The weekends are the only time we have to go wild, hang with friends and in general just not give a damn about all the responsibilities we have during the week. Going to bars, hitting up new restaurants or going to concerts are all amazing ways to spend a Saturday night, but sometimes we just need a break in the form of a good ol’ movie night equipped with fuzzy socks, popcorn and chocolate (lots of chocolate). Movies can be powerful, and although a lot of the time we just want to relax with a classic Disney film (shoutout to the Little Mermaid), sometimes it’s nice to watch a movie that actually inspires you and makes you think. Next time you’re craving such an experience, make sure to check out these powerful, perspective-changing documentaries.
1. Girls Rising
This documentary is listed at #1 Must See for a reason. I don’t think I’ve ever watched a film that has frustrated and inspired me more than this one. The documentary is about nine girls living in developing countries that have battled and overcome seemingly impossible challenges in their lives. Each girl was paired with a prize-winning author to help write her story, which was then developed into this movie. These nine girls are from Cambodia, Haiti, Nepal, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Peru, Sierra Leone and Afghanistan. They face challenges such as rape, human trafficking, lack of education, death of parents, natural disasters, slave labor, child marriage, extreme poverty and homelessness. Hearing these girls stories will not only make you unbelievably grateful for your life, but will inspire you to try and help. You can download this film from their website directly for $13, and all of the money raised goes towards Girls Rising’s mission to educate more girls, to empower them, and to ultimately transform the world. Watching this documentary will help you realize that we are not feminists for our own benefit, but for the girls around the world that need someone to hear their voices and fight for them.
2. Tough Guise 2
The original Tough Guise documentary was made in the late 1990’s, but was remade (hence Tough Guise 2) in 2013 for more accurate and relevant information and statistics about toxic masculinity. Essentially, this film is all about how toxic masculinity is resulting in violence against women, shootings, bullying, suicide, gay-bashing, etc. This is the notion that teaching young boys that they can’t cry, that they should be having sex regularly to be respected and that violence is okay because “boys will be boys,” is actually detrimental not only to our society but also to the mental health and wellbeing of men in America. This film will really change your perspective of men in our society, as a lot of them grew up without being allowed to feel. This is also such a great example of an issue being addressed by feminists around the world (for anyone that says feminism is only about women).
3. The Hunting Ground
Both of the documentaries listed above are relevant, but this one in particular is so important for college students to see. The Hunting Ground is a film showcasing numerous rape crimes on U.S. campuses, the institutional cover-ups that take place and the devastating toll such crimes take on students and their families. It really is such a powerful film, especially since the U has faced such crimes in recent months.
4. 13th
This documentary was made in 2016 and explores the intersection of race and mass incarceration in the U.S. It’s called 13th after the thirteenth amendment in the constitution, which prohibits slavery. This documentary brings to light some seriously crazy statistics regarding mass incarceration in the land of the free and home of the brave, such as the fact that even though the U.S. only consists of 5 percent of the world’s population, it holds 25 percent of all those incarcerated across the globe. The film explains how mass incarceration is the modern day slavery, as people of color are systematically criminalized within our society leading to their imprisonment.
Each one of these documentaries sheds light on a lot of issues facing our society today. The first step to fixing the world’s problems is being aware they even exist, so make sure to check these films out with some friends or with bae when you have a night off to relax, you won’t regret it!