It's been almost one year since Dr. Kermit Gosnell, the now-infamous abortionist, was convicted of first-degree murder in the deaths of three babies at his Women's Medical Society clinic in Philadelphia.
Though press coverage about the case has waned, the horror surrounding Gosnell's crimes will soon be revisited in "3801 Lancaster: Part II," a new documentary aimed at shedding light on the atrocities that unfolded at the grimy clinic, in an effort to stop others from using similar tactics.
David Altrogge, writer and director of the film project, told TheBlaze that his team will strategically release "3801 Lancaster: Part II" on May 13 -- the one-year anniversary of Gosnell's conviction.
The documentary will be a follow up-to "3801 Lancaster: Part I," a short film that explored some of the case's most shocking details; the new movie will examine how Gosnell's clinic was permitted to operate under such horrific conditions, while speaking to jurors who served on the trail as well as the women whose lives were forever changed after they sought treatment at the Women's Medical Society.
"Our goal has been since day one to not make a political [documentary]. Obviously the case has political ramifications," Altrogge told TheBlaze. "To tell the story of what happened to Gosnell's clinic ... and kind of let people hear these facts and process these facts."
Watch the trailer below (caution — graphic content):
Rather than walking away from "3801 Lancaster: Part II" feeling apathetic or unmoved, Altrogge hopes that people will be "really angry" that Gosnell was allowed to commit murder -- and wonder with true curiosity why the government and society allowed it to happen.
"I hope people walk away with a personal weight of responsibility," producer Jennifer Thompson said. "What can I do, what should I do. Where do I fit into this?"
Before making these films, Altrogge said that he simply saw abortion as a hot button political topic -- one that left people fired up on both sides of the aisle. But the "3801 Lancaster" project has changed him.
"There are real people involved and it's not just an abstract political idea," he said.
Thompson said the project has changed her perspective as well, as she learned about the pain that many women face after opting for abortion, especially if they do not have an adequate support system.
The women who were treated by Gosnell obviously face another layer of complication, as they were forced to relive their decision and the aftermath after the case gained so much local and national attention.
"My heart is just really broken for the women -- just working on this documentary I've gotten really, really close to a number of women who were former patients of Dr. Gosnell's," Thompson told TheBlaze. "Before I started on this project I was really far away from abortion."
Dr. Kermit Gosnell is escorted to a waiting police van upon leaving the Criminal Justice Center in Philadelphia, May 13, 2013, after being convicted of first-degree murder in the deaths of three babies who were delivered alive and then killed with scissors at his clinic. (AP)
The producer said that some of Gosnell's patients have faced personal difficulty and emotional pain because of what he did to them.
"Not only was it a medical procedure that really messed up their body," she said. "If there's anything that I learned it's that these women need so much support."
"3801 Lancaster: Part II" is part of an ongoing documentary project which has goals that are three-fold: to educate the public about what happened, to give Gosnell's victims an outlet and to help shut down clinics that operate in a similar manner.
Watch part one of the film below in its entirety (caution — graphic content):
Altrogge said the project is funded by donors who believed in the story and wanted to help bring it into documentary form, but his team is still $35,000 short on funds needed to complete "3801 Lancaster: Part II," so they are inviting the public to help contribute.
Regardless of the shortfall, Altrogge said the film will come out on May 13 "no matter what." The movie will be made available online free-of-charge for the general public.
The first part of the film was released in January 2013.
