Released exactly a year ago on Saturday, ‘The Old Guard’ was overwhelmingly well-received by critics and was my favorite film of 2020, easily making it onto my end-of-year best feminist films list. And yet, the film is deserving of even more fanfare and continued accolades (especially with a sequel in the works). Consider this my ‘The Old Guard’ one-year anniversary present, masquerading as a review.
Author: Aviva Dove-Viebahn
Aviva Dove-Viebahn is an assistant professor of film and media studies at Arizona State University and a contributing editor for Ms.' Scholar Writing Program.
Keeping Promises: The Newly Updated Inclusion Rider Helps Hollywood Diversify Hiring
Inclusion Rider is a contract provision designed to help hold studios accountable for inclusive hiring practices.
“We have always had systemic change as the goal. The question being what tools could we put out there to help make the industry be more equitable, be more inclusive, be more accessible.”
Fighting for Pay Equity: A Q&A with Lilly Ledbetter and the Filmmaker Telling Her Story
When Lilly Ledbetter, a longtime manager at Goodyear, discovered her salary was significantly lower than her male colleagues, she took the company to court. While her case was overturned at the Supreme Court, her hard work finally paying off when President Barack Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 into law as his first official act.
Now, Lilly’s life and her case are going to be the subject of “Lilly,” a feature film, directed by Rachel Feldman and starring Patricia Clarkson. Ms interviewed Ledbetter and Feldman about their exciting project.
“CODA” and “Marvelous and the Black Hole” Are Stand-Out Coming-of-Age Features
“CODA” marks an important step in the right direction for diversity and inclusion in film: a crowd-pleaser that faithfully and respectfully represents a marginalized community often lacking in representation.
“Marvelous and the Black Hole” manages to be both playful and meditative by turns, navigating Sammy’s deep and real grief while recognizing that sometimes the ways teenagers express themselves is simultaneously unproductive and wholly outside their control.
“Passing”: Rebecca Hall’s Adaptation of Nella Larsen Novel Questions How We Understand and Embody Race
As with the book her film adapts, Rebecca Hall’s “Passing” chronicles a series of encounters between childhood friends Irene (Tessa Thompson) and Clare (Ruth Negga) who reunite after a chance encounter. Both women are light-skinned Black women. Clare has elected to pass as white, having married a white man who openly states how much he “hates Negros.” Irene can pass, but only does so occasionally, “for convenience,” she explains.
Documentary ‘My Name is Pauli Murray’ Illuminates the Life of Visionary Feminist Lawyer
The documentary “My Name is Pauli Murray” does admirable work not only recounting the facts of Murray’s life, but also of reminding viewers how many of Murray’s resistances to the discriminatory status quo occurred years or even decades before the landmark civil rights cases we know from history books.
“Land,” “Mayday” and “The World to Come” All Feature Women at Odds with the World Around Them
“Land,” “Mayday” and “The World to Come”:
On the surface, a film about leaving civilization, a feminist dystopia, and a lesbian period drama couldn’t be more different. But, familiar characters emerge from each: strong women who persevere in environments indifferent or even hostile to their desires and needs.
“Cusp” and “At the Ready” Highlight the Strength and Complexity of American Teenagers
In both Cusp and At the Ready, the rapport filmmakers developed with their teenage subjects comes through starkly in the raw emotion and often difficult questions these youth confront.
Three Documentaries—featuring Cultural Icons Rita Moreno, Alvin Ailey and Valerie Taylor—to Inspire You
The first in a series of reviews from the 2021 Sundance Film Festival focused on films directed by women.
This year, I was lucky to watch three biographical documentaries directed by women—Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It; Ailey; and Playing with Sharks that focus on the lives of cultural icons Rita Moreno, Alvin Ailey and Valerie Taylor, respectively.
Smithsonian’s “Sidedoor” Podcast Examines How Ms. Made Wonder Woman a Feminist Icon
Ms. Magazine aligned itself with the Amazonian fighter for peace and justice from its inception, featuring the red-, white- and blue-bedecked heroine on the cover of its first full issue. Five times, to date, Wonder Woman has graced this magazine’s cover, linking her inexorably with women’s empowerment and feminism.