Mirella Christou, Writer 

Sloan Grant(s) Received: 2022, Athena Film Festival, Screenwriting Fellowship

Project Type: Pilot

Genre: Drama

Length: 60 minutes

Field of Science: Chemistry

Stage: Development 

Synopsis: 

A multi-dimensional, high-stakes story unfolds when Katharine McCormick, a women’s rights activist, takes things up a notch when she decides to undergo a secret mission to smuggle illegal contraceptives onto US shores, almost single-handedly supplying American women with the birth control they need in the late 1920s – a fantastical feat. Otherwise, a behind-the-scenes personality, Katharine is a benefactor and organiser, supporting key figures such as Margaret Sanger, Planned Parenthood’s founder and lightning rod of controversy. With the Catholic Church and the Comstock Laws as constant sources of pushback to this line of work, Margaret finds herself in and out of jail cells as she strives to educate women about their bodies. Katharine cannot wear the same public face of resistance, as her priorities are divided by the chaotic eruptions in her personal life. Speaking of which, Katharine tends with utmost dedication to her husband, Stanley, diagnosed with schizophrenia. At the mercy of an antiquated medical institution that fundamentally disempowers the patient, Katharine takes up the mantle to orchestrate cutting-edge care for her husband. Katharine is, after all, the second woman to graduate from MIT in pre-med, so her will to medical advancement is deeply embedded.
As the story progresses, we are introduced to the network supporting women’s access to birth control in 1920s New York. We enter into overburdened and overly policed Planned Parenthood clinics as well as their underground counterparts. However, once the Holland-Rantos company, founded by Margaret’s husband, is forced to halt production of diaphragms, the two women tap into alternate suppliers, which happen to be on another continent, Europe. Katharine volunteers to undertake the risky mission that could land her in prison if worse comes to worst. Bringing with her to the quest is Katharine’s steadfast companion, Julia Rowe, proving that pure love is never out of the equation, even amid do-or-die circumstances. Pulling off a successful mission, the diaphragms are quietly distributed, but questions about their less-than-perfect efficacy remain. At this, Katharine and Margaret set their sights on a future beyond diaphragms — envisioning a foolproof pill that could empower women in ways never imagined. Over the series, we’re introduced to key figures who bring their unique personalities and skillsets to the fore, working in collaboration wholly outside the system to deliver a “magic pill” to the world, sparking a revolution.