10 Women’s Empowerment Films
Today we present 10 films that highlight these themes.
Talking about female empowerment and equal rights is very important for building a more inclusive and equal society. Today we present 10 films that highlight these themes.
THE COLOR PURPLE, 1985
This film tells the story of the life of Celie, an African-American woman who was abused by her father and later sold. She marries a man who believes that the best way to get along with a woman is to beat her. Celie spends much of her life quietly accepting the abuse she is subjected to and hopes one day to reunite with the sister she was separated from when she was very young.
A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN, 1992
League of their own is a film inspired by true events set in 1943. In that year, many of the athletes in the American baseball league were in combat in World War II, which threatened the disruption of the league.
With this, Walter Harvey (Garry Marshall), mogul owner of the Chicago Cubs, decides to create a women’s league. Ernie Capadino (Jon Lovitz) has been put in charge of recruiting players when at a small game he is impressed by Dottie Hinson (Geena Davis). Unlike her sister Kit (Lori Petty), Dottie didn’t seem too interested in the offer to play in the league, but Dottie eventually convinces her and the two sisters to join the women’s baseball league.
FRIDA, 2002
This film tells the story of one of the most impactful names of the 20th century -Mexican Artist Frida Kahlo.
Very important moments of Frida’s life are shared, such as the accident that left her without walking; her marriage to Mexican painter Diego Rivera; her travels around the world; her natural love for animals; her bohemian moments; her political choices, and much more!
MADE IN DAGENHAM, 2010
There was great inequality of women’s rights at the Ford Motors Company in Dagenham, UK. The workers, tired of the way women are treated, decided to create a demonstration against discrimination and sexism. This was led by Rita O’Grady (Sally Hawkins), the main character.
WILD, 2014
After the death of her mother, a divorce, and a phase of self-destruction, Cheryl (Reese Witherspoon) decides to change, investing in herself to overcome and become a better version of herself. She then ventures to the Pacific Ocean coast and here begins the adventure, full of challenges and moments close to nature with a focus on the initial goal.
SUFFRAGETTE, 2015
This film tells the story of women fighting for equality and the right to vote, demanding fairer laws that included them.
To expose sexist laws and change the way they were looked down upon, a group of working-class women add their voices to that of Emmeline Pankhurst, a woman at the forefront who had long fought for women’s rights. They decided to defy the state and set out in radical forms of protest, braving everything for equal rights and opportunities.
MARIE CURIE: THE COURAGE OF KNOWLEDGE, 2016
Science was essentially led by men, and Marie Curie changes that. The film tells us the story of this woman, scientist, mother of two daughters, and widow who revolutionizes the science industry and wins two Nobel Prizes – making her the first person to receive this award twice.
HIDDEN FIGURES, 2016
At the peak of the space race fought between the United States and Russia during the Cold War, a team of NASA scientists made up exclusively of African-American women proved to be the crucial missing element in the equation for victory for the United States. These women led one of the largest technological operations experienced in American history and became true heroines.
ON THE BASIS OF SEX, 2018
This film tells the story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the young lawyer who joins her husband, Marty, to bring a groundbreaking case before the U.S. Court of Appeals and end a century of gender discrimination. She was appointed to the Supreme Court in the year 1993 by President Bill Clinton and became the second female justice, after Sandra Day O’Connor.
THE GLORIAS, 2020
The Glorias tells us about the life of activist Gloria Steinem, whose contribution to the feminist movement found its apex during the 1960s and 1970s. At 86 years old, her advocacy for women’s rights spans generations. And in The Glorias, Julie Taymor explores this woman’s life, paralleling her psychosocial construction over the years by contrasting her childhood, adolescence, youth, and everyone else affected by each of these aspects.
HERSTORY Makes History 24, July 2022