The story began as a whispered rumor, echoing through the hallways at Gloucester High School. There were eighteen pregnant teenagers, and they weren't all accidents. Some of the girls had planned their pregnancies, together, as part of a secret pregnancy pact. The personal lives of the teenage mothers became an international embarrassment for the fishing village of Gloucester, Massachusetts when the high school principal leaked the rumor of their pregnancy pact to a national magazine, igniting a firestorm of controversy and criticism.
Reporters from as far away as Australia, the UK and Brazil flooded the coastal community in a frenzied chase for an explanation for the sordid story. They retreated empty-handed as the community fell silent, resentful that the sex lives of their daughters had become the topic of gossip blogs and television talk shows. A fictional account of the scandal, "The Pregnancy Pact," premiered on Lifetime in January 2010, but the truth has never come to light. Little has been heard from the eighteen pregnant teenagers who catapulted Gloucester into international infamy - until now.
"The Gloucester 18" is a groundbreaking documentary film that follows the Gloucester pregnancy pact from inside the lives of the pregnant teenagers and their families.
As the definitive investigation of the Gloucester pregnancy pact, "The Gloucester 18" introduces the world to the girls behind the headlines, many of whom are speaking publicly for the first time. Beneath the unprecedented media fervor are the stories of teenage mothers searching for meaning and purpose to their young lives.
One sought unconditional love and stability after witnessing a murder/suicide, while others may have merely been trying to break free of social invisibility. In the midst of beginning their lives as young mothers, the girls also strive to please their boyfriends, their friends, and their parents. The girls face the stigma of teenage pregnancy, the daunting task of young motherhood and the reality of what happens when children give birth to children.
Through interviews with the girls, their families and the high school authorities close to the case, as well as a special interview with playwright and Gloucester resident Israel Horovitz , "The Gloucester 18" documentary explores what really happened in this hyped and bizarre media circus, and its impact on a small fishing village.
The teen pregnancy rate in the United States continues to climb with more than 750,000 girls becoming pregnant each year. By deconstructing the story behind the international scandal and interviewing teenage mothers from all corners of Massachusetts, the film offers heartbreaking insight into this disturbing situation.
Featuring songs by Beyonce and Solange Knowles, "The Gloucester 18" is an in-depth investigation of the Gloucester pregnancy pact and the phenomenon of teenage pregnancy across the nation.