bumble withdrew an advertising campaign that was intended to humorously address dating app exhaustion but instead upset some women due to its indirect reference to celibacy.

The decision to back Zurawski v Texas pre-dates the company’s leadership change, and is not part of a larger strategy to enter Hollywood. “We had no plans to get into producing films, but we care about this issue a lot,” says Selby Drummond, Bumble’s chief marketing officer. “When the Dobbs decision came out we thought, OK, Bumble is going to lean in here. Our mission is to create healthy, equitable, safe relationships. So we were all incredibly personally invested in women’s healthcare. There was a high sense of urgency.”

Screenings for the movie “Zurawksi v Texas,” sponsored by Bumble, will occur in cities such as Washington, Houston, San Antonio, Raleigh, and Naples, Florida. Furthermore, the film’s directors plan to attend 18 different film festivals throughout the fall season. As Crow explains, they are making every effort to expedite the process because they believe this film can be a valuable educational resource about current events in the country.

Here’s a story that was recently published in the September 19th edition of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. If you’d like to stay updated, consider subscribing by clicking here.

2024-09-19 17:25

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