ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

Female Film Critics 24/375

Commentaries Lists 

Celebrating Political Women in Film – Jennifer Merin reports

Jennifer Merin
0 Flares 0 Flares ×

This hyper political season is calling on all of us to be activists — not only in voting on election day, but in ongoing active support of the women politicos who are intent upon protecting, preserving and advancing the rights that we women have fought for and gained during recent decades. Face it: Life as we want it is at stake for women of all ages and ethnicities. The challenge is so overwhelming that it’s difficult for many of us to resist cynicism and despair. Damn it! A sense of our sisterhood and shared goals are intensely important in sustaining our hope and positivity. Inspiration is essential. Let’s look to the uplifting accomplishments of the women who steadfastly represent progress. We recommend watching a roster of excellent films that tell their stories for pure inspiration and ideas about what each of us can do. Excelsior!

Stacey Abrams

    Watch All In: The Fight for Democracy. The United States has never truly been a democracy, because it has never fully supported voting rights for all of its citizens. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t hope for the future. By focusing specifically on Stacey Abrams’ work and experiences in Georgia, All In” The Fight for Democracy reveals the path to true democracy — and, guess what? It works, but it’s hard.

Bella Abzug

    Watch Bella!. In a USA that’s lucky enough to have strong women like Kamala Harris, Maxine Waters, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Elizabeth Warren, and Katie Porter speaking up, persisting, reclaiming their time, and generally schooling the White male political old guard, it’s important to remember that Bella Abzug did it all first. Jeff L. Lieberman’s engrossing documentary Bella! reminds us what a trailblazer — and force of nature — Abzug was, detailing her impact on American government and culture.

Shirley Chisholm

    Watch Shirley. In 1968, Chisholm became the first Black woman elected to Congress. She’s a standout – especially in the freshman class photo – not just because of her race and gender but because she refuses to abandon her principles in order to fit in. Played lovingly by Regina King, Chisholm is feisty, whipsmart and utterly likeable. With her penchant for McDonald’s and abhorrence for the word “can’t,” she’s easy to relate to – and to aspire to be like. The former schoolteacher, who served seven terms in Congress and introduced more than 50 pieces of legislation, is someone more people should get to know, especially during this important election year.

Ruth Bader Ginsberg

    Watch RBG, Not all superheroes wear capes. In fact, some might be clad in black robes and lace collars. That’s the inspiring takeaway from Julie Cohen and Betsy West’s RBG, the story of iconic Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The biodoc traces RBG’s life from childhood to the present, both humanizing her and showing why she’s so beloved by all who are passionate about women’s rights and gender equality.
    Watch On The Basis of Sex. Most superhero origin stories don’t involve late-night typewriter sessions and legal arguments — but Ruth Bader Ginsburg is no ordinary superhero. Director Mimi Leder’s On the Basis of Sex offers viewers a glimpse of RBG’s life before she became notorious, when she was “just” a smart, tenacious lawyer (as embodied by Felicity Jones) who was determined to fight for gender equality.
    Watch Ruth: Justice Ginsberg in Her Own Words. Ruth – Justice Ginsburg In Her Own Words is another look at the diminutive woman who became a giant of jurisprudence. It seems impossible that any new material about Ruth Bader Ginsburg is still out there, but this film from Freida Lee Mock uses Ginsburg’s own words to both outline the professional and offer a glimpse of the personal.

Barbara Lee

    Watch Barbara Lee: Speaking Truth to Power This documentary about Barbara Lee, the highest ranking Black woman in Congress, is inspires us to expect a future President of the US to one day say she was motivated to run for office after watching it. Directed by Abby Ginzberg, the film features an eclectic group of celebrities, including Danny Glover, Van Jones, Alice Walker, and politicians from the late John Lewis to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Cory Booker, all singing the praises of the California Congresswoman who has been fighting for racial and economic justice for more than two decades.
0 Flares Twitter 0 Facebook 0 0 Flares ×

Jennifer Merin

Jennifer Merin is the Film Critic for Womens eNews and contributes the CINEMA CITIZEN blog for and is managing editor for AWFJ.org, the online magazine of the Alliance of Women Film Journalists, of which she is President. She has served as a regular critic and film-related interviewer for The New York Press and About.com. She has written about entertainment for USA Today, The L.A. Times, US Magazine, Ms. Magazine, Endless Vacation Magazine, NY Daily News, New York Post, SoHo News and other publications. After receiving her MFA from Tisch School of the Arts (Grad Acting), Jennifer performed at the O'Neill Theater Center's Playwrights Conference, Long Wharf Theater, American Place Theatre and LaMamma, where she worked with renown Japanese director, Shuji Terayama. She subsequently joined Terayama's theater company in Tokyo, where she also acted in films. Her journalism career began when she was asked to write about Terayama for The Drama Review. She became a regular contributor to the Christian Science Monitor after writing an article about Marketta Kimbrell's Theater For The Forgotten, with which she was performing at the time. She was an O'Neill Theater Center National Critics' Institute Fellow, and then became the institute's Coordinator. While teaching at the Universities of Wisconsin and Rhode Island, she wrote "A Directory of Festivals of Theater, Dance and Folklore Around the World," published by the International Theater Institute. Denmark's Odin Teatret's director, Eugenio Barba, wrote his manifesto in the form of a letter to "Dear Jennifer Merin," which has been published around the world, in languages as diverse as Farsi and Romanian. Jennifer's culturally-oriented travel column began in the LA Times in 1984, then moved to The Associated Press, LA Times Syndicate, Tribune Media, Creators Syndicate and Arcamax Publishing. She's been news writer/editor for ABC Radio Networks, on-air reporter for NBC, CBS Radio and for Westwood One's America In the Morning. She is a member of the Critics Choice Association in the Film, Documentary and TV branches and a voting member of the Black Reel Awards. For her AWFJ archive, type "Jennifer Merin" in the Search Box (upper right corner of screen).