Unladylike 2020: The Changemakers (2020)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unladylike 2020: The Changemakers is a documentary film which premiered on US television (PBS) in July 2020.

 

It is an episode of the long-running program American Masters (season 34 episode 04).

 

The purpose of this film is to mark the 100-year anniversary of the female vote with stories of five female pioneers who are described as changemakers.

 

Here is some basic information about this film:

 

** Writer and director: Charlotte Mangin

** Writer and director: Sandra Rattley

** Narrator: Julianna Margulies

** Run time 53 minutes

 

Who are the five female pioneers? Who are the five change makers? Here are the five names (listed as presented):

 

# 1. Martha Hughes Cannon (1857-1932)

** She was the first female State Senator

** She was elected in 1896; she served 1897-1901

 

# 2. Jovita Idar (1885-1946)

** She was a journalist and a Civil Rights leader

 

# 3. Jeannette Rankin (1880-1973)

** She was the first female member of US Congress

** She was elected two times (1916 and 1940)

** She served 1917-1919 and 1941-1943

 

# 4. Mary Church Terrell (1863-1954)

** She was a Suffragist and a co-founder of the NAACP

 

# 5. Gertrude Simmons Bonnin aka Zitkala-Sa (1876-1938)

** She was a composer, an author and a Civil Rights activist

 

THE CAST

Several persons are interviewed in the film. Some appear several times, while others appear only once. Here are the names of the participants (listed in alphabetical order):

 

** La Donna Brave Bull Allard – Historian – Standing Rock Sioux Tribe

 

** Brittany Packnett Cunningham – Activist and member of the Ferguson Commission

 

** Gabriela González – Associate Professor of History, University of Texas at San Antonio

[She talks about Jovita Idar]

 

** Deb Haaland – Member of US Congress – House of Representatives 2019-2021 – New Mexico (Democrat) – since March 2021 member of the US Government (Secretary of the Interior)

 

** P. Jane Hafen – Professor Emerita of English, University of Nevada-Las Vegas

[She talks about Zitkala-Sa]

 

** Amy Holmes – Political analyst and journalist

 

** Hannah Kimberley, author of the book A Woman’s Place Is at the Top (2017)

 

** Treva B. Lindsey – Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies, Ohio State University

[She talks about Mary Church Terrell]

 

** Ludmya “Mia” Love – Member of US Congress – House of Representatives 2015-2019 – Utah (Republican)

 

** Ai-Jen Poo – Executive Director, national Domestic Workers Alliance

 

** Jenny Reeder – Historian – Author – Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

[She talks about Martha Hughes Cannon]

 

** Meg Singer – Producer of The Sundance Opera – Performances 2013-2015

 

** Nancy C. Unger – Professor of History, Santa Clara University 

[She talks about Jeannette Rankin]

 

Archive footage (old clips and photos) is used between the talking heads.

 

Archive footage is used to supplement and support the statements made by the talking heads.

 

Archive footage is used when the narrator is talking.

 

REVIEWS AND RATINGS

What do reviewers say about this film? On IMDb it has a rating of 66 percent which corresponds to 3.3 stars on Amazon.

 

In my opinion, this rating is too low. Why?

 

I have two reasons:

 

# 1. The five pioneers are well chosen and the story of their lives and careers are presented in a good way: short and to the point.

 

# 2. The participants are well chosen. Five participants focus on the five pioneers, while the others focus on the current situation and their hopes for the future.

 

I want to go all the way to the top with this product. I think it deserves a rating of five stars (100 percent).

 

PS # 1. This film has a companion website - Unladylike 2020 - which offers access to a series of 26 short films. Each film, which runs for ca. 10 minutes, presents a female pioneer.

 

PS # 2. The Vote is a documentary film (in two parts) which premiered on US television (PBS) in 2020.

 

We are talking about two feature-length episodes of the long-running program American Experience (season 32).

 

This film covers the history of the campaign for the female vote from 1848 to 1920.

 

PS # 3. For more information, see the following items:

 

One Woman, One Vote is a documentary film which premiered in 1995.

** Released on DVD in 2005.

** Run time: 108 minutes.

 

Not for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony is a documentary film (in two parts) which premiered in 1999.

** Released on DVD in 2010.

** Run time: 184 minutes.

 

MORE REFERENCES

 

She’s Beautiful When She’s Angry

** Director: Mary Dore

** (92 minutes)

** (2014)

 

Feminists: What Were They Thinking?

** Director: Johanna Demetrakas

** (86 minutes)

** (2018)

 

Personhood: Policing Pregnant Women in America

** Director: Jo Ardinger

** (80 minutes)

** (2019)

 

Misbehaviour

** Director: Philippa Lowthorpe

** (106 minutes)

** (2020)

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Unladylike 2020

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