A Kamala Harris Celebrity Whisperer Reveals Campaign’s Strategy for Harnessing Star Power

Hillary Clinton captivated the audience at the Telluride Film Festival in Colorado, urging them to “return to a time when your government is not dictating your family choices, reminiscent of The Handmaid’s Tale.”

Clinton attended the festival on Saturday for the premiere of “Zurawski v Texas,” a powerful documentary she produced about a group of women who sued the state of Texas in 2023 after being denied abortions despite their health being at risk. Directed by Maisie Crow and Abbie Perrault, the film aims for distribution and debuted to a sold-out, emotionally charged audience at the 650-seat Palm Theater.

“Zurawski v Texas” stands out among several politically charged films featured at the festival. Notable entries include Ali Abbasi’s “The Apprentice,” where Sebastian Stan portrays a young Donald Trump (Briarcliff Entertainment); Matt Tyrnauer’s “Carville: Winning Is Everything, Stupid!,” which focuses on Democratic strategist James Carville and was acquired by CNN Films during the festival; and Errol Morris’s “Separated,” an exploration of the Trump administration’s family-separation policy at the U.S. border, currently seeking a buyer.

During the post-screening Q&A session of “Zurawski v Texas,” moderated by this reporter, Clinton emphasized the film’s crucial role in addressing the denial and cruelty affecting countless women’s lives today. Three plaintiffs from Texas featured in the movie—Amanda Zurawski, Samantha Casiano, and Austin Dennard—joined the filmmakers, along with Molly Duane, senior staff attorney at the Center for Reproductive Rights, and Chelsea Clinton.

The Clintons supported “Zurawski v Texas” through HiddenLight, their production company co-founded with Sam Branson. HiddenLight earned an Emmy last year for “In Her Hands,” a documentary about a female mayor in Afghanistan. The company is also producing a film on efforts by George and Amal Clooney’s foundation to investigate Russian war crimes in Ukraine.

Chelsea Clinton highlighted HiddenLight’s mission during the Q&A: “We merged our ideas, hopes, frustrations, and rage into HiddenLight to amplify stories urgently needing to be told, often shunned due to uncomfortable subject matter. We believe it’s time to embrace discomfort. When we discovered Maisie and Abbie’s work on this film, we asked, ‘How can we help?'” Other producers include Jennifer Lawrence’s Excellent Cadaver, Story Force Entertainment, and Bumble Inc.

The Texas abortion ban challenged in the Zurawski case was triggered by the 2022 Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health, which overturned Roe v. Wade. When asked if she was surprised by the Dobbs decision, the former secretary of state responded, “No, I wasn’t. I had been watching with great concern the relentless attacks on women’s reproductive health and specifically Roe v. Wade for years. I often warned that if we’re not careful, there will be a Supreme Court aimed at reversing Roe v. Wade… It was distressing and disappointing but not surprising.”

The discussion intertwined filmmaking, healthcare, and politics in the post-Roe era, with plaintiffs sharing deeply personal stories as they had in a Texas courtroom.

“I wanted to remain anonymous initially,” Casiano shared, recounting her decision to allow the filmmakers’ cameras at her baby Halo’s funeral. Halo lived for only four hours after birth due to anencephaly detected at a 20-week scan. Without resources to travel out of Texas for an abortion, Casiano continued her pregnancy. “After seeing her eyes bleed, I knew I couldn’t stay silent about this reality affecting women right now.”

Duane, the case attorney, is a central figure in the film, balancing court preparations with raising her young children. “Part of this lawsuit was about sharing these stories with as large an audience as possible,” Duane explained her participation in the documentary. “We wanted people to stop pretending these women didn’t exist.”

With ten states, including Colorado, having abortion measures on their ballots in November, Clinton expressed hope that voters would reject what they had witnessed in the film.