(Guest blog from the director of "The Edge of Joy", originally posted on the PBS NewsHour website)

In the time it takes to read this post, somewhere in the world a pregnant woman will have started hemorrhaging and her baby might soon be motherless. One thousand women die every day trying to bring new life into the world, and this toll is what drew me to shoot my documentary film, The Edge of Joy.

I encountered many of the heartbreaking and hopeful stories that underpin this global tragedy, but it was only through the people, the doctors and nurses of Nigeria that I was able to tell them. The roughly one dozen Nigerian doctors and midwives I worked with closely over the course of making the film, didn't push agendas, or act as obstructionists when I asked tough questions or wanted to follow story lines to their natural conclusions.

Nigeria is better known for corruption and oil production than as the vanguard of fighting maternal mortality, but this small close-knit group of men and a handful of women trusted me not to create an indicting portrait of pregnancy and childbirth in their West African country.

Documentary filmmaking is an art, not a science, and at times during the making of this film, the process was challenging. I always kept my questions dignified and did my reproductive health homework so I could ask informed questions in hospitals and in the communities.

Getting permission to film in such sensitive settings requires government approval, a process that Habib Sadauki, the second obstetrician/gynecologist to be trained in the Nigerian state of Kano, helped me through.

After many meetings with the Ministry of Health and a mutual understanding that I would have a "minder" assigned to me while filming in the north, I was given permission to film in tertiary hospitals and primary health centers.

What I didn't know at the time is that the then Minister of Health Babatunde Osotimehin, recently appointed executive director of the UN Population Fund, had approved the access himself. During his tenure as minister, his office approved some ground breaking research about postpartum hemorrhaging.

I caught up with Osotimehin in May of 2009 at a health conference in Los Angeles. Our scheduled time to sit down and talk on camera kept being pushed back, so I made the bold move of taking over the role of the waitress at the café where he was enjoying a coffee.

Handing him a glass of water, I introduced myself as the filmmaker who had been documenting maternal health initiatives in Nigeria. I kept going on and on and he stopped me and said something to the effect of "you are persistent and persuasive just like they say" and with that got up, and came to sit with me for more than an hour.

We discussed safe motherhood, community leadership for better healthcare and, at the conclusion of our interview he shook my hand and said "your access is continued, enjoy your next trip to Nigeria." My field director and I began breaking down the equipment and she asked why I looked dazed. I said I was not even aware our access had to be renewed.

The freedom to shoot in medical settings was crucial to documenting the harsh realities of giving birth in Nigeria. In the film, blood became a ubiquitous character: women were losing too much of it, there wasn't enough of it when you needed it and midwives were always trying to keep it from flowing.

"Hemorrhage requires that you stop the bleeding and you repair the blood loss. If you don't repair (replace) the blood loss the woman will die," Sadauki told me.

We documented a case of severe bleeding where the midwives were able to manage a patient's hemorrhage with a drug and saline until her husband found a pint of blood and she received the transfusion in time to save her life.

And there are new tools on the horizon. A low-tech first aid device, known as the non-pneumatic anti-shock garment, shunts blood out of the extremities and back to the vital organs in cases of hemorrhage. No magic bullet, but a potential game changer for women giving birth in the developing world and new hope for the health care providers.

After I showed this film recently, I was embraced by a woman in the audience who thanked me for saving the world. Locked in a bear hug with a complete stranger, I thought to myself: "Thank you, but no, I'm not saving the world, I just make films about people who are saving the world."

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Dawn Sinclair Shapiro's documentary film, The Edge of Joy, which was featured on PBS NewsHour in April 2011 as a selection of the PBS NewsHour partnership project with The Economist magazine -- the Economist Film Project -- will premiere on independent Link TV on Friday, October 28, at 5 pm ET and Tuesday, November 1, at 8 pm ET, and will stream on Link TV's ViewChange.org beginning on Tuesday, October 25. The Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, an international journalism organization, has created an online curriculum that accompanies the film to be distributed to high school educators around the country; educators and others can download the film for free to accompany the curriculum at www.viewchange.org.

"Ever since the Arab Spring, many people here have been pining for an American Autumn," says Charles Blow in the New York Times. "The closest we've gotten so far is Occupy Wall Street." For almost four weeks, Occupy Wall Street activists have gathered in Manhattan's financial district to protest corporate greed, corruption, and social and economic inequality, among other things. The movement's website states, "We Are the 99% that will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of the 1%. We are using the revolutionary Arab Spring tactic to achieve our ends." 

Many disagree. Blow describes the protests as "a festival of frustrations, a collective venting session with little edge or urgency, highlighting just how far away downtown Manhattan is from Damascus." James Joyner at Outside the Beltway states, "What these movements have in common: frustrated youth loosely organized using social media …It's simply insulting to compare the two."

What can the American protestors learn from the more experienced "Arab Spring" protestors? In a Foreign Policy Magazine article entitled "From Tahrir Square to Wall Street," veteran Egyptian protestor Mosa'ab Elshamy offers his advice to the Occupy Wall Street activists on what makes a successful protest movement. Most importantly, Elshamy says, is that protestors have a unified platform. They must first agree on a set of simple and broad demands in order to attract a wide base of support, which is exactly what Occupy Wall Street lacks, according to most critics.  

Almost one month after the start of protests in New York City, the Occupy Wall Street movement has shown surprising staying power. The movement has spread to over 70 US cities and has been endorsed by several labor unions, celebrities, and politicians. But will it succeed in bringing accountability and equity to the US financial system, or will it fizzle as protestors are dispersed by a cold New York winter? 

(Photo: Occupy Wall Street protestor marches up Broadway in New York.  Mike Segar / Reuters)

Bahrain: Bahrain's Al Wefaq National Islamic Society pulled out of the national dialogue session after controversial remarks were made by Representative Jasim al-Saeedi. During discussions of naturalization issues, al-Saeedi described the Shiite Muslim sect as "naturalized rejecters," causing resentment among many dialogue participants. The opposition group is considering completely withdrawing from the dialogue because, according to the head al-Wefaq's delegation Khalil al-Marzouq, it is not being taking seriously by all parties.

Syria: As most foreign journalists have been banned from entering the country, citizens are using new technology and media to document the Syrian revolution. Cell phone pictures and videos have been uploaded online to Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter, and reveal the turmoil in Syria and the oppressive measure used by the Syrian security forces. Meanwhile, the UN Security Council has condemned the attacks by President Bashar al-Assad's loyalists on the US and French embassies in Damascus. In the council's statement, issued unanimously by all 15 members, the German ambassador to the UN, Peter Wittig, urged the Syrian authorities to protect diplomatic facilities and diplomats.

Egypt: The interior minister announced a series of promotions, transfers, and terminations of members of the ministry. It includes nearly 4,000 officers, including 18 major-generals and 19 brigadier-generals who will be dismissed over accusations related to the killing of protestors. Meanwhile, protests continue in Cairo's Tahrir Square for the sixth consecutive day, demanding the ruling military council accelerate the reform process.

Libya: Human Rights Watch has accused the Libyan revolutionaries advancing toward Tripoli of burning and looting homes and abusing civilians. The organization said it witnessed some of these acts, interviewed witnesses, and spoke with one of the revolutionaries' leaders about the violations. According to the rights group, the latest violation occurred last week when the revolutionaries were in the Nafusa Mountains. The rebel fighters damaged property, burned several homes, looted hospitals, homes, and shops, and beat individuals alleged to be Gaddafi supporters.

Yemen: President Ali Abdullah Saleh and the Yemeni opposition have agreed to sign the Gulf Cooperation Council’s reconciliation initiative, which includes a transfer of power and minor changes to the initiative that was proposed several weeks ago. This agreement came at the end of GCC Secretary General Abdullatif al-Zayani’s visit to Yemen and after an intervention by American and European diplomats helped mediate the deal. However, Protestors, however, continued to rally in Yemeni streets and have rejected any initiative brokered by the GCC.

Libya: The Tunisian government threatened to report Libya to the United Nations after Libyan shells hit Tunisian territory near the Dhehiba border-crossing. NATO strikes on Gaddafi-controlled regions have now become regular and target vital regime facilities. Most recently, NATO warplanes launched a series of raids on several government buildings in the Libyan capital Tripoli, including the Anti-Corruption Ministry and the Internal Security headquarters.

Syria: President Bashar al-Assad has admitted that security forces made mistakes in dealing with protests over the past two months, during which over 800 people died. Assad said that thousands of policemen will attend new training sessions. The United States and the European Union said they will impose sanctions against Syria in response to the government’s violent crackdown on protestors. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said that Russia would not support any measures taken against Syria.

Gaza: The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) closed its doors after its 11,000 employees called for a general strike. The strike was organized in protest of what is being referred to as the "arbitrary dismissal" of five employees. The agency closed all of its health clinics in Gaza, halting services to nearly 750,000 refugees. The strike is also affecting the more than 200,000 students enrolled in UNRWA-run schools.

(Press TV: 0243 PT, May 12, 2011) This pro-military rally, apparently urged by the government, was aimed at easing the pressure over the controversy surrounding the death of Osama bin Laden. But the mood was different at a meeting of the country's main opposition party, which was discussing the fallout of the Abbottabad operation that killed Bin Laden. Press TV's Kamran Yousaf reports from Islamabad

US Attorney General: US Drone Strikes in Pakistan 'Legal'

(Channel 4 News: 0740 PT, May 12, 2011) Eric Holder, United States Attorney General, tells Channel 4 News that US drone strikes in Pakistan are consistent with international law.

(Associated Press: 0825 PT, May 11, 2011) The Chinese middle class is enjoying bounty at the dinner table, but the urban poor are seeing lean times. Observers warn the gap could create problems for China's communist rulers.

(Press TV London: 1528 PT, May 9, 2011) After their historic election win, Scotland's nationalists are preparing the ground for a referendum on independence. After stunning their critics by securing a majority in the Scottish parliament -- under an electoral system designed to prevent majorities -- the Scottish National Party says it hopes to ask Scotland's public within the next four years whether or not to seperate from the United Kingdom.

Two contrasting reports from Afghanistan on attempts to create local police and military forces capable of controlling the troubled country when the US and NATO leaves.

Afghan Special Ops Units May Be Key to US Exit

(Associated Press: 0851 PT, May 10, 2011) US personnel have been training and fighting alongside Afghan special operations forces. The development of such commandos may be key if Americans are to reduce their presence in the country.

Politics Dominate Afghan Police Force

(Al Jazeera English: 0238 PT, May 10, 2011) The Afghan Local Police (ALP) has been expanding fast across the country over the past year. Community-based units, they are seen as a pet project of NATO commander General David Petraeus, who has described the ALP as having a significant impact. But the police force has also faced allegations of theft, abduction and intimidation. Al Jazeera's James Bays reports from Maidan Wardak province.

(Russia Today: 0604 PT, May 10, 2011) The world's two economic giants have ended a first day of talks aimed at easing the strains in their relations. But there are still many areas in which China and the US are struggling to find common ground. Beijing says Washington is trying to stunt its economic growth; America hit back with criticism of China's human rights record. And, all the while, the threat of a growing arms race rumbles in the background. RT's Kristine Frazao has been following the difficult negotiations.

(Euronews: 0742 PT, May 10, 2011) NATO aircraft conducted raids over Tripoli overnight with government buildings bearing the brunt of the attacks. Libyan officials escorted journalists to the High Commission for Children, which suffered extensive damage. Witnesses in the capital say NATO planes were trying to hit Gaddafi's compound.

NATO Launches Airstrike on Libyan Capital

(Al Jazeera English: 2352 PT, May 9, 2011) NATO warplanes launched a new round of airstrikes in Tripoli, the Libyan capital, witnesses said. They told Al Jazeera the attacks targeted several sites, including Muammar Gaddafi's compound. Earlier, the United Nations humanitarian chief called for a break in fighting to allow medical aid into the country. Al Jazeera's Monica Villamizar reports.