LOGLINE
Pregnant on the Streets is a documentary that sheds light on the individual battles and personal victories of homeless women who are or were Pregnant in the San Francisco Bay Area. Struggling without a home, they desperately desire to raise their children in a safe and healthy environment. We intimately experience their difficulties, either navigating aid services or lost in a fog of mental health issues and drugs. We come to witness the struggle of their lives but also the possibilities for change and a hopeful future.
WHY THIS DOCUMENTARY MUST BE MADE
MISSION STATEMENT
The San Francisco Bay Area has a largely invisible homeless population — pregnant women.
200 women in San Francisco were both homeless and pregnant at some point during the 2018-19 fiscal year, according to an analysis of individuals using DPH and HSH services.
A study by UCSF’S California Preterm Birth Initiative found housing instability during pregnancy increases the odds of preterm birth by 20 percent.
That dwarfs the cost of placing them indoors.
And now, consider the challenges alongside COVID-19 and you have an urgent situation with many lives at risk—precarious futures of little ones, a perpetuation of a cycle.
We see the film as an opportunity to provide a platform for the women who face untold hardship on the streets while pregnant. We provide a face and story to the numbers.
PROJECT STATUS
With the documentary more than halfway finished, we’re currently seeking financial investors to provide finishing funds. The financial support will be used to cover the remaining production expenses and complete post-production. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, please email us at laura@lauraferro.com
DIRECTOR’S NOTE
WHY I AM THE ONE TO TELL THIS STORY
I was pregnant with my son when I saw a news story about a homeless woman in the San Francisco Bay Area who gave birth at a bus stop. I cannot describe the amount of sorrow I felt. Here I was planning my delivery at one of the best hospitals in the country while another woman, who could have been me, is giving birth in such terrible conditions. When I became aware of the scale of the problem that these homeless women are experiencing, I felt a sense of duty to take action and use the resources I have to raise awareness as well as help with the cause. As I began interviewing women on the streets, I had the chance to create a transparent and trust-based relationship with those experiencing pregnancy while being homeless. This allowed us to capture genuine, vulnerable moments with women who were willing to share their lives on camera. From there, we took on the responsibility to tell these stories to the world.
BEHIND THE SCENES
TEAM OF PASSIONATE ARTISTS
Laura Ferro
Producer, Director and Editor
Originally from Argentina. Laura Ferro is the founder and creative director of Rebel Monk, a video production company based in Silicon Valley that provides video content for the tech industry.
Shawn Shearin
Line Producer
Shawn has been working with the homeless community doing outreach specifically aimed at women for the past 8 years at the non-profit organization Street Life Ministries— providing resources for services and
Jessica Fee
Associate Producer
Jessica is a seasoned producer, with experience producing both feature film and commercial videos. After working in-house in video production at Apple and Snapchat, Jessica worked on the development team at PRETTYBIRD.
Julia Camara
Consulting Producer
She is a Brazilian writer/filmmaker. Born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil, she freelanced for years as a Portuguese translator for film and television subtitling. She has written and directed several award-winning
Robin Webster
Cinematographer
Robin has been working in London and Los Angeles. He is a cinematographer with more than 10 years of experience in both Hollywood and independent feature films, television dramas,
Gabe Martinez
Audio Engineer
Gabe is a sound recordist who has been in the business for six years. What makes him stand out is his passion and dedication to storytelling. He especially enjoys working with non-profit organizations due
John W. Snyder
Composer
John is a Los Angeles-based pianist, who scores films, documentaries, theatrical works, theme parks, and commercials for numerous clients such as Sony, Warner Brothers, Capitol Records, SyFy, Chevy,
Paul Salerno
Composer
Paul is a guitarist and educator living in Los Angeles. He graduated from USC’s Thornton School of music with a B.M. in Studio/Jazz Guitar in 2015. Soon after graduation, he became an assistant
BRING THIS PROJECT TO LIFE
BY MAKING A CONTRIBUTION
How can you help?
The non-profit BraveMaker ( 501(c)(3) ) acts as a fiscal sponsor, so all donations are tax-deductible!
Make a secure donation here:
You can also become a financial partner
by emailing us to: