Women are on the rise, supporting each other through the Women's Marches to the Polls and the #metoo movement. Plus, record numbers of women are running for political offices during the upcoming spring primary elections and November general elections. (Remember to vote!) It’s truly a pivotal moment for the advancement of women’s rights.
Bring your daughters, invite your mother and grab your friends for a wonderful, affirming experience. Of course, sons, husbands, fathers and male friends are invited, too! As International Women’s Day falls on March 8, right in the middle of the Festival, we want to point you to five official One Earth film selections that highlight strong women.
Dolores
Dolores Huerta is one of the most important activists in American history. She has made enormous contributions, including co-founding the first farm workers unions with Cesar Chavez. This biopic reveals the personal stakes involved in committing one’s life to social change, as Huerta leads the fight for racial and labor justice. Watch the trailer:
Screenings of Dolores:
3/5, Google, Chicago SOLD OUT. (Free, with suggested $12 donation) This event is an official, pre-celebration of International Women’s Day, in partnership with Women@Google, Chicago Women in Green, North Shore Green Women and Hispanic Googler Network.
3/10, Trinity United Covenant Church, Chicago (Free)
3/10, Waukegan Public Library, Waukegan (Free)
Jane
Drawing from more than 100 hours of never-before seen footage from the National Geographic archives, Oscar-nominated director Brett Morgan tells the story of Jane Goodall, a woman whose chimpanzee research challenged the prevailing scientific consensus and revolutionized our understanding of the natural world. Watch the trailer:
Screenings of Jane:
3/3, Pickwick Theatre, Park Ridge ($7 ticket)*
3/10, Thatcher Woods Pavilion, River Forest (Free)
100 Years: One Woman’s Fight for Justice
This compelling film tells the story of Elouise Cobell, a petite Blackfeet warrior from Montana, who waged a 30-year fight for justice on behalf of 300,000 Native Americans. The U. S. government had grossly mismanaged their resource-rich lands for a century. Her battle led her to bring the largest class action lawsuit ever filed against the federal government. Watch the trailer:
Screening of 100 Years:
3/3, Triton College, River Grove (Free)
Sea of Life
CHICAGO-AREA PREMIERE! Award-winning filmmaker Julia Barnes takes audiences on a provocative journey through the most stunning ecosystems on the planet. At 16, Barnes was so inspired by a documentary film that she decided to make her own. She bought a camera, learned to dive, and produced and directed this film. Watch the trailer:
Screening of Sea of Life:
3/4, St James Church, Chicago (Free)
Unfractured
CHICAGO-AREA PREMIERE! A hopeful documentary about fighting with your whole heart, Unfractured follows introspective biologist and mother, Sandra Steingraber, as she reinvents herself as an outspoken activist and a leader in New York’s biggest grassroots movement in decades.
Screening of Unfractured:
3/8, Nineteenth Century Club, Oak Park ($20 ticket)*
Reserve tickets for these films by clicking on the green venues above or go to at oneearthfilmfest.eventbrite.com
* For this and other select events with priced tickets, a generous anonymous donor will match -- and double -- your ticket purchase. So your $20 ticket will generate an additional $40 in donations!
--By Laurie Casey