feminist movements • national liberation movements • women and revolution • women's advancement and emancipation
WORLD WIDE
World Feminists (USA)
Film, 16 mm; video, 3/4 in., 28 min., color, in English
Made by Martha Stuart Communications
Distributor: Martha Stuart Communications (USA)
An international group of feminists from Saudi Arabia, Barbados, Italy, Holland, Bangladesh, Mexico, Thailand, Australia, Ghana, India, the Fiji islands and the United States explore some of the primary issues facing women today. They discuss the importance of collaboration among all women and the need for international support networks. They talk about the media and how it both distorts the image of women and how it can be used as a positive support mechanism.
The Issue Is Women (USA 1982)
Slide-tape, 15 min., in English
Made by International Women's Tribune Center
Distributor: International Women's Tribune Center (USA)
Provides an overview of the first two conferences of the 1975-1985 United Nations Decade for Women (held in Mexico City in 1975 and Copenhagen in 1980) and women's national and global organizing initiatives in the United States.
Women of the World Meet Together: Copenhagen Forum 1980 (USA)
Slide-tape, 15 min., in English
Made by International Women's Tribune Center
Distributor: International Women's Tribune Center (USA)
This slide-tape show covers the revising and refining strategies for action by women from all over the world, discussed at the nongovernmental Mid-Decade Forum Copenhagen in July 1980, as part of the United Nations Decade for Women (1975-85).
The Copenhagen Forum (USA)
Slideshow, 80 slides, 12 min., available in English and Spanish
Made by the International Women's Tribune Center
Distributor: International Women's Tribune Center (USA) and Centro de la Mujer Peruana Flora Tristan (Peru)
A documentary slideshow about the World Conference the United Nations Decade for Women held in Copenhagen in July of 1980.
Woman Power (1976)
Film, 16 mm, 28 min., color, in English
Made by the United Nations
Distributor: United Nations Information Service (Chile)
Made in celebration of the United Nation's International Women's Year, this film deals with women's equality.
AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST
Fatma '75 (Tunisia 1978)
Film, 65 min., color, in Tunisian with Dutch subtitles
Made by Selma Baccar
Producer: SATPEC
Distributor: Cinemien (Netherlands)
In this film, the Tunisian student Fatma investigates the history of women's emancipation in Tunisia from 1930 to the late 1970s. Through scenes, interviews and commentaries, the film presents the history and situation of women in both rural and urban areas in education, family life and marriage, sexuality and family planning, legislation and work. It also focuses on the role of women in the national liberation struggle. It shows the great gap between the legal recognition of women's emancipation and the real political, economic and cultural situation of women. Because of its critical position, this film has never been publicly shown in Tunisia and is only distributed in the Netherlands.
Frauen der Welt (West Germany 1981)
Film, 16 mm, 55 min., color, in English and German
Made by Gordon Troller
Distributor: The Other Cinema (England)
This film concentrates on women's role and emancipation in the Eritrean People's Liberation Front, an armed popular organization struggling for the independence of Eritrea.
What About the Women? (1983)
Slideshow, 25 min., color.
Distributor: Toronto Committee for the Liberation of South Africa (Canada)
Personal encounters with women in Mozambique who are struggling to free themselves from the legacy of colonial oppression and sexist domination.
Fear Women (Ghana)
Film, 27 min., in English
Distributor: University of Illinois Film Center (USA) or Marlin Motion Pictures, Ltd. (Canada)
The women of Ghana have a reputation for independence. It is they, rather than the men, who sit in the market stalls and run a large proportion of the nation's retail trade. But some Ghanaian women are now thrusting even more vigorously into the arena of power and influence. This film shows three very different women who typify the new trend: a business woman, an appeals court judge and a hereditary chief.
ASIA
Women Activists in Asia (Canada)
Slideshow, 27 min., color, in English
Made by YWCA
Distributor: YWCA Resource Center (Canada)
This slideshow is based on recordings made at a seminar of men and women active in developing the role of women in Asian society. They describe many examples of efforts to upgrade the status of women in various Asian countries, including the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia. The proceedings stress that equal educational opportunity and attitudinal change are prerequisites for achieving real change for women in society.
Women in China (1978)
Video, 3/4 in., 42 min., in English
Made by Debbie Michaels and Julie Wiggins
Distributor: Sydney Filmmakers Cooperative (Australia)
In this video, a group of women who went to China to investigate the postrevolutionary position of women there, relate their expectations and impressions. They discuss sexuality, health care, childcare, education, women and work, and women's political participation. The video gives a historical perspective on the traditional role of women before the revolution and poses numerous questions about the direction in which China is moving now.
The Other Half of the Sky: A China Memoir
Film, 16 mm., 74 min., color, in English
Made by Shirley Maclaine and Claudia Weill
Distributor: New Day Films (USA)
A feminist collective visited China to learn about the roles of women in Chinese society. From the first moment when two of the women find themselves surrounded by a silent, curious crowd on a busy Canton street, the film conveys the feeling of a totally alien culture. China emerges as both fascinating and frightening, but it is a testament to the U.S. women and the Chinese people that they overcome cultural barriers and make warm human contact with one another.
Shigeri Yamataka and Widow-Child Welfare (Japan 1976)
Sixth in a ten-part series
Video, U-matic, 30 min., color, in Japanese, Chinese, and English
Director: Haruko K. Watanabe
Producer: HKW Video Workshop
Distributor: HKW Video Workshop (Japan)
Shigeri Yamataka, chairperson of the board of the National Widows' Association (Chifuren), speaks about her life as a leader in the Japanese women's movement. She discusses her efforts to prevent widows from committing suicide with their children by uniting them into one strong organization, Zenmi. She discusses community activities of Chifuren, which claims a membership of six million, 15% of eligible women voters in Japan. Yoko Nuita, the interviewer, criticizes Chifuren for its support of the government.
Da Yu Dao: Big Fish Village (England 1977)
Film, 16 mm, 30 min., color, in English
Distributor: The Guild Organization (England)
This edited version of Joris Ivens' and Marcelline Loridan's The Fishing Village from their film series How Yukong Moved the Mountains was prepared for an Open University course on comparative politics. It concentrates on brigade leadership in postrevolutionary China, methods of payment in the brigade, the continuance of traditional ideas and their interaction with the goals of the revolution. In addition there is an extended portrayal of the position of women in the village.
Woman (India)
Slideshow, 39 min., color
Made by Ishwani Kendra
Distributor: Communication Department, Ishwani Kendra
This slideshow deals with problems, rights and liberation of women in every class and sector of Indian society-rich and poor, urban and rural, Hindi and Muslim.
Half the Village Sky (Philippines)
Slideshow, 20 min., color, in English
Made by the Center for Women's Resources
Distributor: Vrouwen Voor Filippijnen (VVF) (Netherlands) or the Center for Women's Resources (CWR) (Philippines)
This slideshow is an overview of the conditions of rural and urban women. It explores the structural problems of women such as land, health, sexuality, and labor. It also tackles current issues dealing with the national situation and the capacity of women to take a militant stand against exploitation.
Winning and Surviving: Women of the Philippines (Netherlands 1984)
Slideshow, 26 min., color, in Dutch with English text
Made by Dutch Women's Solidarity Group for Filipino women
Distributor: Vrouwen Voor Filippijnen (VVF) (Netherlands)
This slideshow portrays not only the situation of Filipinas in their own country, but also abroad in Western Europe and the Middle East as migrant workers. The oppression and exploitation of women in different sectors of society is shown, as well as the struggle of Filipino women for their rights and welfare and for the realization of a democratic and free country. Links are made between the situation of Filipino and Dutch women and the slideshow ends with a call for international solidarity.
Women of Telecommunications Station 6 (USA 1971)
Film, 16 mm, 20 min., b/w, in English
Made by Third World Newsreel
Distributor: Development Education Center (DEC) (Canada)
This film, made during the Vietnamese war of liberation, explores the more personal aspects of Vietnamese women's lives during the long struggle against foreign domination and aggression.
Women in Korea (USA)
Slideshow, 15 min., color, In English
Made by Committee for a New Korea Policy
Distributor: Committee for a New Korea Policy (USA)
Where they have come from? Where are they going? This slide presentation describes the life of women in both South and North Korea. It compares and contrasts the social services of each society. It shows women's struggle for equality, the impact of repressive governments and the threat to women of U.S.-encouraged militarization.
AUSTRALIA AND THE PACIFIC
New Tales from the Pacific (Fiji)
Slideshow, 20 min., color, in English
Made by Ofis Blong Ol Meri/World YWCA
Distributor: Ofis Blong Ol Meri/World YWCA (Fiji)
The slideshow discusses the Pacific region with special emphasis on women, and the issues affecting them. It also highlights how U.S. women within the network of YWCA can support the women in the Pacific.
EUROPE
Donna: Women in Revolt (Italy)
Film, 65 min., color, in Italian/English with English subtitles
Made by Yvonne Scholten
Distributor: Iris Feminist Collective (USA)
A look at the history and development of Italian feminism through the personal stories of women who were involved in the women's rights movement at the turn of the century, women who were involved in the Resistance during World War II, and present-day feminists. The film opens with a fascist commando raid of the women's radio station in Rome and goes on to explore the questions of the relationship between women and politics and the extent to which a women's daily life is affected by what is going on in society. Donna is an important film for anyone wanting to gain a perspective on women's struggles in Europe.
Vrouw (Netherlands 1980)
(Woman)
Film, 16 mm, 65 min., color, in Dutch and Italian
Made by Yvonne Scholten
Producer: Rolf Orthel
Distributor: Gruppo Comunicazione Visiva – Genova (Italy)
A careful reconstruction of the history of the Italian feminist movement of the late 1960s and 1970s, this film combines still photographs with documentary footage and interviews with activists from as far back as the 1920s to reflect on the experiences and still unfinished battles of Italian women today.
8 Maart 1982 (Netherlands 1982)
(March 8, 1982)
Sony U-matic, 20 min., color, in Dutch
Made by Coos Huijsman
Distributor: Kaktus Vrouwenvideokollektief (Netherlands)
A report on International Women's Day in Amsterdam with interviews of Dutch and Latin American women.
Women in the Eighties/Norwegian Coup... Ten Years On (England 1981)
Fourth in a five-part series
Video; film, 16 mm, 25 min., color, in English
Made by BBC Enterprises Ltd. (England)
Women in Norway are now more fully represented in local politics. This program looks at the strategies they employed from 1971 to 1979 to achieve their election.
El Lugar de la Mujer (1979)
(Women's Place)
Film, 16 mm, 27 min., color, in Spanish
Made by the United Nations Department of Public Information
Distributor: United Nations Information Office (Chile)
This film is designed to promote equality between men and women by examining conditions for women in Sweden. A country with a long history of social reforms, Sweden is currently experimenting with a number of new policies designed to guarantee equal status for women.
Council Matters (England 1984)
Film, 16 mm; video, 10 min., color, in English
Made by Leeds Animation Workshop
Distributor: Leeds Animation Workshop (England)
Freda the cleaner takes the lid off the Town Hall in this lively and informative cartoon. It gives basic information about the services provided by a local authority and humorously illustrates what life would be like without them. As Freda's vacuum cleaner transforms itself into a "hoovercopter" and flies over the city, she explains the structure of the local authority and the relationship between voter, council and central government. She also confronts the issue of privatization and shows some of the effects of this on local services. The aim of the film is to provoke discussion and encourage involvement in local democracy.
Scuola Senza Fine (Italy 1983)
(School Without End)
Film, 16 mm, 40 min., b/w, in Italian
Made by Adriana Monti
Producer: Adriana Monti and the protagonists
Distributor: Gruppo Comunicazione Visiva - Genoa (Italy)
This film traces the experience of a group of women schoolteachers who participated in an all-women course as part of the "150 hours" of special classroom time for workers, secured by the Italian labor movement in the early 1970s. The film is divided into three parts: the first describes the meetings and discussions taking place between the women themselves; the second recounts the experiences of individual women in everyday life; the third describes how, thanks to the efforts of the group, the women have learned to love and appreciate their own bodies and to develop their own creative and intellectual potential.
Yvonne Netter, Avocate (France 1982)
(Yvonne Netter, Lawyer)
Video, 3/4 in., 25 min., color, in French
Made by Carole Roussopoulos
Producer: Centre Audiovisuel Simone de Beauvoir
Distributor: Centre Audiovisuel Simone de Beauvoir (France)
This video is a portrait of suffragist Yvonne Netter, a contemporary lawyer specializing in women's rights and one of the first women to be admitted to the Paris bar. Here, Netter discusses her views on the history of female and male roles and the women's movement today.
LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
FEMINIST MOVEMENT
Llegaron las Feministas (Colombia 1981)
(The Feminists Have Arrived)
Video, 3/4 and 1/2 in., NSTC and PAL, 55 min., in Spanish
Made by Cine Mujer - Colombia
Distributor: Cine Mujer (Colombia)
Documents the discussions and activities that took place during the First Conference on Feminism in Latin America and the Caribbean in Bogota in 1981.
En que Estamos? (Colombia 1983)
(How Far Have We Come?)
Video, 3/4 and 1/2 in., 60 min., color, in Spanish
Made by Cine Mujer
Distributor: Cine Mujer (Colombia)
This video provides an overview of the proceedings at the Second Latin American and Caribbean Feminist Meeting in Lima, in July 1983.
Mulher Brasileira, Sua Luta, Su Libertacao (Brazil 1984)
(The Brazilian Woman, Her Struggle and Liberation)
Documentary film, 16 mm, 36 min., color, in Portuguese
Made by Jose Luis Andreone
Producer: Irene Cardoso
Distributor: Irene Cardoso (Brazil)
This film was produced by the United Nations in celebration of the UN Decade for Women (1975-1985). It depicts women living in the outskirts of Brazil's major cities who are mobilizing to end discrimination against women and to bring about a global transformation of society. As part of the same initiative, the UN has commissioned twelve other women to produce documentaries about the condition of women in each of their respective countries, including Canada, Egypt, India, Ireland, Japan, Nigeria, Norway, Peru, Senegal, the United Kingdom and the United States.
TRIPLE JEOPARDY: SEX, CLASS, AND NATIONAL OPPRESSION
Mujer Explotada (Peru)
(The Exploited Woman)
Slideshow, 6 min., color, in Spanish
Made by Sonoviso
Distributor: Sonoviso (Peru)
This slideshow shows ways in which women's exploitation is exacerbated by poverty and points out the various kinds of oppression, exclusion and subordination that women face in a male-dominated society. The slideshow can be used to open up a debate on these problems at the grassroots level.
Sin Venda ni Bozal (Dominican Republic)
(Without Blindfold or Gag)
Slideshow, 13 min., color, in Spanish
Made by Centro Dominicano de Estudios de la Educacion (CEDEE)
Distributor: CEDEE (Dominican Republic)
In this slideshow, a peasant woman describes her oppression by class and sex and talks about what it has meant for her to organize against it.
Rompiendo Cadenas: La Mujer Dominicana (Dominican Republic)
(Breaking Chains: The Dominican Woman)
Slideshow, 13 min., color, in Spanish
Distributor: Servicio Colombiano de Comunicacion Social (Colombia)
This film is designed to stimulate discussion about the oppression of women in the Dominican Republic, including the kinds of discrimination they face, domestic working conditions, the role of social institutions in reinforcing traditional images of femininity and, finally, the need to organize for change.
Minha Vida, Nossa Luta (Brazil 1980)
(My Life, Our Struggle)
Documentary film, 16 mm, 32 min., color, in Portuguese
Made by Susana Aramal
Distributor: Cinema Distribucao Independente (Brazil)
This film traces the history of a community leader and her struggle to lend dignity to the lives of her people, first through consciousness-raising and later by helping them fight for their rights.
Hot Times (England 1981)
Video, 20 min., color, in English
Distributor: Concord Films Council (England)
Like their sisters in other parts of the Third World, Brazilian women are the victims of both poverty and sexual oppression. In this video, several women tell of the misery of living in slum conditions, their lack of opportunities and their own personal struggle for survival. Hot Times fills viewers with a sense of these women's humor, strength and determination to take control over their own lives.
Asi Luchamos las Mujeres de Canaria! (Peru 1983)
(Women from Canarias in Struggle)
Slideshow, 30 min., color, with accompanying text in Spanish
Made by Proyecto Mujer Nuevo Despertar and Centro de Informacion Estudios y Documentacion (CIED) with the collaboration of Marcelina Pillpe
Distributor: CIED (Peru)
Located in the region of Ayacucho, the Minas Canaria mining company has been accused since 1979 of openly violating workers' rights and of refusing to respect collective bargaining agreements. This audiovisual documents the participation of a large number of peasant women and miners' wives in a lengthy strike against the company. Organized in the Housewives' Committee (Comite de Amas de Casa), in 1982, these women decided to march 758 kilometers from Canaria to Lima in search of support and solidarity at the national level, an effort which cost a total of 21 lives.
Produced in conjunction with the women themselves, this audiovisual is designed to stimulate discussion about working conditions and the role of women in supporting workers' struggles. It has been widely shown in mining centers and grassroots organizations throughout Peru.
Women of Surinam (Netherlands 1978)
Documentary film, 50 min., color, in Dutch
Producer: Cineclub with Loson and Progressive Women's Union
Distributor: Cineclub (Netherlands)
This film shows the lives of rural and urban women in Surinam, as well as the cultural life of the Surinamese people. It shows how the women have organized to improve their lot through the Progressive Women's Union, setting up community and children's centers, and how they are struggling together with men in land occupation and strikes.
WOMEN AND NATIONAL LIBERATION
In Our Own Hands (USA 1984)
Video, 22 min., color.
Distributor: Third World Women's Project, Institute for Policy Studies (USA)
This video is an interview with Magda Enriquez, a founder of AMNLAE, the Nicaraguan women's association. The interview covers U.S. policy in Nicaragua and the advances Nicaraguan women have made since the 1979 revolution.
Women in Arms (Nicaragua 1980)
Film, 16 mm, 59 min., color, in English
Director: Victoria Schultz
Producer: Victoria Schultz
Distributor: International Development Education Resources Association (IDERA Films) (Canada)
Women in Arms was filmed in the period immediately following the Nicaraguan revolution. The film explores not only the revolution itself, but also its aftermath, the period of reconstruction. The role of women is shown to be a key one and a central part of any portrait of revolutionary society in Latin America. Thirty percent of the fighting forces during the revolution were women. Their part in bringing about the overthrow of centuries of oppression, and their ongoing role in the reconstruction process, is shown to be vital.
Women in Nicaragua (USA 1983)
Slideshow, 18 min., color, in English
Made by Bev Burke and Rick Arnold
Distributor: International Development Education Resources Association (IDERA) (Canada)
This slide-tape explores the involvement of women in Nicaragua, before, during and after the 1979 revolution. The leading role of women in community health programs, the literacy campaign, social and legal reforms, and national defense is highlighted. The need to increase women's participation in all aspects of Nicaraguan society is emphasized.
Basta ya! Women in Central America (USA 1983)
Slideshow, 30 min.
Made by The Resource Center
Distributor: The Resource Center (USA)
A portrayal of the daily life of rural and urban Central American women. It looks at women active in opposition movements and why they consider women's liberation an essential part of revolutionary changes. Changes for women in Nicaragua since the revolution are summarized. It also examines the role of U.S. corporations and the traumatic effects of war on women.
When the Mountains Tremble (Guatemala 1983)
Film, 16 mm, 83 min., color, in English, Spanish and indigenous language with English subtitles.
Made by Peter Kinoy
Producer: Skylight
Distributor: International Development Education Resources Association (IDERA Films) (Canada)
This is a film about Rigoberta Menchu, a Quiche Indian from Guatemala, whose life story illustrates recent events in that country. Running throughout the film and weaving together both dramatic and documentary scenes, her strong story emotionally portrays the rich and complex nature of Guatemalan society, a society on the brink of chaos. As in other Central American countries, the current turmoil rests on a legacy of injustice and exploitation of the many by the few. The film portrays active participation of the majority Indian population in the people's struggle.
Chile: Four Women's Stories (Chile 1981)
Slideshow, 25 min., in English
Made by American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)
Distributor: American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) (USA)
Four women of diverse economic backgrounds speak in their own words about their lives in Chile before and after the September 11, 1973 military coup. Their stories touch on Chile's history, economic conditions, the workers movement under Allende, the Chilean women's movement, repression after the coup and commitment to the new Chilean revolution.
Missing Persons (Chile 1979)
Film, 16 mm, 26 min., b/w, Spanish with English subtitles
Made by Jaime Barrios, Pennee Bender, Donna Bertaccini and Monika Villaseca
Distributor: Women Make Movies (USA)
A first-hand account of repression in Chile today is told by three Chileans. The eloquent and vivid description of the arrest of their husbands and children and their countless efforts to find them is presented against the backdrop of the debate in the United Nations and the U.S. government on the status of human rights in Chile.
NORTH AMERICA
Rising Up Strong: Women in the '80s (Canada 1981)
Video, 3/4 in., 60 min., color, in English
Made by Linda Briskin, Lorna Weir in cooperation with Rogers Cable TV
Distributor: Development Education Center (DEC) (Canada)
This film examines the problems women face: low wages, job ghettos, responsibility for housework, inadequate childcare, violence against women, persecution of lesbians, attacks on reproductive rights. It focuses on the individual and collective struggles of Ontario women to fight back through such vehicles as the trade unions, the equal pay coalition, Action Day Care, International Women's Day Committee, the like.
A Wive's Tale (Canada 1980)
Film, 16 mm; video, 73 min., color, in English and French
Directors: Sophie Bissonnette, Martin Duckworth and Joyce Rock
Producer: Arthur Lamothe for Les Ateliers Audiovisuels du Quebec, with the participation of L'Institut Quebecois du Cinema and Radio Quebec
Distributor: Development Education Center (DEC) (Canada) and Cinema Guild (USA)
The powerful and emotional story of Sudbury women who organized to support the steel workers at Inco during their ten-month strike in 1979. The film's power is rooted in its meticulous recording of the personal and collective struggles of these women who hang together despite company intimidation, the strikers' lack of trust at critical moments and internal differences. It shows the pain, the fears, the solidarity and the incredible strength developed by the process of collective organizing.
SEE ALSO
Other resources that address the themes of this chapter are listed below. The chapters where they may be found are given in boldface type.
AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST
Reclaiming Our History
A Veiled Revolution (USA)
Migrants and Refugees
Anou Banou ou les Filles de l'Utopie (France)
ASIA
Images of Women
Women Pioneers/Status of Japanese Women (Japan)
AUSTRALIA AND THE PACIFIC
The Craft of Culture
Climbers (Australia)
EUROPE
Reclaiming Our History
The Paris Commune, 1871 (Canada)
Teresa Rebull: Una Experiencia Cantada (Spain)
Identity, Roles and Relationships
Mondi e Racconti (Italy)
Mais Qu'est-ce Qu'elles Veulent? (France)
O Mytos (Greece)
Sexual Violence
Carriole Rosa in Parlamento (Italy)
Security or Subjugation (Northern Ireland)
LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
Reclaiming Our History
Tigresa (Brazil)
Empowering Women for Development
Mujeres del Centro de Accion de Mujeres (Ecuador)
Our Work
Tribunal Bertha Lutz (Brazil)
Reproductive Rights
8 de Marzo (Mexico)
NORTH AMERICA
Waging Peace
Women, Peace and Power (Canada)
Against Apartheid and Racism
Flo Kennedy, Portrait d'une Feministe Americaine (France)
Lesbian/Gay Liberation
Before Stonewall (USA)