alice gu – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

MOVIE OF THE WEEK Sept 11, 2026: DEAR MS.: A REVOLUTION IN PRINT (In Memoriam for Gloria Steinem and Robin Morgan)

September 6, 2026September 6, 2026 Jennifer Merin alice gu, betsy bozcech, Cate Marquis, Cecilia Aldarondo, Dear Ms.: A Revolution in Print, documentary, gloria steinem, jane fonda, jennifer merin, leslie combemale, Letty Cottin Pogrebin, liz whittemore, loren king, motw, Movie of the Week, Ms, nell minow, Pat Carbine, salima koroma, sandie angulo chen, sherin nicole, women's movement

In a time when what it means to be a feminist seems to be as hotly contested as it ever has been, it’s illuminating to look back at the 1970s, when the “women’s lib” movement was hitting the mainstream. By telling the story of the magazine that strove to support and further that movement, Dear Ms.: A Revolution in Print reminds us of how much has changed since then…and how far we have to go. (AWFJ.org featured Dear Ms.: A Revolution in Print as our MOTW on July 2, 2025, we do so again to honor Ms. Magazine co-founders Gloria Steinem and Robin Morgan, recently deceased.)

Movie of the Week

MOVIE OF THE WEEK July 4, 2025: DEAR MS: A REVOLUTION IN PRINT

June 29, 2025July 3, 2025 Jennifer Merin alice gu, Cecilia Aldarondo, Dear Ms.: A Revolution in Print, documentary, gloria steinem, Letty Cottin Pogrebin, motw, Movie of the Week, Ms, Pat Carbine, salima koroma, women's movement

In a time when what it means to be a feminist seems to be as hotly contested as it ever has been, it’s illuminating to look back at the 1970s, when the “women’s lib” movement was really hitting the mainstream. By telling the story of the magazine that strove to support and further that movement, Dear Ms.: A Revolution in Print reminds us of just how much really has changed since then…as well as how far we still have to go.

Festivals Reviews

DEAR MS. (Tribeca 2025) – Review by Leslie Combemale

June 16, 2025June 19, 2025 Leslie Combemale alice gu, alice walker, Angela Davis, Cecilia Aldarondo, Dear Ms.: A Revolution in Print, eroticism vs porn, Gloria Steinem Letty Cottin Pogrebin, Jane O’Reily, Joanna Edgar, Mary Peacock, Mary Thomas, ms. magazine, Nina Kinkelstein, Patricia Carbine, salima koroma, Susan Faludi, testosterone poisoning

Broken into three parts, and directed by three female filmmakers, Dear Ms.: A Revolution in Print aims to capture how vital the feminist magazine was in reframing and contextualizing culture for American women. I’m happy to say it not only feels like a celebration of sisterhood, and of an important feminist touchstone, it also reveals stories and elements of the magazine that were new to me. Dear Ms. shows just how fearless and forward-thinking issue after issue was, but also how willing those in charge always were to learn, change, and course correct. The name Dear Ms. is a reference to the magazine’s letters section, where many women wrote in from the very beginning to respond to its articles. After the first issue, there were hundreds of letters in which women said they’d finally felt seen and heard. Ms. was a place where their thoughts were given voice. Now that’s power.

Reviews

THE DONUT KING (SXSW2020) – Review by Sarah Ward

March 13, 2020March 13, 2020 Sarah Ward 0 Comments alice gu, AWFJ SXSW2020 Project, documentary, donut king, ted ngoy

Alice Gu’s documentary delves into the reverence afforded to the humble doughnut while charting how Ted Ngoy played a part in that status. And, likely to the surprise of most watching, it explores how his instant fondness helped completely change the lives of many of his fellow Cambodian Americans fleeing genocide, while also pondering the importance of a nation such as the US aiding refugees in need — and the contributions they make to society in return.