Lena Dunham Partners with J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot On New Star-Studded Animated Film 100 Years to Tell the Story of Planned Parenthood

New York, NY- A new animated short film shared by millennial news brand NowThis recounts the history of Planned Parenthood in honor of our centennial, using the voices of prominent actors to talk about major moments from our first century. The film, 100 Years, is produced by Lena Dunham, the Golden Globe Award-winning creator and star of HBO’s Girls and co-founder of LennyLetter.com, in association with Lena and Jenni Konner's A Casual Romance Productions. The film is narrated by Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence, Lena Dunham, Gina Rodriguez, Mindy Kaling, America Ferrera, Constance Wu, Amy Schumer, Hari Nef, Andrew Rannells, Sasheer Zamata, and Tessa Thompson, as well as Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards.

You can watch 100 Years here.

“We are so excited about 100 Years, which shows how Planned Parenthood has helped lead massive change in women’s health and empowered millions of people worldwide to make informed health decisions, transforming the way they live, love, learn and work,” said Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. “For 100 years, women and families have counted on Planned Parenthood. Politicians may try to shut us down, but we will fight to keep our doors open — while continuing to provide expert, affordable health care to millions of people each year. We will not rest until access to health care and rights is a reality for all people.”

The film highlights major moments from Planned Parenthood’s history, including why Margaret Sanger began providing birth control information; the decisions in the Supreme Court cases Griswold v. Connecticut and Roe v. Wade, which legalized birth control and abortion in America; the emergence of the devastating and discriminatory Hyde Amendment; and the Planned Parenthood of today.

100 Years was animated by Kirsten Lepore, executive produced by Emmy Award-winning director J.J. Abrams, along with Katie McGrath and Andrew Lee, in conjunction with Jenni Konner and Ericka Naegle, produced by Lena Dunham and Natalie Berkus, and written by Alex Ronan. The film also features original music by J.J. Abrams and Grammy Award-winning musician and singer-songwriter Jack Antonoff.

"Our goal was to create a piece of art that can educate Americans not just about what Planned Parenthood does but on the battles that have been fought in order to get here,” said Lena Dunham. “We are now tasked with embodying the spirit of these fighters once more. I am so grateful for my remarkable collaborators, who are strong enough to speak out for what is right and use their talents to change the status quo."

This film reminds us of the tremendous progress that’s been made for women’s health and rights just days before the new president is inaugurated — and at a moment when extreme politicians are trying to defund and shut down Planned Parenthood. This would deny millions of people — nearly half of whom are people of color, and many people who live in rural areas — access to the cancer screenings, birth control, STD and HIV testing and treatment, and other care they rely on each year, and create a national health disaster. More than half of Planned Parenthood’s health centers are in rural or underserved areas. Without Planned Parenthood, many patients would have nowhere else to go for lifesaving and life-empowering care.

One hundred years after the first clinic offered women information about birth control, Planned Parenthood remains committed to our mission to build a world where all people have access to the care they need and all people have full control of their own bodies and can determine their own destinies. Planned Parenthood, along with our many partners, will fight for this vision, now and always.

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Planned Parenthood is the nation's leading provider and advocate of high-quality, affordable health care for women, men, and young people, as well as the nation's largest provider of sex education. With approximately 700 health centers across the country, Planned Parenthood organizations serve all patients with care and compassion, with respect and without judgment. Through health centers, programs in schools and communities, and online resources, Planned Parenthood is a trusted source of reliable health information that allows people to make informed health decisions. We do all this because we care passionately about helping people lead healthier lives.