On the Divide

McAllen, Texas is home to Whole Woman’s Health — the last abortion clinic in the US/Mexico border. Mercedes, a tattooed Latina woman in her thirties who used to be involved in gangs, is now part of the pro-life Church movement, embracing the support from the Christian pregnancy center located next door to the clinic. Denisse, a young mother of four, volunteers at Whole Woman’s Health of McAllen and helps guide women into the clinic, providing much-needed comfort and assistance. Protecting the entryway into the clinic is Rey, a Latino security guard in his late sixties who is fervent in his religious beliefs, but also deeply understands the plight of the women who arrive at the abortion clinic. Their life decisions intertwine at this abortion clinic, as they grapple with how their devotion informs their role in fighting for or against abortion rights. Filmed over seven years, the documentary chronicles this community during the political climate of the Trump administration, the storytelling bolstered by an empathetic lens and an authentic concern for spotlighting reproductive rights as a fraught national issue. Throughout On the Divide, filmmakers Maya Cueva and Leah Galant expertly bring the audience into the rising tensions—and humanity—at the center of this contentious issue. On the Divide is a Fishbowl Films production in association with Giving Voice Films, Willa Productions, Latino Public Broadcasting, and a co-production of POV. The documentary is directed by Maya Cueva and Leah Galant. The producers are Diane Becker, Melanie Miller, Amanda Spain and Elizabeth Woodward, and the editor is Berenice Chávez. Erika Dilday, Justine Nagan and Chris White are the executive producers for POV. Sandie Viquez Pedlow is the executive producer for Latino Public Broadcasting. The original song, “Aquí No Hay Pena, ” performed by multi Grammy nominated singer and songwriter Ximena Sariñana, inspired by Danielle López and her family López-Rodriguez-Barrientos’ ancestral indigenous cantor.