Women's Studies: Film

"Manu is violently raped by a group of savage young thugs. Nadine, a tough-skinned prostitute, sells her body but refuses to give up her soul. Chance unites them and together they decide to alter their destinies. Angry at the world, the embark on a twisted, rage-filled road trip."

From the early 1970s and part of the "blaxploitation" film movement, a movement that meant to redefine how black men and women were portrayed in film. Cleopatra Jones is a " beautiful, tough drug enforcement agent intercedes when a menacing drug ring attempts to stage a retaliatory raid on a Los Angeles drug rehabilitation center."

Another classic of the blaxploitation era, originally released in 1973, Pam Grier plays "Coffy, a young nurse, takes vengeance on the powerful drug ring that destroyed her younger sister's life." Includes audio commentary by the director, original theatrical trailer.

A classic film from the blaxploitation era (originally released in 1974); "Foxy Brown (Grier) finally has found the love of her life. He is an undercover narcotics investigator who is later murdered in cold blood. In order to find the killers, she goes undercover as a call girl." Includes additional sound track of audio commentary by the director; original theatrical trailer.

Based on the book by Anita Loos. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes : the Illuminating Diary of a Professional Lady ; and, But Gentlemen Marry Brunettes (813.52 L863g , 1998).

Based on the novel by Michael Cunningham: 813.54 C973h , 1998

"In 1943, a washed-up ballplayer is hired to coach in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League while the male pros are at war. Reluctant at first, he finds himself drawn back into the game by the heart and heroics of his team. Based on a true story."

"Mae West had an inexhaustibly playful interest in language, and a rare, sometimes perplexing, and even lofty wit, spiced by low-down slang. Well before the second wave of feminism, she wrote all her own material, insisted on total control of her work, and was wildly popular for a short time, right before the Production Code lowered the boom on adult attitudes being expressed in films. She made only 12 movies, but three are first-rate, and these were enough to seal her fame and launch a legend."

Includes the films Morocco ; Blonde Venus; The Devil Is a Woman; The Flame of New Orleans; Golden Earrings.

"In 1970s Iran, Marjane "Marji" Satrapi watches events through her young eyes and her idealistic family. Their long dream is realized when the hated Shah is defeated in the Iranian Revolution of 1979. Now ruled by Islamic fundamentalists, Marji grows up to witness first hand how the new Iran has become a repressive tyranny on its own. With Marji dangerously refusing to remain silent at this injustice, her parents send her abroad to Vienna to study. This change proves an equally difficult trial for Marji as she finds herself in a different culture loaded with abrasive characters and profound disappointments that deeply trouble her. Even when she returns home, Marji finds that both she and her homeland have changed too much and the young woman and her loving family must decide where she truly belongs." Our library also owns Marjane Satrapi's books: Persepolis (955.0542092 S253p , 2003) and Persepolis 2: the Story of a Return (741.5944 S253p , 2004).

Based on the book by Muriel Spark (823.914 S736p 1984).

"In 1975, with the end of the war in Vietnam imminent, Mai Thi Kim, a poor, young Vietnamese woman, sent her seven-year-old daughter to America as part of a controversial evacuation program known as Operation Babylift. Kim believed her daughter Hiep -- who was conceived during a brief love affair with an American Naval officer -- would be in danger in Vietnam. Hiep's journey took her to Pulaski, Tennessee, where she was adopted by a single woman and renamed Heidi, and became "101%" American. In 1997, Heidi decides to return to Vietnam in search of her mother. The film follows mother and daughter over the course of their one-week reunion, and in painful, difficult scenes, it becomes apparent that the cultural gulf between them is much larger than either imagined. It reveals how the trauma inflicted by the Vietnam War continues to haunt and harm those who survived it."

"This documentary follows the 1972 campaign waged by Shirley Chisholm, the first African-American woman to run for a major party's nomination for United States President. Chisholm first made her mark on American political history when, in 1968, she became the first African-American woman elected to Congress, representing New York."

"This film illustrates how the new constitution in post-apartheid South Africa partially lived up to its goals of promoting justice and human rights. Essential to keeping these promises, indeed mandated by the constitution, is a diverse judiciary -- one that includes women. By 2008, 18 percent of the superior court judges were women. This film is their story."

"In this documentary, former Elite International fashion model, Nicole Clark, calls for a necessary change, integrity and responsible media for our youth. This is an examination of how advertising and the cult of celebrity have deeply and negatively impacted teens and young women. The film juxtaposes ads and interviews with editors from top fashion magazines with revealing interviews of parents, teachers, psychologists, body image experts, and the girls themselves."

v. 1. Paula Stern ; Barbara Jordan ; Sarah Weddington ; Joycelyn Elders ; Marilyn Quayle
v. 2. Elizabeth Dole ; Mary Fisher ; Tipper Gore ; Heather Lamm ; Margaret Thatcher
v. 3. Maya Angelou ; Condaleezza Rice ; Karenna Gore Schiff ; Jan Piercy ; Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg
v.4. Queen Noor ; Jennifer Granholm ; Kay Bailey Hutchinson ; Patty Murray ; Blanche Lambert Lincoln
v.5. Condoleezza Rice ; Hillary Rodham Clinton ; Teresa Heinz Kerry ; Elisabeth Hasselbeck ; Haleema Salie-
v.6 Anita Taylor, Laura Bush, Mary Robinson, Elaine Chao, Elizabeth Edwards.-
v.7. Elizabeth Edwards-"Facing my mortality" ; Michelle Obama-2008 DNC Speech, ; Cindy McCain-2008 RNC Speech, ; Pres. of Ireland Mary McAleese-Notre Dame Commemcement, ; Ambassador Mary Yates-Oregon St. Commencement, ; Lilly Ledbetter-Suing for equal pay, ; Carly Florina-2008RNC Speech.

"In the nineteenth century women made quilts: to cover their beds, to create artistic vision, and to express their political sentiments. In this film we have pieced together the primary materials of women's lives - diaries, letters, photographs, and quilts - are to tell a new story of nineteenth century lives." - title screens. Looks at quilts, and the history of quilts, from New England, the South, the Midwest, and the West."

"Uncovers the inside story of the Second Wave of the Women's Movement. Joan Braderman, who joined the group in 1975 as an aspiring filmmaker, reconnects with other members of a New York feminist art collective which was active from 1977-1992 in lower Manhattan. This first person account focuses on the Heresies Collective as a microcosm of the larger international Women's Movement. The film describes how thousands of small intimate groups of women met together to consider their situation--as women in a man's world--and to devise strategies for unlocking their potential."

"Interweaves excerpts from some of Maya Deren's films with archival footage and commentary by acolytes and contemporaries, such as Stan Brakhage and Jonas Mekas. Includes excerpts from the films: At land, Ritual in transfigured time, and Meshes of the afternoon."

An example of how one person CAN make a difference. When she arrives at the University of Illinois, Charlene Teters is shocked by the school's mascot Chief Illiniwek. She sees the use of Native Americans as mascots to be a dishonor to her people (and her children) and begins an effort to abolish this wide-spread practice, and at the same time educate us all.

"A glimpse into the life of Kathryn Tucker Windham, pioneering female journalist, collector of tales, and 'the queen of storytellers'."

"Barbara Jordan was the first black woman elected to the House of Representatives from the South. She served three terms in that office and became known for her speeches. She was an attorney and later an educator in Houston, Texas."

"Peace Anyiam-Fiberesima of Lagos, Nigeria is an impresario of showbiz and an impassioned spokeswoman for the thriving and innovative African film industry. She is "Nollywood Lady," an ex-lawyer, producer, filmmaker, and the founder and CEO of the influential African Academy of Motion Pictures. And she is reshaping the way Africans see themselves--and how the world sees Africans. Sharing her vision for transforming preconceptions about Africa and African images with filmmaker Dorothee Wenner, Anyiam-Fiberesima takes viewers on an all-access tour to film locations, markets, and sit-downs with Nollywood professionals in the vibrant production hub of Lagos."

A documentary of the 1936 Olympic games held in Berlin. Special features: Deleted scene (Olympia oath) ; alternate scenes ; essay by historian David Calvert Smith ; biography ; still gallery ; short film (Jugend der welt (Youth of the world)) ; official documentary of the 1936 winter Olympics at Garmisch-Partenkirchen ; Kamera fahrt mit (Camera goes along) ; 1936 documentary by Bavaria-Filmkunst featuring footage from Leni Riefenstahl's films Olympia and Triumph of the Will.

"Recreates through narration, still photographs, and art worksthe speeches of leading suffragettes whose words shaped the woman's movement during its conception in the late 19th century: Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Lucy Stone, and Sojourner Truth. Also includes biographical material on each."

This documentary tells the story of the first woman of color in the U.S. Congress; Patsy Mink of Hawaii.

"Seven quiltmakers tell about their art, its importance in their lives, and how it is influenced by their daily experiences."

"Raging Grannies is a lively and thought-provoking 30-minute documentary that tells the story of The Raging Grannies Action League of the San Francisco Bay Area Peninsula."

Shirley Chisholm, Geraldine Ferraro, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Elizabeth Dole

"Eileen Atkins' one-woman stage performance recreates Virginia Woolf's talk to the women of Girton College, Cambridge. A call to women to declare their independence, talent and freedom to write, think, love and labor, and to control their own destinies, yet realize necessary communion on all levels between men and women."

"Fearless, feisty and resolute, the 'Rough Aunties' are a remarkable group of women unwavering in their stand to protect and care for the abused, neglected and forgotten children of Durban, South Africa. This...documentary follows the outspoken, multiracial cadre of Thuli, Mildred, Sdudla, Eureka and Jackie, as they wage a daily battle against systemic apathy, corruption and greed to help the most vulnerable and disenfranchised of their communities. Neither politics, nor social or racial divisions stand a chance against the united force of the women. [A]n intimate portrait of change from Africa, this time from the new post-apartheid South Africa, a nation being transformed with hope and energy into a new democracy "

"Documentary explores various aspects of women, politics, feminism, fashion and tradition. The story follows the political campaign of Emily, an engaging but untried 29 year-old woman, as it posits the question: Should women vote for women, regardless of politics? Interwoven with Emily's story are a chorus of powerful women from the left and right of American politics, from comically conservative old-timer Phyllis Schlafly to Rosalind Wiseman, whose books begat the movie Mean Girls."

"In a hip-hop and r&b world dominated by men and noted for misogyny, the unstoppable female lyricists of SAY MY NAME speak candidly about class, race, and gender in pursuing their passions as female emcees. This worldwide documentary takes viewers on [a] vibrant tour of urban culture[s] and musical movement[s], from hip hop's birthplace in the Bronx, to grime on London's Eastside and all points Philly, Detroit, Chicago, Atlanta, and L.A. in between ... Delves into the amazing personal stories of women balancing professional dreams with the stark realities of poor urban communities, race, sexism, and motherhood, as the more than 18 artist featured in [the film] battle for a place in a society that creates few chances for women. From emerging artists filled with new creativity, to true pioneers like MC Lyte, Roxanne Shante, and Monie Love, these are women turning adversity into art "

"A documentary style film, which depicts Rachel Carson in the final year of her life. Struggling with cancer and in the wake of the uproar after the publication of her book Silent spring, she recounts with both humor and anger the attacks by the chemical industry, the government, and the press as she focuses her limited energy to get her message to Congress and the American people."

"In this revealing documentary five extraordinary women talk about their occupations, aspirations, and the rights and status of women in their Muslim countries."

"The story of Boudica, queen of the Iceni in first-century Briton, who united the tribes of Briton in rebellion against Roman occupation."