WE WON’T GO BACK:
CELEBRATING NATIONAL WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH
Tuesday, March 25 2025 at 7:00 PM
This program of shorts organized by Kathy Brew – including works by several artists affiliated with the29.art, with support from Women Make Movies – examines issues of conformity among women, challenges gender stereotypes, and advocates for female agency. The works, presented chronologically, span from 1989 to 2024, and underscore the fact that a woman’s right to control her own body remains critical in these dangerous times.
Kathy High I NEED YOUR FULL COOPERATION 1989, 5-min excerpt, digital
“An experimental documentary about the history of women’s treatment by the U.S. medical system, juxtaposing feminist examinations of medical practices, narratives of patient treatments, and archival footage.” –VIDEO DATA BANK
Kathy Brew MIXED MESSAGES 1990, 20 min, digital
An experimental video collage that incorporates found footage, documentary, animation, and a dream narrative in a work that examines gender-stereotyping in popular culture, concluding with a post-modern version of the Pandora myth.
Aline Mare S’ALINE’S SOLUTION 1991, 9 min, digital
A voice for the pain, an acknowledgment of the courage involved in choosing to have an abortion. An emblematic statement about an issue that remains central and vital in these dangerous times: a woman’s right to choose.
Jacqueline Frank CHOICE THOUGHTS: REFLECTIONS ON THE BIRTH CONTROL WAR 1996, 10 min, digital
“A mix of rare archival footage and sound bites from religious and political leaders, this piece looks at 100 years of the fight for birth control and legalized abortion, illuminating how access to birth control became seen as a human right and how this dialogue continues around present-day issues of choice.” –WOMEN MAKE MOVIES
Queen Elizabeth (aka Liz Canner) & Murphy Brown (aka Lara Pellegrinelli) WHY WE MARCH: SIGNS OF PROTEST AND HOPE, VOICES FROM THE WOMEN’S MARCH AFTER TRUMP WAS ELECTED IN 2016 2017, 9 min, digital
Six short pieces with women of varying ages, from young girls to older women, speaking about the right to make their own decisions about their bodies in a time when such rights are eroding.
Barbara Attie, Janet Goldwater, and Mike Attie ABORTION HELPLINE, THIS IS LISA 2019, 13 min, digital
“At the Philadelphia abortion helpline, counselors field nonstop calls from women and teens who are seeking to end a pregnancy but can’t afford to, illustrating how economic stigma and cruel laws determine who has access to abortion in America.” –WOMEN MAKE MOVIES
Lynne Sachs CONTRACTIONS 2024, 12 min, digital
In the wake of the overturning of Roe v Wade, this film takes us to Memphis, Tennessee, where we contemplate the discontinuation of abortion services at a women’s health clinic.
Total running time: ca. 85 min.