7 Weeks

Camila is a dance student expecting a child from her boyfriend Simón. They love each other and are in a steady relationship, which puts the parents of the young couple over the moon about the whole situation. Simón is so happy that he already goes out to buy some baby shoes for his future daughter (he wants a daughter). But Camila is skeptical. Why that is, she cannot really say. Fact is, she is still young, about 20, and she is not certain if she wants to be a mother so young with all the consequences this entails. A hunch, like a tight knot in her belly? “My belly is mine”, was the feminist movement’s rallying call in Germany in the 70’s as they fought against the anti-abortion law – section 218 – that made abortion a punishable crime. In Chile abortion is still illegal to this day. This is supposed to change through a new law that recognizes certain reasons for an abortion. Camila decides to have an abortion because she doesn’t want to be a mother right now. Her question to Simón: “Can you understand me?” is answered by him with a laconic “No”. In spite of his reaction, she sticks to her decision and uses medication to abort the baby. (Internationales Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg)