Netflix has many wonderful documentaries and docuseries in their catalogue that could keep you busy and entertained for days on end. Specifically, there are some amazing female-powered films that should be required for every woman to see. So, I rounded up what I thought were the best feministic films that examine issues women are facing every day in society. Here are my top ten picks of documentaries that you must watch on Netflix.
1. Period. End of Sentence.
This Academy Award-Winning documentary short film focuses on the stigma around menstruation in rural areas of India. In these areas many women do not know how to handle a period and have never even heard of a pad or feminine product. However, using a new machine that makes pads, some of these women are revolutionizing the scene as we speak, helping women get access to these essential products.
Image Credit: france24.com
2. Gaga: Five Foot Two
Lady Gaga is an icon, there is no doubt about that fact. But through this intimate film, you get to see inside her life, and how her career and stardom affects her physically, socially, and mentally, as you see her fight for her place in a male-dominated area of work.
3. Feminists: What Were They Thinking?
This documentary includes interviews of women who were part of the feminist movement in the 1960s and 1970s. They discuss what compelled them to become feminists and their experiences on certain controversial topics, including sexual harassment, reproductive rights, and equal pay. This film will cause you to reflect on how far we have come and how far we still must go for women’s rights.
4. Reversing Roe
Abortion is one of the most controversial topics in our country. Whatever your stance may be on the subject, this film offers opinions from both sides; this film examines the ruling and reminds us how women’s reproductive rights are still a contentious issue, even after the Supreme Court ruling was made over 45 years ago.
Image Credit: LiveAction.org
5. Heroin(e)
Huntington, West Virginia has an overdose rate that is ten times higher than the country’s average. This short documentary follows three women in the town, a fire chief, judge, and missionary, and discovers how they battle the heroin epidemic. The film also focuses on the idea of comradery in the community and helping each other battle their demons.
6. Seeing Allred
Gloria Allred is a women’s rights attorney notable for taking high-profile cases involving celebrities and sexual harassment. This film looks at her most recent challenge: fighting for the women accusing Bill Cosby, Harvey Weinstein, and Donald Trump of sexual misconduct. Allred has also been ahead of our time on these controversial issues, and this film will make you realize how important her work is to the justice system.
7. The Hunting Ground
The Hunting Ground gives an inside look at the college campus system and how they deal with someone being sexually assaulted. The incidence of sexual assault events keeps growing across the country and colleges are continuing to cover them up. Hearing stories of rape and sexual assault from the students themselves and learning what some of these top schools in the country have done to violate the laws of Title IX is hard to watch, but it offers the honest reality.
Image Credit: CNN
8. Miss Representation
Due to our culture, sexism is prevalent almost everywhere we look. With media and technology all around us today, gender roles and stereotypes have led to sexism that may be better than the past, but still not diminished completely. This documentary looks at how this issue started, just what is still causing these issues in society, and the struggle of finding positive role models for young girls.
9. She’s Beautiful When She’s Angry
This documentary film focuses on the women’s right movement that began during the end of the 1960s, known as the second wave feminism. Highlighting some of the period’s famous female activists, the film shows archival footage and firsthand recollections of the marches and protests that occurred at the time. This film is an inspiring look into feminism and will hopefully motivate you to stand up in the current wave of feminism now.
Image Credit: usa.newonnetflix.info
10. Mercury 13
Mercury 13 tells the story of the 13 women that, as part of the Mercury Project, would have been the first women in space if the program was not cancelled. These women were trained the same as NASA astronauts, passing all the same tests men would. The Mercury 13 attempted to fight for women as astronauts, lobbying the White Hours and Congress for women inclusion in the program. This moment in history is not well known, but it remains important to this day for the progress of women in the astronomy field.
There are so many more documentaries I wanted to add to this list, but you should watch these and continue to discover more for yourself. I hope these documentaries inspire you to be the best woman you can be. Happy watching!
HCXO,
Alison