Breasts; Boobs; Bosoms; Tits; Bazooms; Hooters; Rack; Knockers; Jugs; Melons. If you are an American, chances are good that one or more of these words made you angry, offended or excited. In our society, breasts have a unique ability to arouse, inflame and frighten us. They can be both objects of uncontrolled desire and agents of paralyzing fear. They can nurture life and they can take it away.

Busting Out, a new documentary by filmmakers Francine Strickwerda and Laurel Spellman Smith, explores the history and politics of breast obsession in America. Using wit and candor, the film is a disarmingly honest and intimate exploration of the good, the bad and the ugly sides of our society's fascination with women's breasts, unflinchingly leaving no stone unturned, and challenging the way we all think about breasts.

Busting Out is told from the point of view of co-director Francine Strickwerda, who was seven years old when she lost her mother to breast cancer. It was the '70s, a time when leaving the house without a bra was considered radical and "breast" was a dirty word, so Francine suffered her grief in silence, confused and ashamed of the disease that took her mother away. First in her fourth grade class to "develop," Francine began a life-long habit of slouching in an attempt to hide the breasts she regarded as the enemy. "The way I saw it," Francine says, "the boobs of doom had taken my mother. Now they were after me."

Fast-forward 25 years to find a half-second exposure of Janet Jackson's breast during the Super Bowl causing shockwaves throughout the country, eventually reaching as far as the U.S. Congress. And while breast enlargement surgeries are at an all-time high, many new mothers are ashamed to breastfeed in public. Evidently, our attitudes about breasts are more than a little bit confused. Using deeply moving and personal interviews with women (and men) from all walks of life, Strickwerda pulls the many strands of her story together deftly and confidently. In doing so, she comes to terms with her own mother's death and declares a truce with the "boobs of doom," while empowering and challenging her audience to examine their own ideas.

No related subject is taboo here. Strickwerda examines the motivations behind breast implants (enlargement and reduction) and shows that many women remain dissatisfied after surgery because they have focused on the physical instead of the person’s inner character. She follows an embarrassed young girl shopping for her first bra with her mother. A particularly poignant segment focuses on women who have fought and won the battle against breast cancer, only to face even more devastating psychological and cultural barriers caused when being seen as a disfigured survivor.

Considerable time is also spent exploring the benefits of breast-feeding and the challenges mothers face trying to nourish their babies in public venues.

At the end, Strickwerda tells us she has decided that her journey to accept and love her body as it is has been painful but ultimately rewarding. “I’ve learned I can be sexy on my own terms,” she said. “I can be a star in my own body regardless of its size or shape.” She is seen taking off her shirt and bravely walking topless down a deserted beach for the first time, with the implication this will not be the last time she does this act of personal freedom and cultural defiance.

"I hope that Busting Out will challenge women and men to question cultural attitudes about breasts and who profits from them. I want to influence the nation's public policy makers to better address women's health issues. Most importantly, I hope Busting Out will help women and girls feel more comfortable in their bodies."

Just getting the documentary made was a drama in itself, according to Strickwerda on the film’s web site. “It was particularly difficult to find funding support. The subject - and the way we wanted to handle it - seemed to make traditional funders uncomfortable.” When efforts to find foundation support failed, the producers turned to fundraising parties. “We put on a comedy night fundraiser where comedians donated their time and told breast-related jokes under a giant bra. Local artists donated art and sold it to support the project. At another we served breast-shaped cookies and A and D cup martinis. There was an amazing show of support from friends and family.” In June, Busting Out played to sold-out audiences at the film's world premiere at the 2004 Seattle International Film Festival. SIFF is the longest running and largest film festival in the United States, and one of the top five festivals in North America. From there it started to be screened at other film festivals and women’s conferences.

Busting Out premiered on the Showtime cable network in October, 2005. It can be downloaded for free or watched online at http://watchdocumentary.com/watch/busting-out-video_2d45e8c86.html.