Table of Contents
Drawn from Hannah Shealy's decade of work as a birth doula in New York City, Birth is For Pssies* introduces Maya, a chronic people-pleaser who quits her corporate job only to discover that birthwork is messier, funnier, and more profound than any training prepared her for. Over one long night in the Bronx, she helps single mother Celeste through labor and learns to let go of perfection — right up until the sun rises, her phone rings, and the next client is already calling.
Shealy wrote, co-directs, and stars, and the film wears that intimacy openly. It moves across boroughs, income brackets, and hospitals with an eye for both the tenderness and the absurdity of supporting strangers through one of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. It is a proof of concept, a corrective, and a love letter to a job most movies get wrong.
Key Takeaways
- A working doula's ten years on the job become the source material for a birth story Hollywood has never actually told.
- Shealy set out to trade fear for curiosity, refusing the "gory plot device" and "water-breaking joke" versions of labor.
- The short is the seed of a planned TV series about a young group of doulas serving all kinds of NYC families.
Shealy spoke about the realities behind the film, the trouble of knowing when to stop, and why she refuses the idea that good art requires suffering.
Interview
What drew you to make this film, and why this story, why now?
This film was inspired by my work as a birth doula over the past ten years, during which I quickly learned that birth looks nothing like it does in the movies. I'm on a mission to change that.
Instead of preparing us for the realities of birth, most representations in the media teach us to fear it by portraying birth as a violent, gory, dramatic plot device or reducing it to a comedic water-breaking, woman-screaming joke. And don't get me started on the farcical way doulas are portrayed. As a result, many people enter pregnancy feeling more afraid than informed, and dismissive of invaluable support people like doulas. At a time when the maternal health crisis in America continues to worsen and reproductive health is under attack, these misrepresentations have real-world, dangerous consequences. The births I support are far more compelling, joyful, heartbreaking, and human than anything Hollywood has imagined, and they deserve to be on the big screen.
Birth is For Pssies* is my heartfelt and humorous attempt to rewrite Hollywood's clichés and invite audiences to experience birth through the eyes of New York City doulas: through my eyes.
What moment in the film feels most like you, or like something only you could have made?
I think that the whole film was only something I could have made, which sounds conceited but perhaps that is true for all writer/director/actors. This story was taken from my real life experiences and I felt like I really birthed it — pun intended — so in that sense it all feels very personal. And at the same time, I couldn't have made exactly what we made without every single person who worked on it. It's a team sport.
What was the hardest creative decision you made while making the film?
I found the edit to be the hardest part of making this film: deciding what to keep and what to cut. During the shoot days, I felt very in tune with myself and what I wanted. It all came quickly and clearly to me. But during the edit, that sense of certainty vanished. I think the vast number of possibilities paralyzed me to some extent. The adage about a painter knowing when to put down their paintbrush felt especially apt.
What is the greatest strength of independent filmmaking, and what lesson would you share with others?
We were a truly independent production, with many people wearing many hats. The willingness of the cast and crew to collaborate, share their time and talents, and leap into the unknown together was incredibly moving. On our first shoot day, I told everyone something along the lines of: "There's no point in working this hard if it's not fun, so let's have fun and support each other." I don't believe in the "we have to suffer to make good art" bullshit. The work matters, but so does the experience of making it.
The secret weapon of this film, and perhaps all films, was all the people who worked on it. Collaboration is everything. It was important to me to work with good people, and people who knew more than I did, so we could all level each other up.
What do you hope audiences take away from this film?
As birth became increasingly medicalized in the 1950s, power shifted away from birthing people and the midwives who cared for them, toward a medical system that often prioritizes intervention. Within a system that benefits from intervention, fear becomes a powerful tool that manipulates people to surrender their power, their autonomy, their experiences, and their money. Doulas are becoming more popular as a way to bring back some of the support that is missing, but they too are up against the same systems.
I didn't make any overt political statements in the film, but I hope it encourages audiences to ask questions and reconsider the stories they've been told about birth. Most of all, I hope it makes people less afraid and more curious. I hope those who have given birth feel seen and validated in their experiences. I hope audiences laugh, cry, and leave the theater with a newfound appreciation for the messy, miraculous humanity of birth and for the people who quietly help carry others through it.
What does it mean to have your film selected for HollyShorts, one of the world's premier short film festivals?
We are thrilled to be selected by HollyShorts — it's a great honor. It's incredibly difficult to make a short film, and even more difficult to get it screened and seen. We're very grateful for the chance to share it with HollyShorts audiences.
Where do you see this film going next?
I'm currently developing this film into a TV series about the adventures of a young group of doulas in NYC helping all sorts of different families give birth. Hearing from audiences has been one of the most gratifying parts of this experience. Their responses have only strengthened my conviction that we need more nuanced, honest stories about birth. People are hungry to feel seen, validated, and reflected in the stories they watch, and this film has encouraged me to keep finding new ways to tell those stories.
Main Cast & Crew
- Director: Hannah Shealy
- Co-director: Celine Sutter
- Writer: Hannah Shealy
- Producers: Celine Sutter, Hannah Shealy, Puff Piece Productions, Jeanne Hagerty
- Main Cast: Hannah Shealy, Madeline Wise, Danny Deferrari, Evelyn Howe
Filmmaker Opportunities
💛 Fund your next project with fiscal sponsorship
Have a project in the works? As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the Cinematography for Actors Institute can accept tax-deductible donations on your film's behalf — a door-opener for grants, foundations, and supporters who want to back your work. We've serviced over 100 projects to date and helped route over $800,000 in funding to filmmakers. Explore fiscal sponsorship → You can also catch our 3rd annual financing panel at HollyShorts.
📬 Grant deadlines and festival opportunities, straight to your inbox
The CFA newsletter rounds up grants, festival calls, and community news for independent filmmakers — the kind of opportunities that are easy to miss and painful to miss. Join the newsletter →
🎬 Focus on the creative — we'll help with the logistics
Production Management, CFA's newest member program, launches this November: production insurance and workers' comp, payroll, film permits, gear rental coordination, SAG-AFTRA compliance, contract drafting, production consulting, and crew recommendations — handled by a team of working filmmakers, à la carte or all in, in partnership with Creative Access Group. It's waitlist-only until launch. Join the waitlist →
League of Filmmakers is published by our parent organization, the Cinematography for Actors Institute — a 501(c)(3) dedicated to education, community, and capital for underrepresented filmmakers and actors. Learn more about CFA →
