From the viewer's perspective, it is obviously more history than drama, but the reenactments cast an air of artificiality on the very facts it needs to stay true to. In fact, the film seems intended to get people thinking about how history is created and how it is created out of documents.

What results is an experimental hybrid of both genres. At some points, Ulrich acknowledges that the artistic needs of the film supersede the historical accuracy of the film, but "it will be for others to see if this collaboration worked. Too much historian? Not enough? But this is the risk that Laurie took in making the film. I think this is an exciting project because of that risk."

The purpose of the film becomes clearer when one considers the intended audience: Kahn-Leavitt's vision of the film as an educational tool includes targeting the schools and classrooms and universities, not general audiences.

Back to the Future

As for the upcoming plans for "A Midwife's Tale," Kahn-Leavitt is excited about its air date on PBS next year and about plans for a CD-ROM and web site. The next step, she says, is to find a theatrical distributor to place the film in art houses throughout the country.

Ulrich is currently working on a new book about work and labor in rural New England in relation to international trade, based on artifacts as well as diaries and letters.

Ultimately, Kahn-Leavitt's open-ended interpretation of "A Midwife's Tale" jives well with Ulrich's own goals for her work: "to take something that seemingly tells us nothing and interpret it and put it together so that we can implement it to try to understand something about gender and culture."