AllMovie

Originally intended as a teaching tool to for illiterate midwives, filmmaker George C. Stoney's intimate look at the work of rural Georgian African-American midwife "Miss Mary" Coley has been shown across the globe by UNESCO and subsequently evolved to become a classic non-fiction film. In documenting the preparation for and delivery of healthy babies in rural conditions ranging from decent to deplorable, the filmmakers inadvertently captured a telling snapshot at the socioeconomic conditions of the era that would prove fascinating to future generations.