Welcome to another Feminist Friday column! That time of the week where we sit back and consume our fave videos we can’t get enough of. Centered around an intersectional feminist these, these videos are our way of sharing positive and enlightening messages around feminism with the goal of promoting gender equality.
This week it’s all about girls who are raising their voices, taking up space, and sharing narratives the world needs to hear more of. Often in the media and culture, teen girls are spoken on behalf of by adults, families, teachers, experts etc. But who says they shouldn’t be given the opportunity to share their own truths and stories?! One of our fave non-profits Women’s Voices Now, who promote films and documentaries made by women, dedicated International Day of the Girl to young women who are making a difference in the world.
For their Girls’s Voices Now initiative, they shared 3 social change short documentaries made by female youth in Los Angeles. Posted on their website, the films are designed to encourage viewers from #EmpathytoAction to promote the idea of taking film subject matter and recognizing how it can be used as a means of social change.
“GIRLS’ VOICES NOW amplifies the voices of young women from underrepresented communities in Los Angeles by teaching documentary filmmaking. Over the course of five weeks, students learn how to create their own short documentary and how to use the medium of film to affect positive social-change in their communities. They are the content creators for WVN’s Empathy-to-Action Film Club, guiding viewers to champion women’s and girls’ rights, locally and globally, one call to action at a time,” explained a press release.
We’re excited to share these films below! The first one is SHE’S GOT GAME which explores inequity between female and male athletes, specifically, the lack of funding provided to young female athletes in high school. This film was made by Marisela Lopez (17), Adriana Mendoza (14), Sissi Rivas (18).
SHE’S GOT GAME from Women’s Voices Now on Vimeo.
The second film is ONYI: THE PATH TO FINDING ME. This film focuses on Onyi, who, despite the pressures of society, is unapologetically herself. The media often portrays unrealistic standards that damage self esteem and confidence of those who do not meet “ideal” beauty standards. An empathy-to-action film campaign calling upon us to practice self love, even with all of our faults and flaws. Made by Tamara Sims (15), Elissa Fong (16), Brigette Barrales (17).
ONYI: THE PATH TO FINDING ME from Women’s Voices Now on Vimeo.
The final film in this lineup is an important once both socially and politically. NOT QUITE HERE NOT QUITE THERE is a film made in response to current immigration policies and the upcoming U.S. Supreme Court decision to potentially end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program (DACA), which provides temporary legal status and protection from deportation for youth brought to the U.S. without legal papers when they were children.
Media representations of immigrants dehumanize the people they portray. not Quite Here, not Quite There is a visual companion to a poem written by Diana Peña, focusing on the undocumented experience. This film was made by Diana Peña (16), Emily Ponce (14), Kianna Teachout (18).
NOT QUITE HERE NOT QUITE THERE – NI AQUI NI ALLA from Women’s Voices Now on Vimeo.
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