Do you need some ideas for what to watch after Crasstalk’s Day of Womanly Things? Why not start with these documentaries about women and women’s issues?
The September Issue
Whether you love Anna Wintour or hate her, this documentary is a must-see. I love a good HBIC, and Wintour is a lady who knows what she wants and will not take “no” for an answer. The September issue of Vogue takes nine months to put together, and it is the biggest issue of the year. This documentary follows the entire process: Staff meetings, photo shoots, Wintour deciding what makes the cut and what does not, etc. Watch Wintour disagree with and fight stylist Grace Coddington’s ideas for shoots. The differences between Wintour and Coddington are striking, and the power struggle is fascinating. One is cold and rarely shows emotion; the other is warm and full of positive energy. Bonus: You get to see lots and lots of pretty garments.
A Walk to Beautiful
This 2007 documentary follows the journey of three young Ethiopian women seeking treatment for obstetric fistulas. The fistulas are a result of a long labor where the baby becomes stuck against the laboring mother’s pelvic bone. Blood circulation is cut off and the surrounding tissue becomes necrotic and eventually wears a hole from the vagina into the bladder or the vagina into the rectum, and sometimes into both. These obstetric fistulas are a problem that affects mainly impoverished and uneducated women forced into marriages and pregnancies at a young age. While fistulas are 100% preventable, these women don’t have access to emergency obstetric care they would need to prevent them. The women then become social outcasts due to their “leaking” and the odor that accompanies the problem. In order to be cured, the women must travel many, many hours to get to the hospital in Addis Ababa where there are competent surgeons to treat them. The hospital does not just offer physical treatment, though. It also helps the women deal with the psychological trauma they have endured for being considered unclean and less than human by their communities.
Very Young Girls
Not for the faint of heart, Very Young Girls will most likely haunt you after you have finished watching. American girls as young as 13 bravely tell their stories about how they ended up as prostitutes at such a young age. The stories of the girls being exploited and trying to escape the industry are heartbreaking and sickening. Despite being one of the most depressing documentaries ever filmed, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, GEMS. GEMS was founded by Rachel Lloyd, a woman who was also commercially exploited as a teenager. The organization provides services to girls in New York State. Direct intervention, mentoring and other programs are all available for the young victims of sexual exploitation.
A Wink and a Smile: The Art of Burlesque
This charming documentary follows 10 ordinary women in Seattle as they learn the art of burlesque dancing. The women learn how to create an onstage persona, their own routines and costumes. Naturally, inhibitions and emotional issues arise, but the women learn to work through them using dance as a confidence booster. Even if you would not be caught dead stripping onstage, it is fun to watch these women become more comfortable in their bodies and negative body images change to positive.
These ought to keep you busy for a while. Feel free to leave any other suggestions in the comments.
