According to the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film, on the top 100 films of 2017, females played only 24% of the main characters. Why don’t we scape mainstream media and check out stories about women with real struggles, which contribute to a better understanding of the feminists movements? Here is a list of seven documentaries available on Netflix that will help you raise awareness to the issues we face on a daily basis worldwide.
These documentaries range between biographical perspective of important feminists to investigative filmmaking, with a historical or modern outlook. Choose whatever suits your personal interest and embrace the inspiration to spark a change.
1. She’s Beautiful When She’s Angry (2014)
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Although this is a common factor between all feminists go to documentaries, it’s crucial to a better historical understanding of the movement on the United States. The perspective on the women’s conflicts between 1966 and 1971 are compelling, even if it doesn’t speak for the entire feminist agenda around the globe.
2. Feminists: What were they thinking? (2018)
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This documentary follows the narratives of women pictured in a 1977 book of photographs that captured them shedding cultural restrictions. Directed by the filmmaker Johanna Demetrakas, it is beautifully acclimatized within the women’s art movement of the period, abbording race, sexuality, business management, etc.
3. The Testimony (2015)
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With a short look into the largest rape trial in Congo’s history, the documentary The Testimony explores the multiple accusations of sexual violence and abuse against soldiers. The viewpoint of the report is crucial to help feminists to have a wider perception of women’s issues.
4. Growing up Coy (2016)
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Growing up Coy tells the story of a six years-old transgender girl whose family came into public to protest against her banishment from the girls restroom in her school. It is centered in the whole family’s battle to guarantee that her rights were respected, making it very far-reaching for feminists who see the movement as an inclusive clamor to get every women’s voice heard.
5. Miss Representation (2011)
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Jennifer Siebel Newson and other influential women of the United States discuss sexism amongst media’s relations and disputes for power in the society. In a very direct narrative, the documentary goes through the perception that television, in particular, has on women, showing how this representation intervene in the way we see ourselves and others. Miss Representation was officially selected at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.
6. Mercury 13 (2018)
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Mercury 13 narrates the remarkable life of women who were tested for the spaceflight in 1961, different from the media which attention was totally focused on NASA’s “man in space” program. Thirteen aviation pioneers passed, some of them performed even better than men. With it’s astounding photography and notable visual graphics, this documentary goes beyond superficiality to share the story of pilots who were ahead of their time.
7. Period.End of sentence (2018)
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In a rural village outside Deli, India, women fight against the stigma of menstruation products manufacturing and marketing their own pads. Period.End of Sentence unfolds the reality of generations who suffered from health problems and even dropped school because they did not have access to secure sanitary products. It also reinforces the importance of spreading information about this topic not only for women, but for men as well. The short documentary was a nominee for the 2018 Oscars.