2002 Great Lakes Independent Film Festival

Life Matters

World Premiere
Category: Documentary Short  49min 41sec
Director: Kyle Boyd

Life Matters tells the story of the filmmaker's father, Dr. Curtis Boyd. Beginning with his early years spent as a Footwashing Baptist preacher in rural East Texas. The documentary unveils the personal journey of one man who chose to provide safe, although illegal abortions prior to Roe v. Wade. Influenced by the social changes of the 1960s, and by the numerous women who were desperate for his help, he decided to risk his family, his future, his license and imprisonment to help women who might have otherwise turned to the often fatal facilities of the back alley abortionist. To this day Dr. Boyd continues to provide abortion services. Ironically it was only after abortion was made legal that the most severe harassment began. Bomb threats, death threats, protests and arsons have become a part of his modern workplace. In the face of such danger he is more committed that ever in continuing to, as he puts it, 'help make our world a better place.'

Director: Kyle Boyd
Kyle Boyd is a graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. His documentary on homelessness, “Side Tracks” won top awards at the NYU Video Festival, including "Best Picture" and "Best Director."  He also received the “Student Emmy”  for Best Documentary at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences College TV Awards.  Boyd has gone on to direct over a dozen documentaries and educational programs on such topics as: teen suicide, apartheid, trade unions, prisons and understanding prejudice.Along with partner Charlotte Angel, he recently opened Grayscale, LLC, a video production company in San Francisco, California. However, he soon plans to leave the States behind and backpack around the globe to document the peculiar world of  "Independent Travelers."