Women and Girls Lead Film Collection

Film Collection

Women and Girls Lead offers a collection of films by prominent independent filmmakers. These films focus on women who are working to transform their lives, their communities, and the world. Films will be added throughout the life of the campaign.
Explore the full list of films

Landmark Mini-Series on Public Television

Half the Sky

by Maro Chermayeff, Jamie Gordon, and Mikaela Beardsley

Half the Sky is a multi-platform project centered around two two-hour major primetime broadcast events based on Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn's widely acclaimed book, Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide.

Premiering on Independent Lens October 1 and 2

Kind-Hearted Woman

by David R. Sutherland

Acclaimed filmmaker David Sutherland (The Farmer's Wife, Country Boys) offers a portrait of a Native American woman struggling between saving her family and risking it all to help her Indian community and abused women.

Premiering on FRONTLINE

Women, War & Peace

by Abigail Disney, Gini Reticker, and Pamela Hogan

Women, War & Peace, a five-part PBS mini-series, is a global media initiative on the roles of women in peace and conflict.

Upcoming Public Television Broadcasts

	The Day My God Died by Andrew Levine and Geralyn Dreyfous This unforgettable examination of the growing plague of sex slavery weaves footage from Bombay brothels with stories of young girls whose lives have been shattered by the child sex trade. Encore broadcast on Global Voices June 24
	Strong! by Julie Wyman Weightlifter Cheryl Haworth struggles to defend her champion status as her lifetime weightlifting career inches towards its inevitable end. Premiering on Independent Lens in July
	Shadya by Danny Hakim, Udi Kalinsky, and Roy Westler Shadya Zoabi, a charismatic 17-year-old karate world champion, strives to succeed on her own terms within her traditional Muslim village in northern Israel. Encore broadcast on Global Voices July 29
	Pickles, Inc. by Nitza Gonen and Dalit Kimor In the Israeli Arab village of Tamra, eight widows challenge social conventions and establish the Azka Pickle Cooperative, seeking financial independence for themselves and their children. Encore broadcast on Global Voices August 12
	Waiting for the Revolution by Rodrigo Vazquez Following two newly elected indigenous leaders from the campaign trail to their first year in office, filmmaker Rodrigo Vasquez journeys into the heart of the democratic revolution in Bolivia. Premiering on Global Voices August 19
	I Was Worth 50 Sheep by Nima Sarvestani Sabere was just 10 years old when she was sold to a man in his fifties. For the next six years she was both slave and wife, miscarrying four times. Now 16, she is fighting for her freedom. Premiering on Global Voices September 2
	Chahinaz: What Rights for Women? by Samia Chala and Patrice Barrat Through her curiosity and self-discovery, Chahinaz, a 20-year-old Algerian student, begins to wonder what life is like for women in other Muslim countries and around the world. Premiering on Global Voices September 30

Recent Public Television Broadcasts

	Motherland Afghanistan by Catherine Gund, Sedika Mojadidi, and Jenny Raskin Nearly one in seven Afghan women dies in childbirth. Follow an Afghan American filmmaker and her father to his native Afghanistan, where he brings desperately needed medical attention and expertise to the women most susceptible to maternal mortality. Encore broadcast on Global Voices May 13
	Bhutto by Duane Baughman An intimate look at one of the most fascinating and significant world leaders of our time, Benazir Bhutto. Encore broadcast on Independent Lens in March
	We Still Live Here - Âs Nutayuneân by Anne Makepeace The Wampanoag nation of southeastern Massachusetts revives their native tongue, a language that was silenced for more than 100 years. Encore broadcast on Independent Lens in March
	Pushing the Elephant by Beth Davenport and Elizabeth Mandel A story of forgiveness, hope, and the joy of family life, Pushing the Elephant captures one woman’s mission for peace in her country beset by genocidal violence. Encore broadcast on Independent Lens in March
	Daisy Bates: First Lady of Little Rock by Sharon La Cruise A look at the life of African American political activist and newspaper publisher Daisy Bates.
	The Interrupters by Steve James A look at a group of men and women — most of them former gang leaders and ex-cons — that are trying to "interrupt" shootings and protect their communities from the violence they once employed.
	Lioness by Meg McLagan and Daria Sommers An intimate look at war through the eyes of women on the front lines and the U.S. military policy that bans them from combat.
	Taking Root: The Vision of Wangari Maathai by Lisa Merton and Alan Dater The dramatic story of Kenyan Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Wangari Maathai, whose simple act of planting trees grew into a global movement.
	Troop 1500 by Ellen Spiro and Karen Bernstein Their mothers may be convicted thieves, murderers, and drug dealers, but the Girl Scouts of Troop 1500 want to be doctors, social workers, and marine biologists.