GIVE IT A SHOT follows scientists in India and the U.S. developing a new male contraceptive that could revolutionize family planning and improve women’s lives globally.
SYNOPSIS
GIVE IT A SHOT follows the indomitable, 83-year-old Dr. Sujoy Guha, in India, the California-based team of Elaine Lissner and L.R. Fox, as well as Kevin Eisenfrats in Virginia, on a quest to successfully launch the first reversible male contraceptive, the first of its kind since
the modern condom, invented 200 years ago.
According to the Guttmacher Institute, there are now three methods of birth control for men—condoms, vasectomy, and the withdrawal method—compared with at least 17 options for women. This advancement could revolutionize family planning and profoundly improve women’s lives globally.
Give It A Shot provides a window into this high-stakes scientific and social experiment, from the roster of scientists and developers to the implications on society at large. The film also considers why a change has taken so long in coming when innovation in male contraception has the potential to reframe men’s responsibility around family planning.
Director Statement
My previous films, ASK THE SEXPERT, about sex education and MADE IN INDIA about transnational surrogacy, have laid the groundwork for GIVE IT A SHOT. With this film, I continue to dig deeper into family-planning practices, and their impact on women.
I conceptualized this project soon after receiving an abortion in NYC. As my partner and I discussed the future of birth control for us, I grew curious about the lack of options for men and why long-lasting and reversible male contraception has remained so elusive.
I was also particularly drawn to the potential of the light-hearted moments of wit and warmth that this story could intercut with the main narrative. And I'm excited for the conversations this film can jog for people everywhere. The overarching premise of GIVE IT A SHOT—enabling a more equitable sharing of the contraceptive burden —goes to the heart of women’s and girls’ empowerment, including their economic empowerment.
As with my previous work, my goal is to create an engaging, complex and thought-provoking film about the potential impact of a new technology in the sphere of reproduction on society, with a particular focus on the impact on women.
ABOUT FILMMAKER(S)
Director/Producer Vaishali Sinha
Vaishali Sinha is an award-winning filmmaker, producer, and director of the feature documentaries Made in India (PBS) and Ask the Sexpert (PBS, Netflix). Her work has earned numerous honors, including the Critics Choice Award in India, a Grierson nomination for Best Entertaining Film, and a Ridenhour Peace Prize nomination for Excellence in Truth-Telling. Made in India became a case study at Harvard Business School in a course on ethics, while Ask the Sexpert achieved wide distribution across major platforms, including Netflix India. Vaishali was also a development consultant for the Academy Award–winning short documentary Period. End. Of. Sentence. and is currently on the producing team for multiple projects. She is a Fellow at the Rockefeller Foundation’s Bellagio Center and co-founder of Bitchitra Collective: Indian Women in Documentary, a peer-driven support network. She has mentored emerging filmmakers at Firelight Media Doc Lab, Kartemquin Film’s Diverse Voices in Docs, BAVC, and the Video Consortium. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Physics from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, and a diploma in 16mm film production from The New School, New York. Vaishali lives in Brooklyn with her husband and their child.
Producer
Hemang Chheda
Hemang Chheda is a Mumbai-based, sought-after creative producer with nearly two decades of experience across advertising and long-form storytelling. Over the years, he has produced more than 350 television commercials, working closely with some of India’s most respected directors, agencies, and creative teams. He is best known for producing P&G Whisper’s Touch the Pickle, a widely celebrated gender-equality campaign that won the Glass Lions Grand Prix at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. His long-form work includes Class, Netflix India’s young-adult drama series. He has collaborated with filmmakers such as Shimit Amin and Ashim Ahluwalia. His work spans advertising and long-form formats, with a focus on strong storytelling, careful execution, and socially relevant themes.
Lara Heintz is an award winning documentary producer, director, and journalist based in New York by way of Ohio and Colombia. She’s known for immersive, character driven stories with a particular focus on shedding light on issues around immigration and healthcare. Lara started her career at Vice Media, contributing work to Motherboard, the Emmy-Award winning series Vice News Tonight, and the Peabody award winning series Transnational. Most recently she worked on “We Are Ayenda”, a critically acclaimed branded documentary about the Afghan Youth National Football Team which won the Grand Prix in Entertainment at the 2024 Cannes Lions, and premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.
Tracie Holder is a filmmaker, producer and film funding specialist. She leads workshops, tutors and serves on juries at international pitching and training sessions. Holder is widely regarded as a “go-to” person for filmmakers seeking U.S. funding having raised more than $3 million for her own projects. Clients include: IDFA, CPH Dox, Sheffield Doc Fest, Doc Lab Poland, DocuDays, Docs Lisboa, Ramallah Docs, Firelight Media, DOC NYC, Chicken & Egg, and Unions Docs, among others. Holder was a longtime consultant to Women Make Movies, Development/Funding Strategist for Abby Disney’s Fork Films and former board member of NY Women in Film. She co-directed/produced Joe Papp in Five Acts, (Tribeca Film Festival, PBS/American Masters). Producing credits include Grit, (Hot Docs, PBS/POV), Small Town Universe (Cleveland Film Festival, PBS/Reel South) and Give It a Shot.
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