Los Angeles, CA – (July 12, 2022 ) The narrative short A Little House In Aberdeen is the directorial debut of LA-based actor Emily Goss. In Aberdeen, Goss normalizes abortion and humanizes the people who have them. As a writer, director, and lead actor, she gives an intimate portrait of one person apart from the procedure – and, with her casual take on the controversial issue, fills a gap in the abortion narrative.
A LITTLE HOUSE IN ABERDEEN, a 7-minute single-take short film is now available to watch on Film Shortage’s YouTube Channel. The film was released less than a week after Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court on June 24, 2022. Goss hopes A Little House In Aberdeen can educate rather than alienate. In the film, a young woman reflects on her past and wonders about her future – while she happens to be having an abortion.
She streams of consciousness to her doctor about her mom, her gone dreams, and a boy she once knew – who’s probably living in a little house in Aberdeen, South Dakota right about now. The short is only 7 minutes, the typical length of an in-clinic abortion being 5-10 minutes.
Watch the Official Trailer for A Little House in Aberdeen as directed by written & directed by Emily Goss
The title refers to another life this woman could have had – the roads not taken – and reminds us of the luck, circumstances, and regrets that have built all of our lives. Notably, the film does not discuss how the woman got pregnant or why she decided to have an abortion. Because, as Goss says, “That doesn’t matter Following the decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, abortion became illegal in 7 states. 19 more states are expected to ban abortion in the coming weeks. Abortion, which a majority of the U.S. population supports, will be illegal in more than half of the states.
A Little House In Aberdeen is a reminder of the shared humanity people on all sides of the debate have in common. The film now shows what millions of people have lost: access to a safe and necessary medical procedure, and the right to determine their own lives.
Directors Note
“A lot of people might think they can’t empathize with someone who has had an abortion or they can’t relate to that experience – I want to blow that up. I believe that the more specific a story is, the more universal it is. So the best way I knew to create an empathetic character was to give the very specific anecdotes of my life and the thoughts that run through my head to her. (My grandfather ran the concessions at a racetrack, my mom didn’t have an epidural when she gave birth to me because she got to the hospital too late because she was moving a huge glass table and everything started happening too quickly after that, and so on). I also knew that I was going to be playing the character, and it felt right to put myself into her. Because I could have been in this situation. The point of the film is that we all could be in this situation. The circumstances and beliefs that separate us are malleable and constructed. And of course, many of us have been in this situation! Abortion is extremely common. 1 in 4 women will have an abortion in addition to the trans and nonbinary people who have them. But I don’t know how these numbers will be affected now that Roe has been overturned. “
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