Aftershock

Aftershock holds a mirror up to the country’s maternal-mortality crisis, presenting a sobering look at the deadly consequences of a medical system that routinely disregards Black women’s health. In the United States, Black women across all socioeconomic demographics are three times more likely to die as a result of pregnancy-related consequences than their white counterparts. For Black infants, the mortality rate is nearly two times the national average. Those numbers represent a staggering departure from the estimated rates of all other high-income nations, and the death toll is only climbing—up 40 percent in 2021 compared to the prior year. Aftershock zeroes in on the human impact of these harrowing statistics. The documentary follows two families reeling from preventable deaths, tracing their ongoing journeys through grief and toward activism. Among Aftershock’s greatest strengths is its focus on the support that Shamony Gibson and Amber Rose Isaac’s bereaved partners, two Black men, are able to show one another. For its clear-eyed look at the Black maternal-mortality crisis—and its tender exploration of Black masculinity—Aftershock wins a Peabody Award.