<!doctype html public "-//w3c//dtd html 4.0 transitional//en">Women’s
Studies Video Library Catalog
Loan Procedures & Guidelines
By signing your name to the Women’s Studies Library Loan Log, you are in agreement to and responsible for the following terms:
- All materials loaned out by the WS Program become your responsibility the moment you remove them from the WS Center; you are liable for any/all damages.
- All materials are to be returned in good condition. Due to the money and time we have invested in our library, WS must hold you responsible for any materials you choose to borrow.
- All materials are to be returned in a prompt manner—the usual loan period is for 24 hours, unless prior arrangements have been made with the director for an extended loan.
- Videos may be reserved for a specific date by calling the Women’s Studies Center at 745-6477 or emailing trish.jaggers@wku.edu. In order to ensure that a video will be available, please reserve the video you would like to use well in advance (at least two weeks) of the date by which you need it..
- It is your responsibility to pick up and return borrowed materials to the WS library. Due to busy schedules, we are unable to deliver or pick up any materials. If you have outstanding videos, you'll be asked to return those before being permitted to check out additional videos.
- Unless special arranges have been made, students may not check out films/videos.
- Films/videos from our library are available to only WKU faculty and staff. (WKU students may check out books or view videos in our library.)
About our film decision-making process:
In order to support faculty interested in using films to address women’s
studies issues in their classes, the Women’s Studies Program purchases
at least 2 or 3 new titles each semester. If you have any suggestions for
future purchase consideration, please contact a member of the Film & Video
Committee listed below. Please provide as much information about your suggestion
as possible (e.g. title, distributor, and price).
The Women’s Studies Film and Video committee hosts the Gender Images
Film Series. Three or more films with a centralized theme or genre are shown
each semester. All film showings are free and open to the public. A faculty/committee
member or a student who is knowledgeable about the subject introduces each
film. If you would like to participate in this committee or would like to
introduce a film, please contact the committee members below.
Barry Brunson, Chair (270) 745-6995
Kate Hudepohl (270) 745-5842
Ted Hovet (270) 745-5782
Tim Evans (270) 745-5897
Kristin Dowell (270) 745-5903
Listed alphabetically by title
ABSENCE OF MALICE
Paul Newman plays the son of a long dead
Mafia boss who is a simple liquor warehouse owner. Frustrated in his attempt
to solve a murder of a union head, a prosecutor leaks a false story that
Newman is a target of the investigation, hoping that he will tell them something
for protection. As his life begins to unravel, others are hurt by the story.
Sally Field, the reporter, is in the clear under the Absence of Malice rule
in slander and libel cases. Knowing nothing to trade to the prosecutors,
Newman must regain control of his life on different grounds.
VHS 116 min., color, Columbia/Tristar Studios, 1981.
ABSTINENCE COMES TO
Hundreds of millions of dollars are being
spent by the federal government on abstinence-from-sex-until-marriage education
across
DVD 29 min. + 59 min q&a, color, Stuart Television Productions, 2005.
ACTING ON FAITH: Women’s New Religious
Activism in
A documentary film that offers a glimpse
into the lives and work of three American women for whom faith, activism,
and identity are deeply intertwined. Provides insight into, and encourages
dialogue on, the powerful streams of thought and action that are being
generated by women activists of the varied religious and cultural traditions
of the
DVD 42 min., color. The Pluralism Project/Harvard University, 2005.
ADAM’S RIB
In Adam's Rib, Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn play husband and wife
lawyers who accept opposite sides of a woman's civil rights case. The ensuing
pandemonium threatens to break up their marriage. The plot serves as the
backdrop for the daring exposition of feminist principles, a display of archetypal
male vs. female issues, and an examination of sex-role stereotyping.
VHS 101 min., B/W, MGM/UA Home Video, 1949.
A FOND KISS
Casim is a second generation Pakistani from
DVD 105 mins 2004
AFRICA SEARCH FOR COMMON GROUNDS
VHS (two parts) 27 min., Common Grounds Production.
AGAINST THE ODDS
Elizabeth Cady Stanton joined forces with Lucretia Mott and Susan B. Anthony
to form the National Women’s Suffrage Association, marching and demonstrating—in
a most unladylike way—to make their point. Undaunted by indifference
to the plight of disenfranchised Americans, these women organized men
and women in a national crusade to give the vote to women. Consistent
with their views on personal freedom and political power, they were among
the first to support black suffrage after the Civil War.
VHS 24 min., color, Films for the Humanities & Sciences, Inc.
ANCHORESS
Enter the medieval world of Christine Carpenter, a visionary girl whose passions attract two powerful men in the village; the priest and an officer. Each decides he will be the one to control Christine, but she has eyes only for the Virgin Mary. When the Priest urges her to become an Anchoress (a walled-in recluse), she accepts, attracting pilgrims seeking her advice and healing power. Christine’s awakening sexuality calls into question this lifelong arrangement as a battle between the priest, the officer, and Christine’s mother turns dangerous. When she challenges the priest’s authority-the order of society; its government, religion, and sexual relations are all thrown into turmoil.
DVD, 108 min., color. 1993
AND STILL I RISE
And Still I Rise uses images from popular culture to reveal the way the media misrepresents
Black women's sexuality. The film intercuts historical and media images and
depicts the Black women's struggle to create a new perspective.
VHS 30 min., color, Women Make Movies, 1993.
ANTONIA'S LINE
Antonia's Line is an inspiring and uplifting masterpiece, as big hearted
and full of life as the unforgettable character at its heart. At the
end of the Second World War, a spirited, independent woman returns to
the place of her birth, a small village in the verdant Dutch countryside,
to start a new life with her young daughter. Thus begins a remarkable
portrait of a family and a community, of mothers and daughters, and of
one indomitable woman.
VHS 120 min., color, Fox Lorber Films, 1995.
Religion, politics, and sociology collide in this award winning, critically
acclaimed film. With shocking honesty,
VHS 52 min., New Day Films, 1997.
BENEATH THE VEIL
Ever since the Taliban took control of most of
VHS & DVD 1 hr. approx, color, CNN, 2001.
BLACKBOARDS
A group of male teachers cross the mountainous
paths of the remote Iranian Kurdistan region. They wander from village
to village in search of students, carrying large blackboards on their backs,
sometimes using them as shelter, camouflage and as shields for gunfire. One
teacher ventures away from the group and meets up with a group of young
boys who are carrying contraband across the border. Another teacher comes
upon a group of old refugees who want to return their village in
DVD 85 min., color. Kimstim/Leisure Time
Features. 2003.
THE BLANK POINT: Transsexualism
The Blank Point examines the widely misunderstood nature of transsexuals--people
who psychologically identify with the opposite sex and who often decide
to undergo sex reassignment surgery--and offers meaningful insights into
this rare condition. The program focuses on two male-to-female transsexuals
and one female-to-male transsexual. The subjects candidly discuss their
old identities, the transition to their new lives and the scientific
and psychological process that enables them to change genders.
VHS 58 min., color, The Cinema Guild, 1991.
BORN INTO BROTHELS
A tribute to the resiliency of childhood
and the restorative power of art, Born Into Brothels is a portrait
of several unforgettable children who live in
DVD 83 min., color. Red Light Films. 2004.
BREASTS: A Documentary
Breasts is a documentary consisting of interviews
with twenty-two women (ranging in age from 6 to 84 years-old) discussing
how breasts play a crucial role in the experiences of puberty, motherhood,
sex, health, and aging. Their candid thoughts are humorous, moving, and often
surprising. Interspersed throughout the documentary are segments of breast-related
archival footage including a racy 1920’s animated cartoon, a 1950’s beauty
pageant, and a 1970’s bra commercial.
VHS 50 min., color, HBO Home Video, 1996.
CALLING THE GHOSTS
An extraordinarily powerful documentary, Calling the Ghosts is the first-person
account of two women caught in a war where rape was as much an everyday weapon
as bullets or bombs. Jadranka Cigelj and Nusreta Sivac, childhood friends
and lawyers, enjoyed the lives of
"ordinary modern women" in Bosnia-Herzegovina until one day former
neighbors became tormentors. Taken to the notorious Serb concentration camp
of Omarska, the two women, like other Muslim and Croat women interned there,
were systematically tortured and humiliated by their Serb captors.
VHS 60 min., color, Women Make Movies, 1996.
CAMILLE CLAUDEL
After years of living with master sculptor
Auguste Rodin (Depardieu) as pupil and lover, Claudel fell into a paranoid
depression when he left her. Her disapproving family had her committed to
a mental institution, where she wasted away for the remaining 30 years of
her life. Camille Claudel is an inspiring saga of artistic vision and the
haunting story of a doomed romance.
VHS 159 min., color, Orion Pictures, 1983.
CHAIN OF LOVE
This
film investigates the reasons and implications of statements such as “The Filipino nanny is the Mercedes Benz amongst
the international [caregivers].” A film about the Philippines’ second
largest export prouduct—maternal love—and how this export affects the women
involved, their families in the Philippines, and families in the West.
VHS 50 min., color. First Run/Icarus Films, 2001.
CHILDREN UNDERGROUND
This astonishingly intimate
documentary follows five homeless children in Romania, where the collapse
of communism has led to a life on the street for 20,000 children. From a
16-year-old girl who runs her gang with a mixture of brutality and compassion,
to a small, intelligent, and remarkably articulate 12-year-old boy, these
children seem at first feral and frightening--yet over the course of the
movie their loneliness, desperation, and glimpses of hope will transform
how you perceive them.
DVD 104 min., color, New Video, 2002.
CITIZEN RUTH
The
life of Ruth Stoops (Laura Dern) would be dandy getting high off spray
paint if it weren’t for one tiny problem—she’s
gotten herself knocked up for the umpteenth time, and it seems like everybody’s
got an opinion about what she should do—from an angry judge to God-fearing
Baby-Savers to radical lesbian feminists. And Ruth just wants to party! Also
starring Burt Reynolds,
DVD 105 min., color, Miramax Films, 2004.
THE COLOR PURPLE
Based on Alice Walker’s Pulitzer
Prize-winning novel, The Color Purple is the richly-textured, decades-spanning
story of Celie, an uneducated woman living in the rural American south. Forced
to marry a brutal man she calls “Mr.,” Celie turns inward and shares her
grief only with God. But she is transformed by the friendship of two remarkable
women, acquiring self-worth…and the strength to forgive.
154 min., color, Warner Brothers, 1985.
COMMON THREADS: Stories from a Quilt
Common Threads is
a collection of stories from families of people who have died from AIDS.
VHS 120 min., color, A Telling Pictures and Couture Company Production, 1989.
COMMUNALISM & RELIGIOUS FUNDAMENTALISM
Talks by Pervez Hoodboy, Tanika Sarkar,
Amarjeet Kaur, and Anonymous at the World Social Fourm in
DVD 55 min., color, Institute for Social and Cultural Communication, 2004.
CONFRONTING THE CRISIS: Childcare
in
This Lifetime Television original documentary
exposes the daily trauma faced by millions of parents doing their most important
job—caring for kids. The changing pressures of work and family make securing
safe, affordable childcare a great challenge and a source of tension in many
families. Based on interviews with families, the documentary weaves the joys,
challenges, and hopes of parenting with critical national childcare issues.
VHS & DVD 45 min., Lifetime Television, 2000.
CUT FROM DIFFERENT CLOTH: BURQUAS AND BELIEFS
In 2005 documentary filmmakers Cliff Orloff
and Olga Shlygin returned to
DVD 57 mins., Red Door Video Productions. 2005.
DAUGHTERS OF THE DUST
Daughters of the Dust tells the story of
a large African-American family as they prepare to move north to the mainland
from the Sea Islands off the coast of
VHS 113 min., Geechee Girl Production, distributed by Kino Video, 1991.
DEFENDING OUR LIVES
This video aims to educate people about domestic violence and to spur legislative and judicial reform. It is appropriate for people working on any aspect of this issue, including general education, legal reform, police training, battered women advocacy, counseling, prosecution and defense, human rights activism, and community education.
VHS 30
min.,
DEMENTIA: A Personal Experience
In this film, Andrew Lewallen talks about
helping with the Shanti Project and living with AIDS.
VHS 35 min., color, Shanti Project.
THE DREAMLIFE OF ANGELS
Two very different young women share the
joy and heartbreak of friendship in this internationally acclaimed award-winning
drama. Isa is an optimist wandering eking out an existence for herself working
odd jobs, while backpacking across the French countryside. She lands a job
at a dress factory where she befriends the pessimistic, rebellious Marie. The
two polar opposites become roommates and slowly develop a close friendship. But
when Marie falls into a passionate affair with a handsome, arrogant young
man, her all-consuming romance cause her friendship with Isa to suffer, with
tragic consequences.
VHS 113 min., color, Sony Picture Classics, 1999.
DREAMWORLDS II
Dreamworlds II powerfully illustrates the
systematic representations of women in music videos and how these representations
tell a dangerous and narrow set of stories about what it means to females
and male—stories which impact how women think sexually and how men think
sexually about women. Warning: This video depicts a very brutal and shocking
scene of sexual violence.
VHS 56 min., color, Media Education Foundation, 1995.
ECHOES OF DISSENT
Echoes of Dissent reveals
insights on the daily pressures that Indian women face in society. It examines
the paradoxes arising from gender differences, marriage, family, and societal
roles.
VHS 30 min., Advanced Media Productions, Inc., 1997.
ESCAPE THE ABUSE
Escape the Abuse is a practical "how-to" guide
about "leaving smart". This program further examines the problem
of domestic violence and offers guidance and support for women wishing to
make different choices in their lives. Packed with imperative information
for any individual in the process of leaving an abusive relationship, Escape
the Abuse shows the necessity of a carefully developed support network, including
relatives and police officers.
VHS 21 min., color, Intermedia, Inc., 1995.
THE EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT: UNFINISHED BUSINESS FOR THE CONSTITUTION
The ERA was passed in 1972 and ratified by 35 of the necessary 38 states—but political opposition has stopped the amendment since then.
VHS 18 min., color. Alice Paul Centennial Foundation, 1998.
THE F WORD
The F Word takes a provocative look at the
power of the word "feminism" in the
VHS & DVD 10 min., color, Women Make Movies, 1995.
FACING DEATH AND DYING
Facing Death and Dying is a film produced
by the Shanti Project about volunteer counseling and training support services
designed to help people with AIDS.
VHS 26 min., Shanti Project, 1983.
FILMING DESIRE, A JOURNEY THROUGH
WOMEN’S CINEMA (FILMER LE DESIR)
In this bold documentary Marie Mandy asks
the question: how do women directors film love, desire, and, especially,
sexuality? In rare interviews with many of the leading women directors working
in the world today – including Sally Potter, Agnès Varda, Catherine Breillat,
Doris Dörrie, Deepa Mehta, Moufida Tlatli, Safi Faye, and Jane Campion – Filming
Desire: A Journey Through Women’s Cinema directly engages the sexual politics
of cinematographic choice.
VHS 60 min., color, Women Make Movies, 2000.
FIRE
Fire, written and directed by Deepa Mehta,
touches on aspects of contemporary Indian life, the role of tradition in
a changing society, and the struggles of women to take control of their own
lives when they live in a society that traditionally doesn't allow them that
role.
VHS 104 min., color, Zeitgeist Films, 1996.
FIRE EYES
Somali filmmaker Soraya Mire knows firsthand
about the traditional African practice of female genital mutilation. At thirteen
she was subjected to it and spent the next twenty years recovering physically
and emotionally from its cruel legacy. Fire Eyes explores the socio-economic,
psychological, and medical consequences of this ancient custom that affects
more than 80 million women worldwide. In this film several women who have
been subject to this "rite of passage" voice varying points of
view on perpetuating the practice. While a few courageous women would spare
their daughters this suffering, others fear their daughters would be unmarriageable.
The troubling fact is that female circumcision is a women’s ritual upheld
by mothers, grandmothers and aunts, to conform to the male expectation for
a chase wife. Testimony from doctors detail the various forms of female circumcision
and the horrendous ob/gyn problems that result.
VHS & DVD 60 min., color, Filmakers Library, 1994.
FIRST GAY AND LESBIAN PROM
This film documents the controversial first
gay and lesbian prom in
VHS 25 min., color, The Cinema Guild, 1995.
FROM THE BACK ALLEYS (three part series from Women Make Movies)
When Abortion Was Illegal: Untold Stories (28 min., 1992) VHS
Illuminates a largely undocumented era, revealing the physical, emotional, and legal consequences of when abortion was a criminal act. This poignant oral history, which weaves together the untold stories of women caught in difficult circumstances and those who tried to help them, reveals the tragedies, as well as the courage and heroism, of a shrouded time.
From Danger to Dignity: The Fight for Safe Abortion (57 min., 1995) VHS
Chronicles the double pronged movement—the grassroots activism and intense legislative lobbying—that culminated in Roe v. Wade. Rare footage and interviews with movement participants are intercut with women’s recollections of back-alley or self-induced abortions.
The Fragile Promise of Choice: Abortion in the
Situations in the United States that this video addresses include the crises of access and affordability, the atmosphere of harassment and violence for doctors and clinic workers, the impact of growing state and local legislative restrictions for women seeking care, the complexity of religious issues, and the provider crisis.
THE FORBIDDEN GODDESS
The Forbidden Goddess presents evidence of
the dual partnership between Yahweh (Hebrew for God) and his Canaanite wife,
goddess, Asherah. This presentation challenges the foundation of Judeo-Christian
tradition and depicts the Bible as revisionist history.
VHS 28 min., color, Films for the Humanities and Sciences, 1993.
GIRL 6
Theresa Randle delivers a breakthrough performance
as a frustrated
DVD 108 min., color. Twentieth Century Fox. 1996.
GIRLS CAN
Complement to Shortchanging Girls, Shortchanging
VHS 17 min., color, American Association of University Women, 1994.
GIRLHOOD: GROWING UP ON THE INSIDE
This award-winning documentary, directed by Liz Garbus, tells the story of two girls coming of age within the U.S. penal system. Megan was charged with assault, and Shanae stabbed a friend to death at age 11. The film juxtaposes normal everyday needs and wants of the two adolescents with the harsh reality of their violent backgrounds.
DVD 82 min., color, Moxie Firecracker Films, 2003.
GIRLS HOOPS
Throughout rural Kentucky, girl basketball players and coaches are hailed as celebrities. Parents relocate so their gifted athlete daughters can play for a winning coach and, come tournament time, every storefront is decked out in support of the home team. Girls and women aged 14 to 94 tell of the sport's original heyday in the 1920s, its subsequent 40-year statewide ban, its rebirth in the 1970s, and the rise of a professional women's league. The stakes are higher now that there are real opportunities for female basketball stars who might actually get the recognition they have earned.
VHS 27:12 min., color, Appalshop, 1998.
GIVE THE BALLOT TO THE MOTHERS: Songs
of the Suffragists
Give the Ballot to the Mothers is a documentary video which chronicles and explores
the music arising out of the American Woman Suffragist Movement. These songs
reflect the tenor and spirit of the Suffrage Movement in a way no written
word can convey. Written testimony, musical performances, historical cartoons,
period photographs, and scholarly commentary reveal how song reflects the
history of the struggle to gain votes for women.
VHS 29 min.,
GOD GREW TIRED OF US
Winner of both the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, God Grew Tired of Us explores the indomitable spirit of three “Lost Boys” from the Sudan who leave their homeland, triumph over seemingly insurmountable adversities and move to America, where they build active and fulfilling new lives but remain deeply committed to helping the friends and family they have left behind.
DVD 90 min., color, Sony Pictures, 2007.
THE GODS OF OUR FATHERS
Host Gwynne Dyer explores
the evolution of patriarchy and the subsequent rise of militarism in ancient
VHS 51 min., Green Lion Productions, 1994.
GRAND AVENUE
Mollie, her two daughters
Justine and
VHS (2 tapes) 167 min., color, HBO Home Video, 1996.
THE HEART OF THE MATTER
The Heart of the Matter explores women's sexuality through the prism of AIDS.
The film focuses on the inspiring story of Janice Jirau, an HIV-positive
African American woman, as she unravels the pieces of her life that contributed
to her risk of HIV and steps she took once she knew she had AIDS.
VHS 54 min., color, First Run / Icarus Films, 1994.
HILDEGARD
Hildegard of Bingen was one
of the most remarkable women of the Middle Ages-an Abbess and woman of God,
a visionary, naturalist, playwright, political moralist, and composer. Despite
this outpouring of religious creativity, her visions were called into question,
and she was put on trial by the Church in 1148. Hildegard’s experiences provide
valuable insight into life in the medieval church and the amazing influence
of a woman dedicated to God.
VHS 52 min., color, Gateway Films, 1994.
HIP HOP: BEYOND BEATS AND RHYMES
An official selection of the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes provides a riveting examination of representations of manhood in hip-hop culture. Director Byron Hurt, former college quarterback, gender violence prevention educator and longtime hip-hop fan, pays tribute to hip-hop while challenging the rap music industry to take responsibility for too often perpetuating destructive, deeply conservative styles of manhood that glamorize sexism, violence, and homophobia.
DVD 61 min., color. Media Education Foundation, 2006.
I AM SOMEBODY (a film by Madeline Anderson)
This inspiring film tells the story of a
1969 strike in
VHS 28 min., color. First Run/Icarus Films. 1970.
I SHOT ANDY WARHOL
Valerie Solanas, a lesbian writer, loner and prostitute has come to the Big Apple with one goal: to spread the gospel of her radical feminism. Desperate for an audience, she latches onto the fringes of Andy Warhol’s scene.
VHS 1 hour, 28 min, MGM, 1995.
I WISH I COULD HAVE SAID NO
The line between wanted and
pressured sexual contact can be confusing for many young adults. In this
video, three women share their stories of sexual situations in which that
line was difficult to discern, and where each handled a sexual proposition
in a different manner.
VHS 14 min., color, Intermedia, 1995.
IDA B. WELLS: A Passion for Justice
Ida B. Wells (1862-1931) was a newspaper
editor and journalist who went on to lead the American anti-lynching crusade.
Working closely with both African-American community leaders and American
suffragists, Wells worked to raise gender issues within the "Race Question" and
race issues within the "Woman Question."
VHS 55 min., William Greaves Productions, 1989.
IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK 2
Three couples over three different decades are bonded by the depth of their passions, their unconventional love, and a house that might offer up their stories. First, an elderly women, “widowed” when her companion of 50 years dies in 1961, finds herself alone and unprotected as the “in-laws” move in and cast her house. Second, in 1972, a feminist coed finds that sexual politics take a back-seat when a boyish girl attempts to seduce her. Third, in 2000, a couple with almost everything that two women can have want the one thing they can’t have—unless something more than fate intervenes.
DVD 96 min. color, HBO, 2000.
I’M THE ONE THAT I WANT
This critically acclaimed and hysterically
funny live performance presents Margaret Cho at her stand-up best. As one
of the country’s most visible Asian Americans, she has a unique perspective
on identity and acceptance. As one of the country’s funniest and most quoted
she takes no prisoners. I’m the One That I Want is filled with dead-on
insights about the experiences of being a woman in the spotlight from someone
who has seen the highs and lows of life.
VHS & DVD 96 minutes, color, Cho Taussig Productions, 2000. (also
available is a 45 min. edited version on VHS)
IN THE LIFE (four
episodes)
In the Life, public TV's nationally broadcast news magazine, focuses
on timely cultural, social and political issues of the gay and lesbian community.
A four part series exploring the "seasons"
of gay and lesbian issues.
Episode 401 Fall ’94 features segments on Native American lesbians and gays who
discuss their community's tradition of accommodating "two-spirited" people. National
Coming Out Day is discussed. Novelists Minnie Bruce Pratt, Sarah Schulman,
and Norman Wong talk about their experiences as gay and lesbian authors;
plus excerpts from Straight from the Heart, the Academy Award-nominated
documentary profiling parents of gay and lesbian children.
VHS 60 min., color, The Cinema Guild.
Episode 402, Winter ’95 features an examination of differences and similarities
between the civil rights and gay rights movements, including interviews
with MA Congressman Barney Frank and Dr. Betty Shabazz, widow of Malcolm
X; an interview with service woman Margaret Cammermeyer, whose life was
dramatized in the NBC movie, Serving in Silence; and a report on
the changing situation for gays in Cuba.
VHS 58 min., color, The Cinema Guild.
Episode 403, Spring ’95 honors lesbian and gay veterans of the military, veterans
of the battle against AIDS, and veterans of the Stonewall movement; coverage
of the national Outwrite conference of gay and lesbian authors;
and an interview with MCA President Sidney Sheinberg, who describes the
efforts of Hollywood Supports, an organization he co-founded with Barry
Diller to counter homophobia in Hollywood.
VHS 60 min., color, The Cinema Guild.
Episode 404, Summer ’95 examines the experience of lesbians and gay men throughout
VHS 60 min., color, The Cinema Guild.
IN MY COUNTRY... An International
Perspective on Gender
Thirteen participants from
countries around the world participated in this Utah Valley State College
program, responding frankly to a series of questions on parental attitudes
toward children, learning about sexuality, marriage decisions, courtship
customs, wedding rituals and financial control in marriages, in the context
of their culture. Produced and directed by Ron J. Hammond; study guide available. Part I - Daily Life and Part II - Social Issues
VHS (two tapes) 46 minutes, color, Utah Valley State College, 1993.
INFLUENCE OF THE INVISIBLE (missing
since April 2005)
This film goes into the depths
of the collective psyche to reveal the power mythology and tradition wields
over today's women in
VHS Advanced Media Productions, 1997.
INSIDE DEEP THROAT
It was banned in 23 states. The government didn’t want you to see it. Deep Throat was more than just a titillating curiosity, it was the sexually explicit film that ignited a social and political firestorm. Inside Deep Throat examines the politics and payoffs, the porn stars and persecution of the cultural phenomenon that remains just as highly controversial today. From Oscar winning producer Brian Grazer comes this probing look at the sensational adult film that launched a sexual and cultural revolution.
DVD 90 mins., color. HBO Films. 2005.
THE INTOLERABLE BURDEN
When the public schools of
DVD 56 minutes, color-b&w, First Run/Icarus Films, 2003.
IRON-JAWED ANGELS
Award-winning HBO feature film about Alice Paul (Hillary Swank) and Lucy Burns (Frances O’Connor) and the hunger strike of the women’s suffrage movement.
DVD 124 min., color, HBO Films. 2004.
JUDY CHICAGO'S THE DINNER PARTY: A Tour of the Exhibition
The Dinner Party is a symbolic history of women in western civilization told through
a series of 39 place settings on an open triangular table, with narration
by Judy Chicago.
VHS 45 min., color, Through the Flower.
JULIA
Hellman recalls her lifelong relationship
with the fiercely independent and politically minded Julia. Born to great
wealth, Julia devotes her life to political causes fighting fascism in the
1930's. While Hellman is traveling in
VHS 118 min., color, Twentieth Century Fox, 1977.
KILLING US FOR OUR OWN GOOD: Dieting and Medical Misinformation
Killing Us For Our Own Good is a presentation by Dawn Atkins about dieting and
medical misinformation.
VHS 105 min., color, Body Image Task Force, 1991.
KILLING US SOFTLY III:
Advertising’s Image of Women
Jean Kilbourne's pioneering work
helped develop and popularize the study of gender representation in advertising.
Her award-winning films Killing Us Softly (1979) and Still Killing
Us Softly (1987) have influenced millions of college and high school
students across two generations and on an international scale. In this important
new film, Kilbourne reviews if and how the image of women in advertising
has changed over the last 20 years. With wit and warmth, Kilbourne uses over
160 ads and commercials to critique advertising's image of women. By fostering
creative and productive dialogue, she invites viewers to look at familiar
images in a new way that moves and empowers them to take action.
VHS & DVD 34 min., color, Media Education Foundation, 2000.
LADIES FIRST: Women in Music Videos
A documentary by Robin Roberts with excerpts
of women music video stars who assert the right to be sexual and to express
their sexuality.
VHS color, University Press of Mississippi, 1996.
LADIES, LEARNERS, AND LEADERS
Ladies, Learners, and Leaders is a living chronicle of 125 years of Chautaugua that
celebrates the work and wisdom of its women. Names such as Susan B. Anthony,
Carrie Chapman Catt, Jane Adams, and Helen Keller left their indelible imprint
on both Chautauqua and human society. This video brings you the voices of
lesser known women, commemorating their work as the Ladies, Learners,
and Leaders that built our Chautauqua.
VHS 60 min., color, Laura Damon, 2000.
THE LAST DAYS
The winner of the 1998 Academy Award for
Best Documentary, this powerful film traces the compelling experiences of
five Hungarian Holocaust survivors who fell victim to Hitler’s brutal war
against the Jews during the final days of World War II. Including newly-discovered
historical footage and a rare interview with a former Nazi doctor at Auschwitz,
the film tells the remarkable story of five people—a grandmother, a teacher,
a business man, an artist, and a U.S. Congressman—as they return from the
United States to their hometowns and to the ghettos and concentration camps
in which they were imprisoned.
VHS 87 min., color, Polygram Video.
LEGAL BUT OUT OF REACH
In this poignant video documentary,
viewers will meet six women who live in states where lack of public funding
makes abortion Legal But Out of Reach for many poor women. Irela, Gina,
Trenise, Esperanza, Mindy and Carolyn reveal their lives and personal struggles
that led them to choose abortion only to discover that they could not afford
that choice.
VHS 24 min., National Network of Abortion Funds.
LEONA'S SISTER GERRI
Leona’s Sister Gerri tells the story of Gerri Santoro, a mother of two
and the "real person" in the now famous police photo of an anonymous
woman found dead on a motel floor after an illegal abortion.
VHS 57 min., color, New Day Films.
A LITANY FOR SURVIVAL
A Litany for Survival, a powerful profile of African American poet Audre Lorde aired nationally Tuesday, June 18, 1996 at 10 p.m. ET on PBS, as part of P.O.V., broadcast television's only continuing forum for independent non-fiction film. The film features interviews with many of Lorde's fellow poets and activists, including Adrienne Rich, Sapphire, and Sonia Sanchez, all of whom pay tribute to Lorde's impact as a mentor and inspirational force.
55 min., color, Third World Newsreel, 1996.
LIVE NUDE GIRLS UNITE
This first person documentary follows Julia Query, lesbian/stand-up comedian/peepshow-stripper,
and daughter of a feminist activist, on her raucous journey to help organize
the only union of strippers in the
VHS & DVD 70 min., color, First Run/Icarus Films, 2000.
THE LOST CHILDREN OF ROCKDALE COUNTY
The Lost Children of Rockdale County explores how a 1996 syphilis outbreak in a well-off
VHS & DVD 90 min., color, WGBH Frontline, 1996.
MARGARET SANGER: A PUBLIC NUISANCE
Margaret Sanger: A Public Nuisance highlights Sanger's pioneering strategies of using
media and popular culture to advance the cause of birth control. It tells
the story of her arrest and trial, using actual films, vaudeville, courtroom
sketches and re-enactments, video effects and Sanger's own words. This witty
and inventive documentary looks at how Sanger effectively changed public
discussion of birth control from issues of morality to issues of women's
health and economic well-being. Executive producers of the program are Barbara
Abrash, Esther Katz and Laurence Hegarty.
VHS 28 min., color, Women Make Movies, 1992.
THE MEANS OF GRACE
The Means of Grace is an impressionistic documentary of the life story of a woman writer
who was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in the 1950's and early 1960's.
In those days thousands of strong, creative women were locked away, drugged
and tortured. These women resided in hundreds of mental hospitals across
the country. Unable to adapt to the new suburban
"American Dream", most of these women were diagnosed with schizophrenia.
By using Ann Clements Conger's journals and fiction writing, The Means
of Grace takes us on a journey through her life as a self-doubting teen,
productive writer, professional journalist, wife, mother, hospital patient
and, journalist again. Her words, circumstance, pain and conflict are juxtaposed
with the expectations and duties of being an American woman.
VHS 57 min., J. Clements, Film Library.
MERCHANTS OF COOL
Teenagers today have more money and independence
then ever before. Their lives have become the object of obsessive focus
by corporate
DVD 60 min., Frontline with 10/20 Productions, 2001.
MISS
An honest, moving and funny look at one of
our most popular cultural institutions, Miss
America follows the story of the
Pageant from its beginnings in 1921, while exploring what it means to be
an “ideal” American woman. Combining rare archival footage and still photographs
with never-before-seen live footage of the pageant today, the film features
on-camera interviews with a host of distinguished commentators including
Gloria Steinem, William Goldman, Margaret Cho, Isaac Mizrahi, Julia Alvarez,
and former Miss Americas Bess Myerson, Lee Meriwether, and Mary Ann Mobley.
VHS 96 min., color, PBS Video, 2002.
MOMS RISING
Narrated by Academy Award-winning actress Mary Steenburgen, The Motherhood Manifesto shows dramatically just how far behind all other industrial countries the United States lags in its support for families. Prominent experts including Karen Kornbluh, Joan Williams, Janet Gornick, Jody Heymann and NOW’s Kim Gandy make the case that America can do much better.
DVD, MomsRising.org.
MONDAY'S GIRLS
Monday’s Girls provides an up-to-the-minute look at tradition in today's
changing
VHS 50 min., b/w, A BCC Production, 1993.
MY CHILD: MOTHERS OF WAR
My Child – Mothers of War, is a film that can mobilize the masses and influence those in power to comprehend the grave impact of sending this country’s children to war. The film interviews mothers of American troops in Iraq and shows that although their opinions on war, politics, and social and cultural issues may differ, these mothers are bound by limitless love for their child. Both political views are represented to show that no matter what affiliation you claim, the loss of a child shatters any semblance of party lines.
DVD 94 min., color, Human Revolution Entertainment, 2006.
MY FEMINISM
In an era of anti-feminist backlash, this articulate documentary forcefully
reminds us that the revolution continues. Powerful interviews with feminist
leaders are undercut with documentary sequences to engagingly explore
the past and present status of the women's movement.
VHS & DVD 55 min., color, Women Make Movies, 1997.
MY FLESH AND BLOOD
Who says you can't choose your family? Susan Tom of Fairfield, California, has done just that, adopting 11 special-needs children and giving them love, hope and as close to a normal childhood as possible. Winner of the Audience Award and Director's Award at 2003's Sundance Film Festival, My Flesh and Blood follows a year in the life of this remarkable family as it confronts a litany of daily routines, celebrates life's small pleasures, and copes with major crises.
DVD 83 min., color, HBO/Cinimax, 2003.
MY HEART IS MY WITNESS
My Heart is My Witness investigates the status of women in Islam through
interviews with men and women from Mali, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. Though
often caricatured in the Western media as a homogenous group of veiled subordinates,
this documentary shows the diversity of Muslim women, informed by both religion
and culture. The sentiment,
"Women's rights are never given, they are always fought for," is
echoed by women from
VHS & DVD 56 min., color, Women Make Movies, 1996.
NEVER GO BACK: The Threat to Legalized Abortion
Feminist Majority Foundation
NOT FOR OURSELVES ALONE: The Story
of Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony
Not For Ourselves Alone tells the dramatic, little-known story of one of the
most compelling friendships in American history. Elizabeth Cady Stanton and
Susan B. Anthony were born into a world ruled entirely by men. By the time
their lives were over, they had changed for the better the lives of a majority
of American citizens. Their personal relationship was often turbulent, but
they never wavered in their shared belief that equality was the birthright
of every woman, and for more than half a century led the fight to make that
dream a reality.
VHS & DVD Part I -
"Revolution" 120 min., color
VHS Part II - "Failure Is Impossible" 90 min., color
PBS Home Video, 1999.
OFF THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW
How are we to make sense of the transformation
in gay representation - from virtual invisibility before 1970 to the "gay
chic" of the 1990’s? Off the Straight & Narrow is the first
in depth documentary to cast a critical eye over the growth of gay images
on TV. Leading media scholars provide the historical and cultural context
for exploring the social implications of these new representations. Off
the Straight & Narrow challenges viewers to consider the value and
limits of available gay images. The video is an invaluable tool for all educators
interested in introducing students to issues of representation and diversity
in the media.
VHS 63 min., color, Media Education Foundation, 1998.
ONE WOMAN ONE VOTE
From Elizabeth Cady Stanton's call for women's
rights at
VHS 106 min., PBS Video, 1995.
ORANGES ARE NOT THE ONLY FRUIT
This critically acclaimed film, set in '60s
northern England, is the tale of Jess, a 16-year-old girl raised to be a
missionary, who falls in love for the first time—with another girl. When
Jess' strict Evangelist mother finds out, she is determined to make her daughter
renounce her sin, resulting in disaster.
VHS (two tapes) 165 min., color, BBC Video/CBS FOX, 1990.
OUR HOUSE: A Very Real Documentary
About Kids of Gay and Lesbian Parents
In this video, producer Meema Spadola (the
daughter of a lesbian mother) offers a frank exploration of what it means
to grow up with gay or lesbian parents. It profiles the children in five
diverse families who are facing the usual ups and downs of family life while
encountering varied reactions from extended family, classmates, teachers,
neighbors and public officials. The featured families come from a variety
of socioeconomic, racial and ethnic backgrounds and live in urban, suburban,
and rural communities throughout the
VHS & DVD 60 min., color, The Cinema Guild Inc.
OUTFOXED: Rupert Murdoch’s War on Journalism
This documentary reveals the secrets of former Fox news producers, reporters, bookers, and writers who expose what it’s like to work for Fox News. Media experts including Jeff Cohen (FAIR), Bob McChesney, and Chellie Pingree provide context and guidance for the story of Fox News and the effect of corporate control on the public’s right to know. Visit www.outfoxed.org for reference and teaching materials.
DVD 1 hr. approx., color, moveon.org, 2005.
A PASSION FOR JUSTICE: 21ST CENTURY FEMINISM
This video explores the tough challenges facing women and girls: safety, health, and equal opportunities. Viewers will meet an impressive array of activists tackling issues of profound social importance with a passion for justice. Through their courageous visions and diverse voices, we are transported to the front lines of the feminist movement as this video demystifies feminism.
VHS & DVD 34 min.,
PAUL MONETTE: THE BRINK OF SUMMER’S END
This film offers a glimpse of the man whose sincerity and heroism served to uplift a generation of men who were imprisoned by the closet and another generation who can now stand proud of themselves and those they love.
VHS 90 min., color, First Run Features, 1997.
PEER HARASSMENT: Hassles for Women
on Campus
This film shows examples of peer harassment
against women, gays, and minorities on a college campus and how to handle
the situation.
VHS 15 min., Instructional Technology,
PEOPLE LIKE US: Social Class in
This PBS Film explores social class in
VHS & DVD
THE PERFECT BODY
The Perfect Body explores some of the current cultural messages and personal pressures
that entice women to strive for this largely unattainable ideal. Four college
women candidly share their struggles with body images and discuss the pressures
they have felt.
VHS 14 min., color, Intermedia, Inc., 1995.
PERFECT ILLUSIONS: EATING DISORDERS AND THE FAMILY
Anorexia and Bulimia are a silent epidemic (which has gained widespread public attention only in recent years) and can be lethal. Yet, sufferers don’t look as gravely ill as they really are, hiding their illness behind a perfect illusion of normalcy as portrayed though Anna Westin’s life story.
VHS 54 min + 30 min follow up discussion, KCTS Television, 2002.
PERIOD: THE END OF MENSTRUATION?
This documentary film explores trends in hormonal birth control, which may change the way we think of gender, health and what is “natural” and “normal.”
DVD 54 min., color, cinemaguild, Inc, 2006.
THE PILL
Featuring personal accounts from the first generation of women to have access to the Pill, this film shows how harnessing female hormones into a little pill unleashed a social revolution unlike any other in our history.
VHS & DVD 60 min., PBS Home Video, 2003.
This exuberant celebration of African American
women and their achievements features interviews with Angela Davis, June
Jordan and Alice Walker. Within the context of the civil rights, Black power
and feminist movements, the trio reassesses how women such as Rosa Parks
and Fannie Lou Hamer revolutionized American society. A stirring chapter
in African American history, highlighted by music from Prince, Janet Jackson,
the Neville Brothers and the Staple Singers.
VHS 52 min., color, Women Make Movies, 1991.
PLAYING UNFAIR: THE MEDIA IMAGE OF THE FEMALE ATHLETE
Playing Unfair is the first video to critically examine the post-Title IX media landscape in terms of the representation of female athletes. Using numerous media examples, Playing Unfair is sure to stimulate debate among women and men, athletes and non-athletes about the meaning of these images in a world transformed by the presence of women in sport.
VHS 30 min., Media Education Foundation, 2002.
A PRICE ABOVE RUBIES
This widely acclaimed motion picture is about
a young woman who always did just what was expected: she married the right
man, moved to the right neighborhood and had a beautiful baby. And yet, when
she discovers an exciting world beyond her tightly knit community, it sparks
a growing desire for independence that threatens the security of the perfect
life she knows.
VHS 116 min., color, Miramax Home Entertainment.
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE
Based on Jane Austen's timeless novel, this film is the story of the lively
Elizabeth Bennet, one of five unmarried daughters living in the countryside
of 19th century
VHS (six tapes) Approx. 50 min. each, A BBC Production, 1996.
Rachel Carson's
Silent Spring
Rachel Carson had been a consulting biologist
for the federal government's Fish and Wildlife Department when she first
took note of the unregulated use of pesticides and herbicides. When Silent
Spring was published,
VHS & DVD 60 min., color, PBS Video, 1992.
RACHEL’S DAUGHTERS: SEARCHING FOR
THE CAUSES OF BREAST CANCER
From the makers of the Oscar-winning In the
Shadow of The Stars, this fascinating documentary follows a group of women
- all breast cancer activists who are fighting or have survived the disease
- who are on a personal mission to unearth the causes of breast cancer. The
result is Rachel's Daughters, an engaging detective story and detailed
analysis of the science and politics of this epidemic. Seeing themselves
as spiritual heirs of author Rachel Carson, whose 1962 book Silent Spring
warned of the dangers of DDT exposure, they focus on issues including chemical
contamination, radiation, and electromagnetic exposure to find breast cancer's
causes. Addressing environmental racism, inequalities in research funding,
and disparities in cancer rates for women of color, they track the effects
of social biases on cancer incidence and health care delivery.
VHS 106 min., color, Women Make Movies, 1997.
RAPE IS…
Rape Is… explores the meaning severity, and consequences of rape. Looks
at rape from a global and historical perspective, but focuses mainly on
the domestic conditions that make this human rights outrage the most under-reported
crime in
VHS 32min.,
REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES
Should she leave home, go to college and experience life? Or stay at home, get married, and keep working in her sister’s struggling garment factory? It may seem like an easy decision, but for 18 year-old Ana, every choice she makes this summer will change her life. At home, she is bound to a mother who wants her to become someone she’s not. But at school, she’s encouraged by a teacher who sees her potential, and adored by a boyfriend who loves her for who she is. Right now, Ana may be making clothes for less shapely women. But she’s about to discover that real women take chances, have flaws, embrace life, and above all, have curves!
DVD 86 min.,
RECOVERING BODIES
The focus in this unique and informative
video is not simply on people's problems with food, but on the renewed hope
for a healthy life that the process of recovery provides. Full of useful
information about successful strategies for recovery, and utilizing the commentary
and expertise of professionals.
VHS 34 min., color, The Media Education Foundation, 1997.
THE RIGHTEOUS BABES
Acclaimed filmmaker Pratibha Parmar explores
the intersection of feminism with popular music, focusing on the role of
female recording artists in the 1990's and their influence on modern women.
Parmar argues that, far from being dead, feminism has thrived and expanded
its reach through the direct, aggressive, and revolutionary medium of rock
music, and through performers like Madonna and Ani DiFranco. With critical
insight and candidness, this powerful documentary demonstrates the vibrancy
and relevance of feminism to women and young girls today.
VHS 50 min., color, Women Make Movies, 1998.
A ROOM OF ONE'S OWN
"A woman must have money and a room
of her own if she is to write fiction."
So spoke Virginia Woolf in 1929 as she discussed the problems of the writer
and of women in general. In this program, the actress Eileen Atkins re-creates
her acclaimed one-woman stage show based on Woolf’s talk, in the original
lecture hall at
VHS 53 min., color, Films for the Humanities & Sciences, 1996.
THE ROOTS OF ROE
Looking past slogans and 30-second sound bites, The Roots of Roe explores how arguments over human reproductions have changed over the years. Features interviews with some of the country's leading medical and legal historians, as well as first person accounts from the litigants and attorneys who presented cases to both the Connecticut Supreme Count and the Federal Supreme Court.
VHS 58min., CPTV and CT Humanities Council, 1992.
S21 THE KHMER ROUGE KILLING MACHINE
From 1975-79, almost two million Cambodians lost their lives to murder and famine when the Khmer Rouge forced the urban population into the countryside to fulfill their ideal of an agrarian utopia. The notorious detention center code-named “S21”was the schoolhouse-turned prison where 17,000 men, women and children were tortured and killed, their "crimes" meticulously documented to justify their execution. In this award-winning documentary and astonishing historical document, survivor Vann Nath confronts his captors, some of whom were as young as 12 years old when they committed their atrocities.
DVD 101 min., color, Human Rights Watch, 2003
SACRIFICE
In Sacrifice, filmmaker Ellen Bruno
uses hauntingly beautiful imagery to paint a startling picture of an ugly
reality: the thriving sex industry in
VHS 48 min., color, NAATA, 1998.
SALT OF THE EARTH
Salt of the Earth is based on an actual strike against the Empire Zinc Mine in
VHS 94 min., B/W, MPI, 1954.
SEARCHING FOR ANGELA SHELTON
Filmmaker Angela Shelton journeys across
the
DVD 94 min., color, searchingforengelashelton LLC, 2004.
SECRETS
& LIES
Hortense is a young black optometrist, living
in
VHS 142 min., color, Alliance Video, 1996.
SENECA REFLECTIONS: 150 Years of Women's
Rights
Seneca Reflections is a rare, personal tribute to the remarkable women—past and present—whose
lives have furthered the cause of women's rights. Included are the voices
of Betty Friedan, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Donna Shalala, Sally Roesch Wagner,
Judy Wellman, Coline Jenkins-Sahlin, Karen Staser, and others. Their strong,
insightful comments will contribute to any discussion of women's issues.
VHS 24 min., The Publisher, The Writings of Mary Baker Eddy, 1998.
SEX ROLES: Charting the Complexity
of Development
This film helps answer the question of what
distinguishes males from females. It includes the story of development of
the child and adolescent.
VHS WLU Telecollege Productions, Inc., Insight Media.
SEXISM IN LANGUAGE: Thief of Honor,
Shaper of Lies
Lynn T. Lovdal, Ph.D., lectures about biased
language against women of the past and present day society.
SEXUAL HARASSMENT FROM 9 TO 5
This program looks at the legal and the human
side to sexual harassment in the workplace and shows the rights of women,
the responsibilities of male workers and the companies that employ them.
VHS 26 min., color, Films for the Humanities & Sciences, Inc.,
1992.
Serendipitously rich and quirky, SHERMAN'S MARCH starts out as an historical documentary tracing General Tecumseh Sherman's disastrous march through the South, but somehow metamorphoses into an hilarious record McElwee’s, the filmmaker, own calamitous quest for romance. After a breakup with his girlfriend sidetracks his plans for the historical documentary, McElwee turns the camera on himself and his search for new love. The film is a compendium of his encounters with a formidable group of extravagant Southern women, resulting in a timely study of human relationships in an era of nuclear nervousness.
VHS 157 min., color, First Run Features, 1986.
SHORTCHANGING GIRLS, SHORTCHANGING
AMERICA
Shortchanging Girls, Shortchanging
VHS & DVD 19 min., color, American Association of University Women,
1991.
SLAYING THE DRAGON
Slaying the Dragon is a comprehensive look
at media stereotypes of Asian and Asian American women since the silent era.
From the racist use of white actors to portray Asians in early Hollywood
films, through the success of Anna May Wong’s sinister dragon lady, to Suzie
Wong and the ’50s geisha girls, to the Asian-American anchorwoman of today,
this fascinating videotape shows how stereotypes of exoticism and docility
have affected the perception of Asian-American women. Produced by Asian Women
United, this invaluable resource has been widely used by universities and
libraries.
VHS 60 min., color/B &W, Women Make Movies, 1988.
SLIM HOPES: Advertising and the Obsession
with Thinness
Jean Kilbourne offers an in-depth analysis
of how female bodies are depicted in advertising imagery and the devastating
effects of that imagery on women's health. Addressing the relationship between
these images and the obsession of girls and women with dieting and thinness, Slim
Hopes offers a new way to think about life-threatening eating disorders
such as anorexia and bulimia, and it provides a well-documented critical
perspective on the social impact of advertising. Using over 150 ads, it informs
as it entertains, allowing viewers to build an analytic framework for considering
the impact of advertising on women's health.
VHS 30 min., color, Media Education Foundation, 1995.
SO DEEP A VIOLENCE: Prostitution,
Trafficking, and the Global Sex Industry
This film, produced by the Coalition Against
Trafficking in Women, goes beyond the myths about prostitution as a glamorous
job, a new form of word and a woman's choice to demonstrate the harm of prostitution
and sex trafficking. It spotlights the men who create the demand for the
sexual exploitation of women and girls. This film inspires a campaign of
zero tolerance for sexual exploitation.
VHS 29 min., color, CATW, 2000.
SPEAKING OUT FOR JUSTICE (missing
since at least April 2005)
Highlights several LAF-supported plaintiffs,
both past and present, who tell their stories of battling sex discrimination
on
VHS 20 min., AAUW Legal Advocacy Fund.
SPIRITUAL MIDWIFERY
Spiritual Midwifery was produced in hopes of helping to reclaim the normalcy
of birth from the clutches of technocracy. The Farm midwives’ love and knowledge
pour forth in this powerful and stunningly beautiful film.
VHS Birth Gazette Video, 1995.
SPRING SYMPHONY (missing
since April 2005)
Whatever it is about 19th century
composer Robert Schumann and his pianist wife Clara Wieck that fascinates
filmmakers, it is a strong enough fascination to prompt a retelling of the
Schumanns' lives every few years. First, there was the 1947 Katharine Hepburn/Paul
Henreid film vehicle Song of Love. Then there was a well-received 1950s episode
of The Loretta Young Show. And in 1983, we were treated to the German-made
Spring Symphony (originally Fruehlingssinfonie). This time around, Nastassja
Kinski is Clara and Herbert Gronemeyer is Robert; the story of how fame can
destroy the relationship between a sensitive woman and a workaholic man remains
the mixture as before. Oddly, given the usual "warts and all" movie
mentality of the 1980s, Spring Symphony is even more fanciful and romanticized
than earlier versions of the Schumann saga. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
VHS 102 mins., color, Greentree Productions Ltd., 1986.
THE SUM OF US
A boisterous widower and his easy-going gay
son enjoy a comfortable life in suburbia. But when the father decides that
his son should brave the journey towards true love, he helps things along
a bit too much. Through various relationships, these two men discover the
unshakable strength of their relationship.
VHS 99 min., color, Evergreen Entertainment, 1994.
SUSAN B. ANTHONY SLEPT HERE
ABC news correspondent Lynn Sherr takes us
on a lively trip across
VHS 56 min., color, Films for the Humanities & Sciences, 1995.
SWEATING INDIAN STYLE
The appropriation of Native American traditions by non-natives comes under
thoughtful scrutiny in this insightful documentary. As it follows the
New Age activities of a group of Californian women learning to construct
a sweat lodge and perform their own ceremony, it raises important questions
about the use of elements of native culture out of context, apart from
the complex realities of American Indian experience. Interviews with
diverse Native American women point out the problems inherent in this
increasingly popular New Age phenomenon and its relationship to traditional
forms of colonialism.
VHS 57 min., color, Women Make Movies, 1994.
THESE HANDS
This film looks at a day in the life of African
women whose labor (breaking up rocks) provides the only narrative for this
compelling film. Community and a sense of fun and vitality persist despite
their ground into the common currency of industrial civilization.
VHS 45 min., B/W,
THIN
The HBO documentary film Thin takes
us inside the walls of
DVD 102 min., color, HBO Documentary Films,
2006.
THIS AIN'T GOING AWAY
This video illustrates the effect that harassment
can have on an entire workplace, including the effects on the person who
is harassed, on the union, and on other co-workers. Information from the
CAW Workplace Harassment Policy is included.
VHS 25 min., Barna-Alper Productions, Inc., 1997.
THIS IS SPINAL TAP
You’re about to get personal with one of
music history’s greatest—and loudest—heavy metal bands… SPINAL TAP! Whether
or not you’re a die-hard fan of the group, you’ll love this rockumentary
of
TO THE LIGHTHOUSE
As a wave casually laps onto the
VHS 115 min., color, Monterey Movie Company, 1983.
TONI MORRISON: Profile of a Writer (archived)
Toni Morrison, the leading chronicler of
the black experience in America, talks about the problems of slavery and
its appalling legacy with an approach that is at once warm, generous, intelligent
and knowledgeable.
VHS 52 min., color, Home Vision, 1987.
TOUGH GUISE
In this innovative and wide-ranging analysis,
Jackson Katz argues that the widespread violence in American society needs
to be understood as part of an ongoing crisis in masculinity. Tough Guise is
extensively illustrated with examples from popular culture.
VHS 80 min., color, Media Education Foundation, 1999.
THE TRUE MEANING OF PICTURES
An audience favorite at Sundance, The
True Meaning of Pictures is an introduction to the work of renowned
photographer Shelby Lee Adams. Born in Eastern Kentucky, Adams has decoted
30 years of his life to visiting and making portraits of families living
in
DVD 71 mins., color. Mercury Films. 2002.
TSOTSI
Captivating audiences worldwide, this compelling
story of crime and redemption has earned countless awards around the globe. On
the edges of
DVD 94 min., color. Mirmax Films. 2005.
UNCHAINED MEMORIES
This film documents the inhumanity of slavery from the point of view of those who lived it. With the visual help of Ed Bell, Edward Bell, and Thomas Lennon, the stories from former slaves that were recorded long ago are brought to life through narratives by some of today's top African American actors and actresses. The narratives were recorded all across the U.S when many of the former slaves were very old.
DVD 75 min., color, HBO Video, 2003.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
In the spring of 1942, more than 110,000 American citizens of Japanese ancestry were uprooted from their homes and businesses and incarcerated in desolate relocation camps. Without hearings or trials, men, women and children were evacuated under Executive Order 9066—the Wartime Relocation Act. “Unfinished Business” is the story of three Japanese-American resistors—Gorden Hirabayashi, Fred Korematsu, and Minoru Yasui—who courageously defied the government order and refused to go, resulting in their conviction and imprisonment. The film interweaves their personal stories with moving archival footage of wartime anti-Japanese hysteria, the evacuation and incarceration, and life at the camps. It captures the man 40 years later, fighting to overturn their original convictions in the final round of the battle against the act which shattered the lives of two generations of Japanese Americans.
DVD 58 min, color, Farallon Films, 1984.
UNTOLD DESIRES
This film highlights the struggle that people
with disabilities face in their quest to be recognized as sexual beings,
free to express their sexuality and lead sexually active lives. In the sometimes
sensitive area of sexuality, people with disabilities find that their own
needs are often subverted by the conservative values of those who provide
essential care. They are also sharply conscious of how they are seen by others. Untold
Desires allows these people to speak about issues that confront them:
choice, privacy, the right to have sexual relationships and the right to
have children. They speak frankly about their experiences in search of sexually
fulfilled lives. Their honesty is sometimes raw, but always deeply moving.
The film offers positive images for people with disabilities and breaks down
stereotypes that render the disabled person non-sexual in the eyes of the
non-disabled world.
VHS 53 min., color, Filmakers Library.
THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES
The Vagina Monologues, created and performed by Eve Ensler, debuted off-Broadway in 1996. This controversial work soon rode a wave of national acclaim and continues to be performed around the world.
VHS 76 min., HBO Home Video, 2002.
VOICES FROM THE UNDERGROUND: Survivors
of Prostitution Speak Out
Shot on home video camera, this film exposes
the reality of prostitution and pornography in the
VHS 53 min., color, SE Escape, 2000.
WALMART: THE HIGH COST OF LOW PRICE
Have you ever wondered why Wal-Mart spends so much money convincing you it cares about your family, your community, and even its own employees? What is it hiding? Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price takes you behind that glitz and into the real lives of workers and their families, business owners and their communities, in an extraordinary journey that will challenge the way you think, feel, and shop.
DVD 97 min., color. Brave New Films, 2005.
WARRIOR MARKS
Warrior Marks is a poetic and political film about female genital mutilation from the director
of A Place of Rage. Female genital mutilation affects one hundred
million of the world’s women and this remarkable film unlocks some of the
cultural and political complexities surrounding this issue. Interviews with
women from
VHS 54 min., color, Women Make Movies, 1995.
THE WATERMELON WOMAN
Cheryl is a twenty-something black lesbian
working as a clerk in a video store while struggling to make a documentary
about Fae Richards, an obscure black actress from the 1930's. Cheryl is surprised
to discover that Richards (known popularly as "the Watermelon Woman")
had a white lesbian lover. At the same time, Cheryl falls in love with a
very cute white customer at the video store (Guinevere Turner from Go Fish).
Such are the complexities of race and sex in this startlingly fresh debut,
which has been attacked by conservative Congressmen for having been funded
by the NEA and lavishingly praised in the editorial pages for being charming
and courageous.
VHS 84 min., color, First Run Features, 1997.
WE
We is a fast-paced 64 minute documentary that covers the world politics of power, war, corporations, deception, and exploitation. It visualizes the words of Arundhati Roy, specifically her famous Come September speech, where she spoke on such things as the war on terror, corporate globalization, justice and the growing civil unrest happening in the world. Witty, moving, alarming, and quite a lesson in modern history.
65 min., color, weroy.org 2006
WHEN NIGHT IS FALLING
Camille and Martin are in love and teachers
at a Christian college; they get the opportunity to get a better job, but
they would have to marry for that. But when Camille's dog dies, she recognizes
that her love for Martin is not even as big as the love for her dog. After
that, Camille gets to know
VHS 94 min., color, October Films, 1995.
WILD WOMEN DON’T HAVE THE BLUES
The story of Ma Rainey, Ethel Waters, Bessie Smith, Alberta Hunter, Ida Cox, and other pioneering blues women from early in the century are brought to life in Wild Women Don’t Have the Blues. We learn of their vision and their struggle, their pain and their humor, their unflagging spirit, and most of all, their legendary music. The film complies for the first time dozens of rare, classic renditions of the early blues to commentary by “Queen of the Blues”, Koko Taylor.
VHS 58 min., color, California Newsreel, 1989.
A WOMAN’S WORLD: WOMEN IN POLITICS
VHS 30
min., color, Women in Politics Productions, LLC, 2000.
WOMEN AGAINST WARS, WARS AGAINST WOMEN
Talks by Nawal el Saddawi, Arundhati Roy,
Saher Saba, and Irene Khan at the World Social Fourm in
DVD 51.5 min., color, Institute for Social and Cultural Communication, 2004.
WOMEN ARTISTS: The Other Side of the
Picture
Where are the works of the great women artists?
Why are there so few represented in museums? In this provocative program,
respected artists such as Doris McCarthy, Judy Chicago, Joyce Weiland, and
Jane Ash Poitras--in combination with curators, art historians, and The Guerrilla
Girls, the "terrorists"
of the art world--discuss the dearth of women's artwork in major galleries
and examine the poignant social history of women in the fine arts--a story
of suppression, marginalization, and omission. The efforts of the National
Museum of Women in the Arts to balance that one-sided picture of artistic
achievement are spotlighted.
VHS 54 min., color, Films for the Humanities & Sciences, 1999.
WOMEN AT THE INTERSECTION OF RACISM AND OTHER OPPRESSIONS
Explores the intersectionality and women’s strategies for overcoming oppressions
through examples of violations in war, conflict, and genocide—ethnic Chinese
women in
VHS 30 min., Center for Women’s Global Leadership, 2003.
WOMEN FACING WAR
Eleven women from different places and backgrounds
describe how war has affected their lives.
VHS 33min., color, Urban Films and ICRC, 2001.
WOMEN OF
Through interviews with women leaders, primary
documents, and brief biographical sketches, this documentary encourages young
people to become more committed to
VHS
WOMEN OF WISDOM AND POWER
One of the most critically acclaimed and inspiring PBS series ever produced features an unprecedented gathering of some of today’s most fascinating and influential women, at their best, their wisest, their most powerful. They discuss the issues that are most meaningful and deeply relevant in women’s lives today.
Episode I Passages The Path to Personal Transformation 60 min.
Episode II Ageless Beauty Embrace your Wisdom Years 60 min.
Episode III The Power Within Unleash the Power of your Feminine Spirit 60 min.
DVD, color, PBS 2005
(Donated by Tiffany Hubert and her mother.)
WOMANHOUSE
Womanhouse is a historic documentary about one of the most important feminist cultural
events of the 1970's. Judy Chicago and Miriam Shapiro rented an old
VHS 43 min., color, Women Make Movies, 1972.
WRESTLING WITH MANHOOD: BOYS, BULLYING, AND BATTERING
Wresting with Manhood is the first educational
program to pay attention to the popularity of professional wresting among
male youth, addressing its relationship to real-life violence and probing
the values that sustain it as a powerful cultural force.
VHS 60
min., Media Education Foundation, 2002.
THE YELLOW WALLPAPER
Touted as one of the first major feminist
writers, Charlotte Perkins Gilman spent her life fighting to liberate women
from the yoke of domesticity. This is a stunning BBC dramatization of Perkins’ autobiographical
account of a woman driven to madness by her own mundane existence. Stephen
Dillon as the husband John and Julia Watson as the despondent heroine give
stellar performances in this production directed by the BBC’s John Clive.
VHS 76 min., color, BBC Worldwide Americas, Inc.