Teenage Pregnancy Documentary 'Baby/Girls' Premieres at SXSW

The film follows three pregnant teens at an Arkansas Christian maternity home, raising questions about the political and personal.

Mar. 13, 2026 at 4:04pm

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The new documentary "Baby/Girls" from filmmakers Alyse Walsh and Jackie Jesko follows three pregnant teenage girls living at the Compassion House, a Christian maternity home in Arkansas. The film takes a cinema vérité approach, giving the girls space to tell their own stories through interviews and observing their daily lives. While the filmmakers aimed to be more observational than political, the tension between the personal and the political is hard to escape, especially in a post-Dobbs world.

Why it matters

The film sheds light on the complex issues surrounding teenage pregnancy, including the lack of access to sex education, the cyclical nature of teen pregnancy, and the difficult home lives many of these girls face. It raises questions about the role of faith-based institutions in providing support, and the balance between respecting the girls' privacy and digging deeper into the political implications of their stories.

The details

"Baby/Girls" follows three pregnant teens - Olivia, Grace, and Ariana - living at the Compassion House, a Christian maternity home in Arkansas. The filmmakers take a fly-on-the-wall approach, using one-on-one interviews and an omnipresent camera to capture the girls' journeys from pregnancy through postpartum. While the film is grounded in empathy for the subjects, it stops short of fully exploring the deeper political and social issues underlying their stories.

  • The film had its world premiere at the SXSW Film Festival on Friday, March 13, 2026.
  • A second screening is scheduled for Saturday, March 14, 2026.

The players

Alyse Walsh

Co-director of the documentary "Baby/Girls".

Jackie Jesko

Co-director of the documentary "Baby/Girls".

Olivia

One of the three pregnant teenage girls featured in the documentary.

Grace

One of the three pregnant teenage girls featured in the documentary.

Ariana

One of the three pregnant teenage girls featured in the documentary.

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What they’re saying

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What’s next

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The takeaway

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