Maria is an actress with secret plans for Thursday, but her day takes an unexpected turn.

Director’s Vision for ‘Thursday’

I moved to Poland in October 2020 via an apprenticeship program at the National Film School of Łódź. Almost immediately after my arrival, Poland passed some of the most draconian abortion laws in history, effectively banning abortion in all circumstances and implementing criminal punishment for anyone who has or helps with an abortion. Coming from NYC, where one can simply walk into Planned Parenthood for the procedure, this was understandably shocking, especially as a young woman. The ban catalyzed a movement called ‘Strajk Kobiet’ in Polish and along with it a cultural shift, where suddenly women who had previously kept silent about their stories wanted to come forward and speak about their abortions. This was what gave me the idea initially to begin interviewing women, first friends, then friends of friends, then complete strangers, about their medical abortions (via pills), which is essentially the only means available to Polish women. The pills are sent in the mail via covert organizations or individuals, and often the women are forced to take time off of work, school, etc. in order to do the abortions at home. They cannot contact medical assistance for fear of prosecution, and even confiding in loved ones can be risky.

I took these stories, so similar yet so different in many ways, and amalgamated them into one woman’s story. Maria, a 30-something actress who simply does not want to be a mother. While the film is not meant to serve as pro-abortion propaganda, it certainly emphasizes the inseparability of the personal and the political and the necessity of choice.