Racism. Toxic stress. Birth outcomes.

How are these things intertwined? The short film, Toxic: A Black Woman's Story, seeks to explore that question...

Peer into the world of the film’s lead protagonist, Nina. An elite lawyer, loyal wife, and loving mother of a teen boy, Nina is navigating life (and a pregnancy) to the best of her ability.

But sometimes the forces on a woman - especially a black woman - can be too much to bear.

In this highly anticipated short film, the viewer is invited on a journey of perspective transformation. Follow Nina in this day-in-the-life drama, and see the world through the eyes of a successful black woman who must navigate an unjust world while trying to protect the world she has created for herself and her family.


Run time: 26 minutes
Starring: Crystle Paynther (Nina), Mike Head (Don), Re'Shawn Reese (Michael)
Produced by: Chris Benninger, YOUR STORY ON FILM
Directed by: Devon Collins, STIMULI FILM
Presented by: First Year Cleveland's Pregnancy and Infant Loss (PAIL) Initiative, in partnership with Healthy Cleveland’s Healthy Neighborhoods Committee.