We follow behind Tracii, a security guard, as she makes her morning rounds in a women’s healthcare clinic in the opening moments of Geeta Gandbhir and Christalyn Hampton’s incredible documentary short, The Devil Is Busy. When we first arrive at the clinic, it’s dark enough that we might not even know where we are if we aren’t paying attention. Tracii opens reach room door, turns on the light and walks back out again before mentioning that an intruder could be hiding and poised to attack. That casual reality is baked into the bones of Gandbhir and Hampton’s film–its emotions are palpable and its tension pushed to the very limit.
What is at stake is felt deeply for everyone who comes in contact with this building. Tracii explains to us that we hear no names of patients–they are given a number that sees them through whatever process they are seeking in today’s roster. When I showed this film to my husband, a neonatalogist, and he heard how many people were scheduled for today alone, he let out a shocked gasp. Because of the restrictions that our government have placed on a woman’s autonomy, they sometimes have to cross multiple state borders in order to be seen. You always feel like time is of the essence once we are insice the clinic’s walls.
While some patients may feel safe once inside, Gandbhir and Hampton reveal that they didn’t want to shy away from the volume of the protestors’ loud voices as they yell their condemnations. The directors let the sound permeate the walls as if their complaints might take shape and drag the women back outside. It’s a detail handled with supreme immediacy and caution. Tracii even knows the protestors’ names and their backstories, and they look directly at Gandbhir and Hampton’s camera. Devil also explores how difficult it must be for the healthcare providers and physicians to find work, especially in states that have tightened their hold on women’s bodies.
There is an unflinching quality to Gandbhir and Hampton’s documentary. In order to stay vigilant in the fight for reproductive rights, we cannot look away. The Devil Is Busy stares directly into the face of the opposition with dignity and strength.
The Devil Is Busy is streaming now on HBO Max.
