Whether you are out and proud or are still an in-the-closet feminist, these documentaries are sure to get you thinking about just how far and how much more we need to do to accomplish gender equality. Instead of watching some ditzy rerun, watch these doumentaries and learn how you can become an adovacte for women’s rights.
1. Free The Nipple
This empowering campaign is an equality movement that focuses on the double standards regarding the censorship of the female breasts. The documentary is directed by activist and filmmaker, Lina Esco, who also stars in the film. This educational and entertaining documentary explores the hyper-sexualization of the woman body and most particularly the woman nipple. The documentary also gives the audience a look into the creation of the campaign. Celebrities such as Chrissy Teigen, Matt McGorry, Miley Cyrus and so much more have joined the movement, will you? Watch this thrilling documentary and find out how you can stop American culture and society from hyper-sexualizing the female nipple. How far will you go for gender equality?
2. TIG
For those of you who may not know, Mathilde O’Callaghan Notaro, best known as Tig Notaro, is a stand-up comedian. Tig originally started her career as a band manager under the name of “Tagnation Promotions” and tried stand-up comedy for the first time when her work landed her in Los Angeles. From then her career started to take off, so much so that she was busy doing her stand-up shows and appearing on Conan, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live and so much more. In early 2012, at what she considered the peak of her career, Tig collapsed, was hospitalized and found out she had a fatal condition, soon after her mother died, and on top of all of that, in July of 2012 she found out she had cancer. Tig decided to opt out of chemo and had a double mastectomy with no reconstructive surgery. Her documentary follows her strength as a comedian in which she tells the world she has cancer, in no better form, than in a live stand-up comedy show in Los Angeles. She goes as far as doing a stand-up performance with her shirt off! The courage a woman can find in humor is astonishing, learn more about this powerful comedian and how the road to recovering from cancer can sometimes have loads of laughs!
3. It Happened Here
TRIGGER WARNING: This documentary and the following description contains information about sexual assault which may be triggering to survivors!
As female college students, sexual assault is a crime we unfortunately have to worry about. Director Lisa F. Jackson and producer Marjorie Schwartz Nielsen follow five brave survivors of sexual assault and follow their journey to justice and their thrive to change. In exclusive and intimate interviews, each female student describes how she managed to survive sexual assault while facing blame, shame, and retaliation from the institutions and authorities when they tried to report the crime. This documentary also focuses on a bigger punishment for attackers, as many have little to no punishment. Instead of hiding in shame, they chose to speak up and join forces to push for institutional change.
4. Dark Girls
“Dark Girls” is an amazing and controversial film that explores the prejudices that dark-skinned women face throughout the world. This educational documentary goes into the roots of racism, classism and the lack of self-esteem these women face as a result of the color of their skin. Women from around the globe share their personal stories and touch base on deeply rooted beliefs and attitudes that society has about women with darker skin. Watch this passionate and compelling documentary as these women learn to love themselves for the color of their dark skin and for who they truly are.
5. Honor Diaries
This 2014 documentary follows nine women’s rights advocaters who have their roots in Muslim societies. They work to change their communities and the world one step at a time. This film is a triple-threat as it not only touches base on women’s rights but on cultural and religion as well and how women are affected in negative ways. The film is sure to educate you on many levels of how women are affected in this male-dominated world.