Plot
A documentary that resurrects the buried history of the outrageous, often brilliant women who founded the modern women's movement from 1966 to 1971.
Release Year: 2014
Rating: 7.1/10 (26 voted)
Critic's Score: /100
Director: Mary Dore
Stars: Chude Pamela Allen, Alta, Judith Arcana
Storyline
Tells the story of the brilliant, often outrageous women who founded the feminist movement of the 1960s. They said 'the personal is political' and made a revolution: in the bedroom, in the workplace, in all spheres of life. Called threatening by the FBI, yet ignored in many histories, these women changed the world.
Cast: Chude Pamela Allen -
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Alta -
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Judith Arcana -
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Nona Willis Aronowitz -
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Fran Beal -
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Heather Booth -
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Rita Mae Brown -
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Susan Brownmiller -
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Linda Frye Burnham -
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Jacqui Ceballos -
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Mary Jean Collins -
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Muriel Fox -
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Jo Freeman -
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Carol Giardina -
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Susan Griffin -
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This film is not only a comprehensive history of a powerful and
multifaceted movement in the not-too-distant past, it is a call to
action. For young people, in particular, who came of age in times when
job postings are no longer segregated by gender, when woman-centric
health information and health services are (slightly) more accessible,
when women with careers were not (always) denounced, this film offers a
peek at what life was like for women before the mid-1960's and helps us
understand the origins of the concept of gender equality that many of
us take for granted. We are also reminded that much of what was won
decades ago is once again in jeopardy.
There are clips from mass marches, meetings, poetry readings, and
consciousness-raising sessions. The filmmakers interviewed many women
who became the face of feminism and these women's reflections upon how
the movement developed, what issues and what actions galvanized the
activism of the time, are passionate, often profound, and sometimes
very funny.
The film does not shy away from the reality that the feminist movement
was complicated and messy. The internal political divisions, the
divisions of geography, race and class, and the almost casual
homophobia, are all exposed and examined. The film is ultimately a
celebration of the diversity, creativity, intelligence, and fortitude
of these early feminists who continue to inspire us to take up struggle
for women's rights in the Twenty-First Century.
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