Women's Studies

Profiles some of the key women involved in the grassroots organizing of the `People's Power' revolution in the Philippines which brought down Ferdinand Marcos and swept Corazon Aquino to power in 1989.

Filmmaker Paul Lee explores the lives of four generations of Chinese women in his family, using their shoes-from the four-inch silk sandals made for his great- grandmother's bound feet during the Ching Dynasty to the Italian leather pumps of his career-minded sister-as a reference point for the cultural and social forces which have shaped their lives.

Examines the West African religious institution of trokosi, where young women are chosen to serve an indefinite period of servitude for crimes committed long ago by their grandparents and even great-grandparents.

Examines the social and political struggle of South Africa's black community today, when they must deal with the after-effects of decades of apartheid rule.

A look at working women in Latin America and their efforts to achieve equality in the home and workplace. Most combine their participation in the labor market with their family functions as mothers and wives, thus working a `double day.'

Examines the lives of several women who actively participated in the social revolution during the Spanish Civil War, women who are as dynamic in their 80s as they were in their youth. All are members of the anarcho-syndicalist trade union, the CNT, the main representative of the working class movement in Spain in 1936.

Examines women in Latin America and the cultural values that shape their lives. Scenes of urban slums, abandoned children, reform schools and broken homes are juxtaposed against romanticized media images.

Profiles Sue Ann McKean, one of the most charismatic personalities involved in women's bodybuilding, who sees herself not as an athlete but as an artist. Amidst the controversy the sport arouses over society's notions of appropriate gender roles, McKean argues that bodybuilding for women does not diminish their femininity but develops their sense of self-sufficiency and self-assertiveness.

Examines the situation of women coal miners in the U.S., their struggle to be hired, their day-to-day lives in the mines, the economic necessity that first made them seek work as miners, and the opposition they face from their families, the community and their male coworkers.

Puerto Rico has the highest incidence of female sterilization in the world. Over one-third of all Puerto Rican women of childbearing age have been sterilized. So common is the operation that it is simply known as ‘la operacion.' Using newsreels and excerpts from government propaganda films, plus interviews with Puerto Rican women, doctors, birth control specialists and politicians, this film explores the controversial use of sterilization as a means of population control.

Each year, an estimated 30 to 55 million women throughout the world obtain induced abortions. More than half of these abortions are illegal and an estimated 84,000 of them result in death. This cross-cultural survey shows how abortion transcends race, religion and social class, and how differences in the practice and perception of abortion are mainly in the degree of secrecy and danger accompanying it.

Interweaves the stories of six women who were profoundly affected by the choices available to them prior to the legalization of abortion. The influence of family, friends, and the prevailing sexual mores of the period are explored through each woman's discussion of her pregnancy and sense of choice.

Dramatizes the life and work of Luisa Capetillo (1879-1922), a Puerto Rican journalist, writer, suffragist, and labor organizer.

Examines beauty pageants and the images of women they promote, allowing both pageant supporters and protestors to express their viewpoints. The film focuses on the Miss California Beauty Pageant and the emotionally charged debate that has occurred in recent years.

Offers a lively mixture of contemporary interviews and archival film footage in a thoughtful examination of the social phenomenon of the `flapper,' the provocative `New Woman' of America's Roaring '20s.

A biographical profile of Laura Clay (1849-1941), a key figure in the Women's Rights Movement who devoted her life to the struggle for equal educational opportunities, child custody rights, equal pay for equal work, and the right to vote.

The storytelling tradition of the southern Appalachians comes to life through actress/writer Clarinda Ross's portrayal of four generations of her maternal ancestors.

This short drama describes the twenty-year friendship of four lively but vastly different women who gather for a three-day reunion after having drifted apart over the years.

Examines the increasing participation of women in motorcycle riding, whether as hobby or profession. Produced by two women motorcyclists, the video interviews women involved in both amateur and professional motorcycle sports-including drag, sidecar and road racing, hill climbing, motocross competition, and trials riding-as well as motorcycle hobbyists.

Features intimate discussions among women, as well as a class of fourth and fifth grade girls, about their menstruation experiences and their difficulties in talking about their periods.