Hillary Clinton – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

MISS REPRESENTATION: RISE UP (Tribeca 2026) – Review by Valerie Kalfrin

June 11, 2026June 16, 2026 Valerie Kalfrin Frances Haugen, gretchen carlson, Hillary Clinton, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, Jim Steyer, Katie Couric, Miss Representation: Rise Up, Sabrina Javellana, Soraya Johnson

Any woman knows being on social media can be a minefield if you’re considered too opinionated—but what if that’s by design? Such is one of the ideas covered in the documentary Miss Representation: Rise Up. Directed by Jennifer Siebel Newsom (Fair Play), the film is a spiritual sequel to her 2011 documentary Miss Representation, which explored how limited portrayals of women in media—i.e., lots of bikinis and sex appeal—impacted the number of women in positions of power. Frustratingly, Miss Representation: Rise Up indicates how little has changed, even if the method of delivery has.

Movie of the Week

MOVIE OF THE WEEK March 28, 2025: MERKEL

March 23, 2025March 23, 2025 Jennifer Merin angela merkel, Bernd Ulrich, betsy bozdech, biodoc, Cate Marquis, documentary, Eva Weber, German Democratic Republic, Germany Chancellor, Hillary Clinton, jennifer merin, leslie combemale, loren king, MERKEL, Minister for Women and Youth, sherin nicole, Tony Blair

In a time when “broligarchy” is the word of the day, with far-right, male-dominated political parties garnering ever-more-frightening levels of support around the world, Eva Weber’s documentary Merkel is unquestionably worth an hour and a half of your time. Weber’s portrait of Germany’s former Chancellor Angela Merkel — a calm, reasonable, compassionate female leader — is both refreshing and a painful reminder of what could have (should have?) been in the United States.

Reviews

MERKEL – Review by Loren King

March 17, 2025March 22, 2025 Loren King angela merkel, biodoc, documentary, Eva Weber, German Democratic Republic, Germany Chancellor, Hillary Clinton, MERKEL

What a timely and thoughtful look at former German chancellor Angela Merkel who served from 2005 to 2021 and is the only woman to have held the office. For those who don’t know much about her background and career, or even for those who do, director Eva Weber’s well crafted and surprisingly entertaining documentary provides not just important historical context but also illuminates the forces that shaped her character and world view.

Movie of the Week

MOVIE OF THE WEEK August 18, 2023: BELLA!

August 13, 2023October 11, 2024 Jennifer Merin Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, barbra streisand, Bella Abzug, Bella!, betsy bozdech, Cate Marquis, documentary, Elizabeth Warren, Hillary Clinton, Jeff L. Lieberman, jennifer merin, leslie combemale, liz whittimore, loren king, Maxine Waters, Nancy Pelosi, nell minow, nikki fowler, Pam Grady, Re-Emerging Films, sherin nicole

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.

Commentaries Festivals

My TIFF 2022 Diary: Highlighting Day-to-Day ‘IRL’ – Johanna Schneller reports (Exclusive)

October 3, 2022July 28, 2024 Johanna Schneller cameron bailey, covid, elton john, Hillary Clinton, Sarah Polley, TIFF 2022, toronto international film festival, viola davis

After two minutes, I realize I’m levitating an inch from my seat with happiness. This movie is everything I’d hoped and more. There is not one wasted syllable. I keep swatting away tears of anger (on behalf of the characters, and their real-life counterparts). I can feel the emotion rolling up and down the rows, that feeling you can only get in a theatre full of people who are having a collective experience. I won’t know this until a few days later, but Women Talking sets the tone for my whole TIFF: brilliant women directors, squaring their sites on the patriarchy. And experiencing their work in public again, finally.