In 2013, MAKERS, a women’s empowerment platform striving for equality, released Women Who Make America, a three-part series that documented the modern American women’s movement for the first time. But clearly, a lot’s happened since then. From the – for many – devastating loss of what would have been the first female president to the addition and explosion of progressive movement after movement, from a major public reckoning on oppression and inequality to the first woman of color on a major party ticket, less than ten years later, an update was certainly due.
Director Sara Wolitzky watched over the last decade or so as the feminist movement developed. Not all that long ago “feminism” was considered to be a dirty word, but women today are regularly hitting the streets, embracing the term and fighting for a better world for everyone that lives in it. Instead of feeling like she was documenting a “critical past,” as it did the first time around, Wolitzky knew she was seeing history in the making as feminism took flight on the social, political and cultural fronts. NOT DONE: Women Remaking America offers an inside look at all of the individual movements that weave together to create the most recent chapter of the feminist movement, chronicling what filmmakers refer to as “the seismic eruption of women’s organizing.”
Beginning with the 2016 election, interviews with and stories from the founders of each movement, writers, actors, politicians and more at the (most visible) forefront of the present day fight for intersectional equality gives an inside look at the most critical steps over the last few years. Actress America Fererra, showrunner Shonda Rhimes, author Roxanne Gay, actress Natalie Portman, Illinois Representative Lauren Underwood, The Women’s March on Washington’s Linda Sarsour and several other prominant changemakers, as well as behind-the-scenes footage, photos and stories from the conception from the forerunning movements and the revelations about Harvey Weinstein paint a picture of modern feminism and racial justice, inspiring viewers to keep the fires lit even when things feel hopeless.
“The film is a testament to the grit and hope of women who believe that no one is free until everyone is free,” Wolitzky said in her director’s note. Created by a female and non-binary crew, the film is the first release from Verizon’s Future Fund, a $5 million commitment to support new and emerging female talent, and the passion of all involved is clear. So if you’ve felt your motivation waning in these trying times, spend an hour with the womxn at the forefront of The Women’s March, Black Lives Matter, Me Too, Time’s Up and more, and remind yourself that a movement is ongoing. The fight for equality is far from over, and womxn aren’t done.
NOT DONE: Women Remaking America premieres on PBS on Tuesday, October 27 at 8pm ET.