As policymakers and politicians discuss the future of home birth in Australia, a new documentary screening here and in New Zealand illuminates the issues at the centre of the debate and lets women describe their experiences. By Linda Belardi.

As an experienced filmmaker Kate Gorman is passionate about storytelling, and she says, there is no better story than the story of birth. "When you get a woman to talk about their birth story I find they can immediately go back to that place and recall it in a way that people don't do when they recall other events in their life. It is absolutely enthralling storytelling," Gorman tells Nursing Review. Her documentary, The Face of Birth, co-directed by Gavin Banks, is the result of three years of filming and intensive research, and is an attempt to challenge and redefine Australia's birthing...