Maternal health care in the United States is in crisis: American women are more likely to die during childbirth today than they were 25 years ago. The mortality rate during childbirth is significantly higher here than in other developed countries and disproportionately affects Black women. Aftershock is centered on the stories of Shamony Gibson and Amber Rose Isaac, young mothers whose deaths could have been prevented. In the wake of devastating loss, their partners navigate grief and single fatherhood as they fight for justice, joining together with their families and communities to demand change.  

Interviewing physicians and birth workers, directors Tonya Lewis Lee and Paula Eiselt examine the ways in which systemic racism has created a national emergency. At the same time, they show how providers are striving to improve health care to make women safer. Aftershock amplifies the voices of those who continue to honor the partners, daughters, and sisters they’ve lost by refusing to accept the current state of maternal care.  ST 

Filmmaker Q&A available

Closed captioning available

This film is only available to viewers in the United States