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Through the personal stories of three severely obese women who choose weight-loss surgery, All of Me shines a fresh light on the causes, challenges, and intense psychological struggles surrounding obesity in our society, as well as our attitudes and prejudices towards the obese.
The "girls", as they call themselves, have been friends for years, having met through the Size Acceptance Movement. They've unsuccessfully tried every diet and pill in an effort to lose weight. Getting older and facing more health and mobility challenges, they choose gastric band or gastric bypass surgery as a last resort.
With searing honesty, the girls take us through their struggles before and after surgery, including a host of issues and consequences, some they expected, some they feared, and some they never could have imagined. They have varied post-op experiences, but one reality is true for all of them -- the surgery means the loss of their primary coping strategy (eating). And trying to shed hundreds of pounds changes everything in their lives -- their health, their self-images, their marriages, and even their friendships.
These women's stories represent the more than 200,000 Americans a year who choose weight-loss surgery, 80% of them women, as well as the millions of Americans who struggle with obesity and weight loss. Our society's standard diet and exercise talking points do not compute for many of those needing to lose a significant amount of weight.
All of Me provides a unique and thoughtful look at a community of people that is often vilified, the butt of jokes, or quite simply ignored in our society, and encourages viewers to examine their own prejudices and complicated relationships with food, fat, and their bodies.
Reviews
"Outstandingly potent. This coolly penetrating film honors women who address the reality of their lives with ferocious eloquence." - Wall Street Journal
"The movie was very well done and so frank. It showed the real struggles of those who suffer with obesity both before and after weight loss surgery. We were all moved by the lives of these women." - Katy Merriman, Surgical Specialists, Shreveport, LA
"All of Me' grapples with the (often fraught) conversations surrounding weight loss surgery with inexhaustible compassion." - Kaye Toal www.bigfatfeminist.com
Geraldine Ferraro: Paving the Way is a feature-length documentary about the life and legacy of the trailblazing woman who made history in 1984 as the first female Vice Presidential nominee on a major party ticket in the United States.
The film profiles Ferraro's life from an impoverished childhood, the struggles she endured while growing up, and the hurdles she faced and overcame both professionally and personally in order to achieve what no woman had done before.
The primary focus of the film is Ferraro's public service and political career, from District Attorney in Queens, NY, and later respected member of Congress, to the emotional night of her Vice Presidential nomination and acceptance speech, along with the tough campaign that followed. Though the Mondale-Ferraro ticket was defeated, the film explores how Ferraro's landmark nomination and her conduct during that campaign changed the national perception of what was possible for women.
The film features never-before-seen archival footage and stills, intimate interviews with Ferraro, and commentary by many leading political figures, both Democrat and Republican, as well as journalists who covered her campaign.
With insider access, former NBC Today producer Donna Zaccaro, created a revealing personal portrait of her mother, a woman who changed the face of American politics forever.
Among those interviewed and featured in the film are:
President and Mrs. George H. W. Bush
Vice President Walter Mondale
President Bill Clinton
Secretary Madeleine Albright
Secretary Hillary Clinton
Senator Barbara Mikulski
Senator Olympia Snowe
Democratic House Leader Nancy Pelosi
Cokie Roberts, reporter, NPR and ABC
Al Hunt, former reporter, Wall Street Journal
Ed Rollins, Republican campaign consultant
Eleanor Smeal, President, Feminist Majority Foundation
Reviews
"Intriguing...fascinating...the film reminds us Ferraro's nomination was every bit the milestone." - Washington Post
"Ferraro's campaign eased America's long-running doubt that a woman could be accepted at that level of national leadership. She reset the bar at a place from which it couldn't be lowered." - New York Daily News
"Though Ferraro may have paved the way, 'Geraldine' reminds us how long and pitted the road can be." - Los Angeles Times
The U.S. has one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the world, despite the fact it is the natural way to feed an infant. How did breastfeeding become the exception rather than the norm in America? And what would it take to restore this most natural act to its rightful place in our society?
The Milky Way follows two accomplished lactation specialists, pediatric nurses Jennifer Davidson and Chantal Molnar, on a journey to discover how pervasive formula marketing and the modern challenges of motherhood changed the perception of breastfeeding in America, and why in other countries breastfeeding remains the standard.
Through archival footage, ads and personal stories, the film shows how formula companies launched a successful campaign that helped convince mothers to trade in their breasts for baby bottles, which quickly became the recognizable symbol of infancy.
Visiting several European countries, Davidson and Molnar witness how these countries manage to support breastfeeding mothers, recognizing that the physiology of the infant and mother during nursing is health-promoting, as well as protective. Their journey energizes them to seek to change the cultural and political landscape back home in order to encourage women in America to breastfeed their babies.
Davidson and Molnar advocate for elevating new mothers to a place in our society where they receive the necessary support to nurse their children, where scientific evidence overrides formula marketing and other contemporary influences, and a woman does not fear nursing in public.
Reviews
"What Food, Inc. and Supersize Me did for the food industry, The Milky Way is going to do for breastfeeding in America." - Eve Burns
"The Milky Way helps us to understand the vital importance of breastfeeding. As a health education specialist in an academic medical center, I would love to see this movie shown in all OB offices around the country to help mothers understand that the best way to feed their babies is breastfeeding." - Marra Williams, CHES | Certified Health Education Specialist, UC Irvine Health
"The Milky Way is an incredible, impassioned, must see documentary that will change the way you see mothers and babies." - Halle Berry
Why both men and women are prone to gender stereotyping.
How cumulative biases limit women's rise to leadership positions.
Six strategies to reduce or eliminate gender bias.
When we process a lot of information in decision-making, such as evaluating candidates for a position, we unconsciously use cognitive shortcuts, including gender stereotypes, to speed the process. Unfortunately, these stereotypes bias our evaluations and often give men the edge. Drawing from compelling research, Dr. Correll maintains that women are held to higher standards than men, pay a penalty for being mothers, and experience the classic double bind of being viewed as either competent or likable, but not both, limiting their rise in organizations.
We can minimize gender bias by knowingly avoiding stereotypes as shortcuts. Additional strategies include setting clear evaluation criteria before the evaluation process begins and then adhering to them, holding decision makers accountable for their decisions, measuring and reporting our organization's progress in gender fairness, and legitimating women leaders by vouching for their competence.
In 2008, eighth-grader Brandon McInerney shot classmate Larry King at point blank range. Unraveling this tragedy, the film reveals the heartbreaking circumstances that led to the shocking crime as well as the aftermath.
On February 12, 2008, in an Oxnard, California, classroom, 14-year-old Brandon McInerney shot classmate Larry King twice; Larry died of the wounds two days later. Larry (Leticia), a gender-variant youth of color, had liked to wear makeup and heels to school, and had publicly announced a crush on McInerney. For this reason, some of McInerney's defenders say the victim had "embarrassed" the shooter--and was therefore at least partly to blame for his own murder.
VALENTINE ROAD is about an outrageous crime and an even more outrageous defense of it, but the film goes much deeper than mere outrage. In the end, it's the story of two victims of homophobia. Larry was killed because of it, but Brandon's life was horribly twisted by it as well. And it's the story of a community's response--sometimes inspirational and sometimes cruel--to a terrible tragedy.
Filmmaker Marta Cunningham deftly looks beyond the sensational aspects of the murder, introducing us to Larry's friends, teachers and guardians, as well as Brandon's loved ones--both children had led difficult lives. In examining Brandon's prosecution and defense, the documentary poses difficult questions about punishing juveniles for serious crimes, while exposing society's pervasive and deadly intolerance of young people who don't conform to its gender "norms."
VALENTINE ROAD brilliantly focuses on how bigotry and prejudice are community-wide problems, rather than only the acts of individuals. It asks how schools can respond to the the full complexity of students' lives, and support students in crisis before tragedy strikes.
Review
"An invaluable resource. I was riveted all the way through." - Ellen Bass, Instructor, Creative Writing, Pacific University
Awards
Outstanding Documentary, Frameline Film Festival
Best Documentary, Berkshire International Film Festival
Audience Award, NewFest, NYC
First Time Director Award (Documentary), Philadelphia QFest
Best Documentary, Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival
Audience Award, Best Documentary, Fresno Reel Pride Film Festival
Best Documentary, TLVFest
Best Documentary, Side by Side LGBT nternational Film Festival
Best Documentary, Gaze International LGBT Film Festival
Best Documentary, Madrid Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
THE GREY AREA is an intimate look at women's issues in the criminal justice system and the unique experience of studying feminism behind bars.
Through a series of captivating class discussions, headed by students from Grinnell College, a small group of female inmates at a maximum women's security prison in Mitchellville, Iowa, share their diverse experiences with motherhood, drug addiction, sexual abuse, murder, and life in prison. The women, along with their teachers, explore the "grey area" that is often invisible within the prison walls and delve into issues of race, class, sexuality and gender.
Reviews
"This insightful and thought-provoking documentary asks us to truly see the most invisible women in the United States - women in the criminal justice system. One cannot walk away from this film untouched or unaware of the reality of incarcerated women's lives. The Grey Area challenges us to take action and advocate for the reassessment of our current policies and programs." - Stephanie S. Covington, Ph.D., Co-director, Center for Gender & Justice, La Jolla, CA
"A compelling example of the power of feminism to bridge barriers between women and to heal some of the damage they have endured." - Michael Kimmel, Distinguished Professor of Sociology, SUNY
The Bro Code, filmmaker Thomas Keith takes aim at the forces in male culture that condition boys and men to dehumanize and disrespect women. Keith breaks down a range of contemporary media forms that are saturated with sexism -- movies and music videos that glamorize misogyny; pornography that trades in the brutalization of women; comedy routines that make fun of sexual assault; and a slate of men's magazines and cable TV shows whose sole purpose is to revel in reactionary myths of American manhood. The message he uncovers in virtually every corner of our entertainment culture is clear: It's not only normal -- but cool -- for boys and men to control and humiliate women. By showing how there's nothing natural or inevitable about this mentality, and by setting it against the terrible reality of men's violence against women in the real world, The Bro Code challenges young people to step up and fight back against the idea that being a real man means disrespecting women.
Featuring interviews with Michael Kimmel, Robert Jensen, Shira Tarrant, J.W. Wiley, Douglas Rushkoff, Eric Anderson, and Neal King.
Reviews
"An excellent tool for classroom discussion about male socialization and the damaging impact of media and pornography on men and the women around them." - Paul Kivel, Author, Men's Work, Boys Will Be Men, and the Young Men's Work curriculum
"Filmmaker Tom Keith's powerful indictment of contemporary culture carries within it an undercurrent of optimism. Despite its horrific portrait of men behaving badly -- and dangerously -- the days of "Jersey Shore" manhood are numbered. When The Bro Code is screened on campuses, more male filmgoers than you might imagine will crack the code, reclaiming both healthy masculinity and their full humanity." - Rob Okun | Editor, Voice Male Magazine
"Tom Keith's The Bro Code is a vital look at what makes us men tick and how we can find our way through the maze of modern masculinity to an identity which is balanced, healthy, and fulfilling." - Thomas Matlock | Founder, The Good Men Project
What happens when women decide to love their bodies, no matter what size? This documentary short by fat acceptance activist Margitte Kristjansson features two of her fellow fat acceptance activists, Keena and Jessica, who share their experiences of being judged by society for their decision to not bow to how women are expected to look - including being harassed and discriminated against because of their size. Undeterred, they talk about how the fat acceptance movement has allowed them to become empowered through fashion, explore the intersection of race and fatness, and how they found community support through social media and blogs.
Reviews
"Keena and Jessica share their experiences of people judging their mere existence just because they're fat, becoming empowered through fashion, the intersection of race and fatness, and finding community." - Bitch Magazine
"The Fat Body (In)Visible is a compelling look at the world of fat acceptance and what it's like to be a fat woman in America today." - Author Harriet Brown, Brave Girl Eating: A Family's Struggle With Anorexia
"Long overdue!" - Bill Fabrey, Founder of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance
Since the 1960's world population has nearly doubled and now tops 7 billion. Population growth, though little discussed, is putting an unprecedented burden on the planet's life systems.
Mother: Caring for 7 Billion brings to light the connection between overpopulation and our most pressing environmental and humanitarian problems, as well as the solutions.
The film begins with a striking animated timeline of population growth over the last 500,000 years with key historical references. Mother then looks at the how the population issue first arrived on the public agenda in the 1960's, and reviews the various ways in which population impacts the global environment.
The second part of the film follows Beth, an American mother and child rights advocate, who grew up in a large family of 12. She travels to Africa to witness first-hand the impact of population growth in the developing world and its role in exacerbating poverty. While there, she meets a young Ethiopian woman, Zinet, who comes from a poor family of 12, but has found the courage to break free from long-held cultural barriers holding back women. Beth learns from Zinet and others that a primary solution to the population issue is raising the status of women worldwide through education and empowerment, an essential step to ease population growth and reduce poverty worldwide.
The final section of Mother features a broader discussion of the solutions to overpopulation in both the developed and developing world.
The film features commentary from many world-renowned experts and scientists, including Stanford biologist Paul Ehrlich, author of "The Population Bomb"; economist Mathis Wackernagel, creator of the Global Footprint Network; Dr. Malcolm Potts, Chair, UC Berkeley Bixby Center for Population, Health and Sustainability; Riane Eisler, best-selling author and President of the Center for Partnership Studies; and Dr. Aminata Toure, Chief of the Gender, Human rights and Culture Branch, United Nations Population Fund.
Reviews
"Recommended. Addresses perhaps the most important, although frequently overlooked, environmental issue ¡X population. This film is ideal for a classroom setting, where it is guaranteed to spark discussion." - Educational Media Reviews Online
"Recommended. A sobering and thought-provoking look at the population issue, especially timely given the recent milestone of 7 billion people on Earth." - Video Librarian
"The film focuses on overpopulation but also addresses the very complex problems that have led us to our crowded world. Mother is a timely choice for academic libraries, middle school and up, and all viewers concerned with global affairs and our own future." - Library Journal
Throughout history, boys have been taught that the things that make them men -- good men -- are transcendent ideals like courage and honesty and integrity, while girls have been led to believe that a woman's moral compass lies somewhere between her legs, literally. In this alternately hilarious and enraging new film adaptation of her bestselling book, The Purity Myth, pioneering feminist blogger Jessica Valenti shows how this moral double standard is alive and well today thanks to a well-funded coalition of virginity-obsessed conservatives bent on vilifying feminism and rolling back women's rights.
Valenti trains her sights on what she calls the "virginity movement" -- an unholy alliance of evangelical Christians, political activists, and policy wonks who have been spreading irrational fears about women's sexuality to shape government policy, public education, and even popular culture in their own traditionalist image. And whether her focus is the exploding popularity of dad-and-daughter "purity balls," or the millions of dollars American taxpayers shell out each year for failed abstinence-only programs, Valenti's baseline target is the same: the myth that the worth of a woman depends on what she does or does not do sexually. In the end, The Purity Myth shows why commercial culture's hypersexualization of women is too serious a problem to be left to ideologues, arguing that the antidote to our pornified culture is not a set of reactionary policies that replace one form of sexism with another, but embracing women's autonomy and power.
Reviews
"Fierce and funny... In-your-face feminism is what Valenti is about." - Antonia Zerbisias | The Toronto Star
"Valenti shines a bright light on the cultural misogyny that -- yes, even today -- keep women struggling for the simple justice of owning our bodies, embracing our sexuality, and fully assuming the right to own our own lives." - Gloria Feldt | Author, The War on Choice | Planned Parenthood Federation of America
DVD (With English Subtitles) / 2011 / Approx. 60 minutes
AIDS is the leading killer of people under 60 in the world today, most in sub-Saharan Africa. Unlike any other film on AIDS, Miss HIV explores the battle over international HIV/AIDS policy and its impact.
The film also highlights how some in Africa are fighting to overcome the paralyzing stigma associated with AIDS -- one of the primary obstacles in the fight against the disease. The documentary gives voice to women in Botswana participating in the Miss HIV Stigma-Free pageant, and college students in Uganda fighting the stigma associated with their choice to remain abstinent.
Filmed across Africa and at the International AIDS Conference in Toronto, Miss HIV brings into focus the struggle between the conflicting approaches to AIDS education and prevention. The film presents experts advocating on both sides of the AIDS policy struggle -- those supporting broader distribution of condoms and retroviral drugs, and those who believe abstinence and faithfulness should be the first line of defense, especially in Africa. The film devotes considerable time to exploring Uganda's apparent success with the "ABC" strategy for prevention (Abstinence, Be faithful, and Condoms as a last resort).
Among those featured in the film are Bill and Melinda Gates, Harvard Anthropologist Dr. Edward Green, UCSF Professor Dr. Norman Hearst, and Ugandan pastor Martin Ssempa, among many others, including those infected with HIV/AIDS who speak eloquently for themselves.
Miss HIV is a useful starting point for further exploration of the impact of the AIDS epidemic in Africa and the competing strategies.
Gen X filmmaker Phoebe Hart always knew she was different growing up - but she didn't know why. This award-winning documentary traces Phoebe's voyage of self-discovery as an intersex person, a group of conditions formerly termed hermaphroditism. Learning only in her teens that she was born with 46XY (male) chromosomes, Hart now seeks to understand her own story and the stories of others affected by this complex and often shameful syndrome.
With help from sister Bonnie (also born with the same condition) and support from partner James, Hart drives across Australia, interviewing individuals whose struggles and victories mirror and differ from her own. Some advocate systemic change ending shame and controversial genital surgeries, while others debate coming out or staying closeted with a stigmatized secret. Questioning rigidly defined constructs of gender, sexuality, and normality, often with lively good humor, ORCHIDS is the first film to look at intersex from a positive perspective. Its engaging portrait of survival, courage and reconciliation will speak to a variety of audiences and spark lively discussion about what it means to be perceived as "different."
Reviews
"The filmmaker's warmth and candor provide an engaging perspective on intersex identity and one family's changing attitude toward their 'secret.'" - Patricia White, Film and Media Studies, Swarthmore College
"Winner of the Australian Teachers of Media's ATOM Award for best documentary, Hart's work took years to complete and makes for compelling viewing. It blends a history of her condition with her own experience and stories from other intersex people she seeks out to help her understand." - Katherine Feeney, Brisbane Times
"Personally I could not imagine a better film ever being made on coming to terms with a condition like AIS. It's wildly funny in parts but at the same time it's very intimate and deeply moving. I can't stop thinking about it." - Professor Garry Warne, AM, Senior Endocrinologist, The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne
Awards
Winner, Australian Teachers of Media's ATOM Award for Best Documentary
Brisbane International Film Festival, Winner, Best Documentary
Tapestries of Hope is a powerful film that exposes the ongoing rape of young women in Zimbabwe by men infected with AIDS, and profiles an organization working to protect and empower abused young girls in the country.
It is a common myth promoted by traditional healers in Zimbabwe that a man infected with HIV/AIDS can cure himself by having sex with a virgin. Some victims are very young - even baby girls. Director Michealene Cristini Risley traveled to Zimbabwe to explore the rape and AIDS crisis in the country, to uncover its impact on young girls, and to highlight the work of The Girl Child Network (GCN).
Founded by Zimbabwean human rights activist and child abuse survivor Betty Makoni, GCN rescues and helps heal abused girls. Part of the healing process is speaking out about the crimes committed against them, not an easy task in a country that ostracizes these young female victims. The documentary interweaves the girls' heart-breaking stories with the true confession of a dying man who raped young women believing it would cure his AIDS.
During filming, Risley and her assistant were arrested and deported by Zimbabwean authorities. Their footage was seized by the Zimbabwean Intelligence Office (C.I.O), though the team managed to later retrieve the footage.
Tapestries of Hope is a portrait of hope and resilience in the face of overwhelming odds, and a vibrant call to action to stop the rape and abuse of women in Zimbabwe, and wherever it may occur around the globe.
Review
"The footage Risley captured - particularly interviews with rape survivors and admitted rapists alike - is an incredibly compelling 77 minutes. The most striking element of the documentary is not the hell that the young rape survivors profiled have lived through, but their unbreakable spirit. The film is a vibrant international call to action and a breathtaking portrait of hope in the face of overwhelming odds. " - Jessica Mosby, TheWIP.net
Awards
Best Documentary, Women in Film & Television
Best Director, Women in Film & Television
Aloha Accolade Award, Honolulu Int'l Film Festival
Award of Merit, Accolade Film Awards
Best Documentary, Louisville Int'l Festival of Film
The Codes of Gender applies the late sociologist Erving Goffman's groundbreaking analysis of advertising to the contemporary commercial landscape, showing how one of American popular culture's most influential forms communicates normative ideas about masculinity and femininity.
In striking visual detail, The Codes of Gender explores Goffman's central claim that gender ideals are the result of ritualized cultural performance, uncovering a remarkable pattern of masculine and feminine displays and poses. It looks beyond advertising as a medium that simply sells products, and beyond analyses of gender that focus on biological difference or issues of objectification and beauty, to provide a clear-eyed view of the two-tiered terrain of identity and power relations.
With its sustained focus on how our perceptions of what it means to be a man or a woman get reproduced and reinforced on the level of culture in our everyday lives, The Codes of Gender is certain to inspire discussion and debate across a range of disciplines.
What constitutes a family? How is the typical American family defined? How has the notion of gay families evolved over the past decades? Is there such a thing as a typical gay family?
This fascinating and sometimes shocking documentary profiles the diversity of gay and transgender households in America today. With the aspirations and diverse ways of life for gay and alternative households changing so quickly, is society adapting fast enough to keep up with them?
Each section of this video profiles different scenarios and cultures and shows how alternative lifestyles have lead to acceptable and happy lives. There are two mother, and two father families. There are shelters for children and young adults that have been "tossed out" of their traditional families because of sex changes and alternate lifestyles. How they have coped with family rejection and non-acceptance is described. This documentary will have an elementary school, high school, and university version available in late fall.
How do our families influence our relationship with our own bodies? How do American pop culture's standards of beauty get inside our hearts and heads? In what ways can sport and the drive for fitness actually make us sick rather than healthy?
In this courageous, deeply personal new film, Diane Israel examines American culture's toxic emphasis on thinness, beauty, and physical perfection. Israel, a Boulder-based psychotherapist and former champion triathlete, talks candidly about her own struggle with eating disorders and obsessive exercising, fearlessly confronting her own painful past as she tries to come to terms with American culture's unhealthy fixation on self-destructive ideals of beauty and competitiveness.
The film lends context to Israel's personal odyssey with fascinating insights from athletes, body builders, fashion models, and inner-city teens, as well as prominent cultural critics and authors such as Eve Ensler, Paul Campos, and Naomi Wolf. In a special bonus feature, Israel talks in detail about where she is in her recovery 2 years after the filming of Beauty Mark.
Reviews
"Beauty Mark is a real gem. It is a unique, personal, insightful and powerful film. You have created a film which can touch both the mind and the heart." - Bill Baker, Former Chief Executive Officer, Thirteen/WNET New York
"... A great way to start out National Eating Disorders Awareness Week." - Erin Hurley, Men's and Women's Swim Coach at Grinnell College
"I was so intensely moved by watching Beauty Mark -- I had no words. It hit home with me on many different levels -- as a guidance counselor, daughter, mother, human... It gave me so much to think about and to use every day. I really thank you for sharing it." - Amy D., Guidance Counselor at Arlington High School
Awards
Audience Choice Award, 2008 Estes Park Film Festival
Audience Choice Award, 2008 Moondance International Film Festival
Despite the achievements of the women's movement over the past four decades, misogyny remains a persistent force in American culture. In this important documentary, Thomas Keith, professor of philosophy at California State University-Long Beach, looks specifically at misogyny and sexism in mainstream American media, exploring how negative definitions of femininity and hateful attitudes toward women get constructed and perpetuated at the very heart of our popular culture.
The film tracks the destructive dynamics of misogyny across a broad and disturbing range of media phenomena: including the hyper-sexualization of commercial products aimed at girls, the explosion of violence in video games aimed at boys, the near-hysterical sexist rants of hip-hop artists and talk radio shock jocks, and the harsh, patronizing caricatures of femininity and feminism that reverberate throughout the mainstream of American popular culture.
Along the way, Generation M forces us to confront the dangerous real-life consequences of misogyny in all its forms - making a compelling case that when we devalue more than half the population based on gender, we harm boys and men as well as women and girls.
Looks at the obstacles facing working mothers and families and the employer and public policy changes needed to restore work-life balance.
Did you know that...
Only four countries in the world- Lesotho, Swaziland, Papua New Guinea and the United States-fail to provide paid maternity leave to all workers? Canada now guarantees a full year of paid parental leave and California recently became the first state in the U.S. to provide such paid leave? Businesses that create flexible work environments find that productivity goes up, they attract more talent, turnover is reduced and their bottom line is improved?
Moving personal stories combined with humorous animation, expert commentary and hilarious old film clips tell the tale of what happens to working mothers and their families in America. See how enlightened employers and public policy can make paid family leave, flexible working hours, part-time parity, universal healthcare, excellent childcare, after-school programs and realistic living wages a reality for American families.
The film is based on the book The Motherhood Manifesto by Joan Blades and Kristin Rowe- Finkbeiner.
Reviews
"It is very difficult to fit work and family issues into any kind of television or movie format, but The Motherhood Manifesto does it, and does it well. The stories range from heartbreaking to angry to enormously insightful, broken up by wonderful cartoon sketches, old clips from TV and movies, and interviews with leading experts. I'll be using it in class this fall. This is a great work and a movie that everyone should see!" - Dr. Robert Drago, Penn State University
"The Motherhood Manifesto is a funny, fascinating, informative, and finally, infuriating, film about motherhood in America. At the end of this one, you'll want to jump out of your seat, rush out the door, and start demanding change immediately!" - Ann Crittenden, author, The Price of Motherhood
"The Motherhood Manifesto is a sharp, funny, wry tale about some very unfunny social issues that mothers grapple with daily. If you have a mother, are a mother or know a mother, see this film." - Brita Butler- Wall, Ph.D., Seattle School Board
"Watch out. Apple pie is next. Motherhood has never been more disrespected in our nation than now. Seeing this excellent film, I was shocked to learn of mothers' struggles to earn a living wage and have time enough to love their children-who are, in fact, our nation's future. What a chilling commentary on how far we've come from our ideals when we can leave mothers out in the cold. Fortunately, The Motherhood Manifesto provides us with a path back to decency." - Vicki Robin, author, Your Money or Your Life
"If you think motherhood is sacred in the United States, then think again. This humorous and often bitingly cynical film exposes the myriad impediments that willfully deny aid, comfort and security to mothers (and, by extension, their precious little charges!) in contemporary American society. As one watches this film, one cannot help but wonder why the world's wealthiest and most powerful nation would treat mothers so deplorably. More importantly, this film begs viewers to wonder how this sorry state of affairs can be rectified." - Timothy McGettigan, Ph.D., Department of Sociology, Colorado State University- Pueblo
"The Motherhood Manifesto mingles searing contemporary interviews, vintage clips from television's Golden Era, depressing labor and industry statistics, and satirical cartoon parody to draw viewers into the world of mothers seeking additional employment...The documentary's focus -- a lack of access to job opportunity and pay equity for women with children -- remains a sad commentary on U.S. priorities. Appropriate for audiences from middle schools through AARP members, The Motherhood Manifesto invites its viewers to question why a world economic power holds its women and children in such low esteem." - Elaine W. Reed, Director, Women's Center & Women's Studies, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
"Motherhood Manifesto tells the stories that reveal the second class status of mothers in the U.S., and by extension, their children. The film demonstrates how workplace policies can benefit mothers and increase workplace efficiency and productivity. Viewers who are mothers will have their hardships affirmed, and legislators, policymakers, and employers will learn strategies to make our economy stronger with simple steps toward more flexibility in the workplace. An insightful analysis of the sexual politics of labor for students of gender and labor history and for decision makers in the workplace." - Jill Eichhorn, Associate Professor of Women's Studies/English, Coordinator of Women's Studies Program, Austin Peay State University
"An important documentary that captures some of the most pressing social issues of the 21st century...The film clearly illustrates how negligent the U.S. has been in taking care of its families and children, and how little it would cost to provide the level of support that is offered to families in other industrialized countries...Engaging and informative." - Jeanne Hilton, Professor, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, University of Nevada
"Finally-a pro-families film that does not romanticize motherhood! The Motherhood Manifesto presents the sad facts about women's experiences, as mothers, with employment discrimination, childcare availability, sick leave policies, and health insurance coverage. Always engaging and sometimes humorous, it is a powerful college classroom teaching tool to engage students in re-examining their notions about 'family values' in U.S. policy. I will be using The Motherhood Manifesto in my family studies courses." - Anita Itla Garey, Associate Professor of Human Development & Family Studies, University of Connecticut, and Author of "Weaving Work and Motherhood"
"The Motherhood Manifesto is an insightful, engaging, and timely film which gives voice to concerns felt by millions of American parents, advocates, service providers, social scientists and others interested in the well-being of children and families...Using tongue-in-cheek humor, illustrative personal stories, as well as thoughtful commentary from advocates, scientists, policymakers, employees and even employers, The Motherhood Manifesto persuasively makes the case that the time has come for the United States to 'catch up' with much of the rest of the world in terms of supporting and investing in working families." - Danielle A. Crosby, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Human Development and Family Studies, University of North Carolina- Greensboro
"Effectively points out the curious hypocrisy of American politicians who brag about 'family values'-holding up stay-at-home motherhood as best for children-yet refuse to put pressure on businesses to offer paid leave or allow federal tax breaks for the working spouse. Recommended." - Video Librarian
Awards
CINE Golden Eagle
Berks Movie Madness Film Festival, Reading, PA
Artivist Film Festival
Everett Women's Film Festival
DVD (Color, Closed Captioned, With Guide) / 2006 / (Grades 7-12, College, Adult) / 58 minutes
Essential viewing for students, educators, counselors, policy makers and parents, THE GENDER CHIP PROJECT is being hailed as an important resource for addressing the disparity of representation of women in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. Although women comprise the majority of undergraduates in America, only 20 percent are earning degrees in engineering and computer science. Opportunities for workers in STEM fields are expected to increase by 5.6 million by 2008, yet only 11 percent of the science and engineering workforce is comprised of women. With statistics like these¡Xand recent controversies such as the firestorm created when a prominent university president suggested women lack innate abilities in math and science¡Xit's clear that the road to success in the high-stakes STEM professions is not an easy one for young women.
THE GENDER CHIP PROJECT illustrates this challenge as it follows five extraordinary women majoring in the sciences, engineering and math at Ohio State University. Meeting regularly throughout their four years of school, they create a community to share their experiences and struggles as women stepping into traditionally male domains, and find support in dialog with their female professors. The film shows how these extraordinary students are finding their own way to navigate and succeed in these male-dominated areas of study.
Reviews
"...does an outstanding job of capturing the real voices of women and their journey within the still chilly STEM education system." - Karen Peterson, Executive Director, Puget Sound Center for Teaching, Learning, and Technology
"...provocative and stimulating...provides a window into the relevant issues that a diverse group of women face in their college years as they sort through their interests and experiences in the fields of science and technology." - Jane Margolis, Co-Author, "Unlocking the Clubhouse: Women in Computing"
"A probing, eye-opening unpacking of the equation women and science that rocks preconceptions and twists open unexpected gendered issues about math, medicine, technology and engineering."- Patricia R. Zimmermann, Ph.D, Professor of Cinema and Photography, Ithaca College
"Insightful. Highly recommended with great potential for use in many collections. Beneficial to teachers, guidance counselors and school administrators [and to] those who have the obligation of developing gender neutral curricula." - Educational Media Reviews Online
"Should inspire teenage girls to investigate nontraditional college majors and careers."- Booklist
"Useful in exploring gender studies topics and as a tool to prepare teen girls for the pressures of higher education." - Meghann R. Matwichuk, School Library Journal
An exploration of the history and politics of breast obsession in America, and its connection with breast cancer, breastfeeding and body image.
BUSTING OUT is a disarmingly honest and intimate exploration of our society's fascination with women's breasts. Directors Strickwerda and Spellman Smith unflinchingly examine the good, the bad and the ugly sides of this American icon, delving into the history and politics of breast obsession in the US. From breast-crazy men shouting "Flash those racks!" to the fears of breast cancer and the disparate attitudes of cultures worldwide, the directors leave no stone unturned in their quest to demystify the American breast.
BUSTING OUT combines personal story-telling with devastating analysis, sad case histories with humor, and frank talk of sexual subjects with the sweet innocence of a young girl shopping for her first bra.
Told from the point of view of Strickwerda who lost her mother to breast cancer as a child, BUSTING OUT will challenge both women and men to question our obsession with breasts, and to gain a healthier perspective.
Reviews
"I love Busting Out! [It] is a riveting documentary that exposes all the contradictions women face as they navigate their relationships with their bodies. The filmmakers capture multi-generational and multi-cultural perspectives among women as they face a culture that over-sexualizes their breasts. The film encourages women to define for themselves their relationship with their breasts. I plan to use the film as part of an inquiry of body image and the politics of women's health." - Jill Eichhorn, Assoc. Prof. Of English and Women's Studies, Austin Peay State University
"BUSTING OUT wittily, poignantly balances the political and the personal." - The Pioneer Press, St. Paul, MN
"[An] informative, entertaining and, at times, touching look at what it means to have breasts in a culture that values them as sex objects above all else....Although the subject is fem-centric, the film is intended for men as well. Topics like fatherhood (how men react when their little girls hit puberty) and what they go through when their partners have breast cancer are handled with clarity." - The Seattle Post- Intelligencer
"Delves into the American obsession with breasts through a mix of cheeky humor, historical detail and striking intimacy...Busting Out will strike a poignant and personal chord with women because many of Strickwerda's experiences, and those described throughout the film, are universal. And yet the work is also successful because it resonates with men as well. Ultimately the doc is a celebration of womanhood from a distinctly 21st-century perspective." - City Pages, Minneapolis
"Entertaining and thoughtful...it touches on a number of topics on the general subject of breasts...with wit and candor." - The Seattle Times
"What is it about breasts that we find so titillating? Francine Strickwerda, who lost her mother to breast cancer at the age of six, tries to find the answer. We learn that it is a largely Western phenomena that began during the and spread with the introduction of formula in the 19th century-today less than 60% of women nurse their children. And as women strive for the perfect bra to lift and separate, or undergo breast reductions, or augmentation, breasts have become both big business and a major source of anxiety. More troubling is the shocking toll of breast cancer: in the US, more women have died from it in 20 years than all American servicemen in all the major wars of the 20th century combined. Busting Out is enlightening, informative, humorous and moving. Everyone who owns a pair should see it." - Ursic, GioChannel.com
"In an intimate documentary exploring the female breast through prepubescent development, breast feeding, cancer, and burlesque performances, Busting Out is layered with vignettes and personal stories of the maker and her struggle to make peace with a part of her she regarded as a death sentence." - Women in the Director's Chair Film Festival Program
Awards
ALA Notable Videos for Adults 2006
CINE Golden Eagle
Honorable Mention, Chicago International Television Awards
Seattle International Film Festival
Ashland Independent Film Festival
Women in the Director's Chair International Film Festival
By director Deepak Leslie and producer Jana Winter
Shedding new light upon issues of global diversity, this documentary focuses on the extent to which a "fairness fetish" has permeated Indian society. The preference for lighter, fairer skin is examined in various areas including the fashion industry and arranged marriages. Evidence of the fair skin ideal is traced back to the great epics of India, the Ramayana and Mahabarata, through the British Raj, up through contemporary society. Today, whitening/bleaching facial creams manufactured by multinational companies such as L'Oreal and Clinique accompany Indian-made products such as Fairever and Fair and Lovely. Alongside these products are advertisements warning young women that if they are dark they will never find a caring husband, they will never get a job, and they will never live the life of which they have dreamed. With a focus on the emotional and psychological impact, this film addresses the historical and contemporary factors that contribute to the pressures thrust upon Indian women by a society obsessed with fair skin.
Festivals
Memphis International Film Festival, 2004
Association for Asian Studies Annual Meeting, 2005
Northeastern Anthropological Association Ethnographic Film & Video Festival, Lake Placid, NY, 2005
Heard Museum Film Festival, Arizona, 2005
American Psychological Association Annual Convention, Washington DC, 2005
This compelling new documentary focuses on the sexual dilemmas and difficult life choices young girls face as they come of age in contemporary American culture. Challenging long-held myths about girlhood, the film draws on the insights of girls themselves to explore and shed light on their actual lived experience as they navigate our increasingly hyper-sexualized society. The voices of a diverse range of girls are supplemented with accessible analysis from leading experts on girls and sexuality, including Lynn Phillips, author of Flirting with Danger; Joan Jacobs Brumberg, Director of the Body Project; and Deborah Tolman, author of Dilemmas of Desire
Review
"Girls, Moving Beyond Myth features a wide range of articulate and engaging experts discussing core developmental issues that girls must face in a post-modern, media-saturated world. A diverse group of girls speak with honest voices about their true thoughts and often anguished feeling. This video is educational in the finest sense of the word. It elucidates and motivates." - Mary Pipher, Pyschologist, Author, Reviving Ophelia
This program examines the differences which affect physical performance in sport. Two key areas are covered gender difference and trained versus untrained individuals.
A number of indicators and factors surrounding gender differences are examined, including anatomy and muscle development especially during puberty and adolescence; oxygen and blood fl ow, VO2 maximum,heart rate, cardiac output and stroke volume.
In trained versus untrained individuals, areas including the performance of the cardiovascular system and oxygen and blood are covered.
Please contact us for primary and secondary schools pricing.
Trading Women enters the worlds of brothel owners, trafficked girls, voluntary sex workers, corrupt police and anxious politicians. Filmed in Burma, China, Laos, and Thailand, this is the first film to follow the trade in women in all its complexity and to consider the impact of this 'far away' problem on the gobal community.
Narrated by Oscar-winning actress Angelina Jolie, the documentary investigates the trade in minority girls and women from the hill tribes of Burma, Laos and China, into the Thai sex industry. Filmed on location in China, Thailand and Burma, Trading Women follows the trade of women in all its complexity, entering the worlds of brothel owners, trafficked girls, voluntary sex-workers, corrupt police and anxious politicians. The film also explores the international community's response to the issue.
The culmination of five years of field research, Trading Women is the first film to demonstrate to viewers the relationship of the trade in drugs to the trade of women. The film dispels common beliefs about the sex trade, such as: "The problem is the parents - it's part of their culture to sell their daughters;" "The sex trade exists because of Western sex tours;" and "They sell their girls for TV's."
"We take the audience behind the tourist tales and stereotyped news coverage to reveal the reality behind the myths," said David A. Feingold, the noted documentarian who wrote and directed Trading Women. "We show how much of what the audience thinks they know about the issue is much more complex than they imagined."
Thirty years ago, there was a thriving sex industry in Thailand, but there were no minority girls in it - what happened? The film cites the destruction of the traditional upland economy by a combination of well-meaning development and opium suppression programs in Thailand, and civil unrest, economic dislocation, and political repression in Burma as the answer to this question. These environmental and political factors have resulted in threats to both the physical and cultural survival of the highland minorities. Today, while hill tribe girls are perhaps thirty percent of the total number of sex workers in Thailand, they are disproportionately represented relative to their total numbers in the population. Moreover, they are employed in the lowest, most exploitative part of the industry.
Trading Women examines the choices that hill tribe women make, and how these choices are constrained by the economic and political conditions in which they find themselves. The documentary explores how the politics of Burma determines the supply of women to the sex industry in Thailand and how the lack of citizenship for hill tribe women puts them at a greater risk for trafficking.
Trading Women also addresses the international response to the issue. "We find that it is an issue that, in the words of one United Nations official generates 'far more heat, than light'," said Feingold. The United States has passed a law that would block World Bank loans or other non-humanitarian aid to any country that does not meet America's minimum standards for combating trafficking. "Some believe this might be counter-productive - bringing little help to the victims and pushing the problem further underground," said Feingold.
Trading Women conveys that this is not a simple issue with simple answers. It is an issue that affects the futures not only of young tribal women, but also of their communities.
One of the most important journeys in human life is the quest for a satisfying, enduring love relationship. This search is nearly universal, and a lasting love is the goal of most people in most societies. This search has an unparalleled power and immerses us in many of the strongest emotions we will experience in our entire lives.
This often humorous, often poignant, and always profound video explores the differences in the ways that men and women experience the love relationship. It goes beyond mere analysis and examines ways to make a relationship work better for both men and women. Some potential problems reflect important gender differences and needs, while others involve gendered expectations about the love relationship itself.
The video features men and women from a variety of cultural and social backgrounds who provide eloquent - and sometimes rueful - testimony on how gender differences affect love, courtship, "couplehood, " marriage, emotions, understanding, and sensitivity. In powerful and revealing interviews, they discuss what women believe is the most important thing a man needs to know about women, and what men believe is the most important thing a woman needs to know about men.
The video begins in infancy, with the ways society constructs boys and girls with gendered ideas about who we are, what is important about us, and what we need. It goes on to illustrate how the differential treatment of boys and girls ensures that they will bring to a love relationship different gifts, needs, and goals.
Our search for love relationships is also influenced by deep-seated ideas about how women and men "should" behave in courtship, love, and marriage. The video examines this socialization process by looking at "etiquette" guidelines for women and men. One hilarious scene follows a young woman as she tries to use the advice she has read on how to attract a man - but with dubious results.
The video also explores how women and men detect "attraction signals." These are subtle, fleeting, critical nonverbal cues that can lead to a relationship - but only if they are detected and accurately interpreted. Verbal communication is also examined, especially the presumed goals of conversation. The video demonstrates how gender differences can lead one partner to regard a conversation as enjoyable, while the other person sees the very same exchange as confusing, enigmatic, or even irritating.
In powerful sequences, children give their views on love and relationships and adults describe lost loves and their devastating impact on their lives. One extraordinary young woman confesses that she has created - after an important relationship has failed - a series of secret "tests" to determine quickly if any man she meets is even capable of deeply caring for her needs.
The video also introduces non-traditional couples, considers evolving meanings of "marriage, " "family, " and "parent, " and reveals the anguish and problems caused by the denial to non-traditional couples of the rights and privileges routinely given to traditional couples.
There is a consistency, power, and persuasiveness in these revelations, and all viewers of "Gender and Relationships" will emerge with an enhanced understanding of what women and men bring to a love relationship, and - just as important - what they need to get from it.
Some answers for the hard questions about growing up male in America.
Boys are in trouble. The spate of school shootings in 1998 and 1999 amplified a warning being sounded by social scientists. After 20 years of concern over the status of girls raised by the women's movement, some experts say it is boys we need to turn our attention to. There are disturbing statistics to back this up. Four boys are diagnosed as emotionally disturbed for every one girl. Six boys are diagnosed with attention deficit disorder for every one girl. Boys kill themselves five times more often than girls. Boys are four times more likely to drop out of high school than girls are. Girls now outnumber boys entering college.
How do boys become men? How do they learn courage, the difference between right and wrong, and the meaning of love? What hurts them, makes them violent, and sometimes kills them? Boys Will Be Men, a new documentary film about growing up male in America, seeks answers to these questions.
Reviews
"A film that is both personal and universal. It is provocative and challenges the viewer to take a close look at contemporary masculinity in the U.S. and what we... must do to stop the destructive behavior that is sweeping across America...Highly Recommended." - MC Journal
"What school administrators and school resource officers can gain from this film is the necessity to take some kind of action to address the violent issues plaguing our nation." - The Book Report Magazine
"This nicely paced and well-documented film examines the cultural underpinnings of boy behavior." - Library Journal
"This video provides valuable information for those seeking innovative alternatives to standard, and standardly destructive, ways our society attempts to prematurely and counter-productively turn boys into men. It demonstrates ways for boys and men to hear and support each other into more authentic expressions of their human and humane selves." - Harry Brod, Professor of Philosophy and Humanities, University of Northern Iowa
"Promises to spur follow-up discussion; for parents, educators, and teens." - Booklist
"A valuable resource overall for teachers and youth counselors. Recommended." - Video Librarian
"Many boys are suffering. Some are on the verge of a meltdown. Often adults don't notice. The new documentary film, Boys Will Be Men, explores the terrors and triumphs of growing up male in America and suggests ways in which we can help boys on their journey. " - The Post
"A timely video that explores how, through subtle and overt cultural messages, boys in the United States learn to embrace emotional detachment, toughness, and cruelty...a video that will help introduce key issues in masculine identity development and spark lively discussion about the notion that 'boys will be boys'-a great video for courses in gender studies, psychology, women's studies and sociology." - Sharon R. Bird, Ph.D., Department of Sociology, Iowa State University
"Boys Will be Men is a breathtaking journey through the world of growing up male. Young people, experts on boys' development, and people working to improve boys' lives talk about the hazards of male upbringing and present changes in our lives that can help boys have a wider range of options in their growing up. Clear presentations of programs that help boys learn to be part of a community, to acknowledge feelings, to be responsible for communicating with others, and to choose models of masculinity enhance this wonderful video. Highly recommended!" - Stan Davis, Social Worker, School Counselor, and Bullying Prevention Consultant
Awards
Gold Plaque, Chicago International Television Awards
The Chris Award, Columbus International Film & Video Festival
CINE Golden Eagle
PASS Award, National Council on Crime and Delinquency
Gender exerts a powerful influence on all facets of human communication and raises many profound social issues. How does our gender affect us in everyday interactions? Are we treated differently because we are male or female? When we speak to someone, does the way we speak depend on the listener's gender?
This provocative and richly discussible video explores the impact that gender has on both verbal messages (including speech, language, and vocabulary) as well as the nonverbal channels of communication such as vocal paralanguage, haptics (touch), kinesics (movement, gestures, and posture), proxemics (spatial behavior) and other "unwritten" languages.
"Gender and Communication" examines a variety of fascinating topics that will engage students' interest. These include interruptions in conversations, gender bias in vocabulary and language, patterns of inequality in speech and conversation, cultural images of men and women, male-female differences in movement and kinesics, the intriguing communication changes needed by individuals who change from one gender to another, and how gender affects communication patterns in different ways in cultures around the world.
First, Deborah Tannen revolutionized our understanding of gender and communication. Now, Tannen takes your students on an intellectual journey to the core of how men and women use language, and why communication between the sexes so often goes awry.
Taking a linguistic approach that sheds light on psychology, Tannen uses everything from scholarly research to familiar examples from everyday life as her canvas. In this illuminating and entertaining presentation, Tannen draws a road map through the complex maze of why we speak the way we do, and why others so frequently don't hear what we mean.
From patterns formed in childhood, to the "conversational rituals" of adulthood, Tannen reveals how "conversational style" lies at the core of myths, stereotypes, and miscommunication between the sexes.
From why HE won't stop and ask for directions, to why SHE thinks he's not listening (even when he is), Deborah Tannen's extraordinary and challenging presentation will inspire your students to discuss, debate, and rethink the nature of communication and gender.
Review
Tannen is the world's foremost linguist...akin to Margaret Mead, who popularized the field of anthropology, or Stephen Jay Gould, who brought paleontology to a wider public. -- The Washingtonian
This program explains that conflict management styles differ for men and women in professional settings and offers tips for providing positive responses that acknowledge those differences.
Recent research presented in an interesting format. Focuses on communication problems preventing men from understanding women and women from understanding men! Featuring George Eads of CSI.
Also includes interviews with:
Actual college students sharing their frustrations, and
Aaron Kipnis and Elizabeth Heron, gender communication authors.
Highly recommended for courses in introductory communication and gender studies.
Men and women buy differently. This video uncovers the secrets of targeting your sales strategy to be equally successful with men and women. How to build relationships, when to chat versus when to get down to business, even how and where you stand when selling to a woman or a man, can make or break a sale. If you learn to target your sales strategies with gender differences in mind, you will forge more collaborative relationships with your customers and increase your sales performance.
Women can be best friends or worst enemies. Women have profound emotional ties to other women. Even when a woman finds the male love of her life, the bonds she shares with female friends usually remain unshaken. However, when a woman gets promoted, who is often the first to attack? Other women, of course! In fact, relationships between women often polarize at two extremes: either they're truly wonderful or they're quite terrible. Why is this topic of critical importance today? Women comprise half of the workforce and when women are working well together, productivity and morale escalate throughout the entire organization. Drs. Heim and Murphy help viewers improve working relations based on lessons The Golden Triangle and the Power Dead-Even Rule teach.
"With her analysis of the asymmetries in the way men and women talk, their miscues and cross purposes, Ms. Tannen struck a nerve. She says that she has received letters from people saying they saved their marriages by reading her books. Mr. Bly... says [men] tried almost desperately in the wake of the feminist movement to show their feminine sides, their feelings." ¡XNew York Times
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg discusses her career in an informal conversation with ABC's Lynn Sherr.
Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Conner speaks on the role of women in court and in the legal profession.
Professor Camille Paglia addresses the Yale Political Union on the need and prospects for a female U.S. president.
Gloria Steinem, Donna Shalala, Mary Tyler Moore, Christine Todd Whitman and Katie Couric in a panel discussion of feminism, cultural influences on women, child care and the role of women in the workforce.
Marilyn Quayle gives the keynote address to the "Powerchicks Conference" on the potential women have to influence all aspects of society