In this week’s Wednesday 5 we honor the start of Women’s History Month with five documentaries (all available for streaming on Netflix) featuring the lives and stories of brave and courageous women: a sweeping collection of women who made America; the challenges and triumphs of adoption between a white and black family; portraits of independent, stylish women aged 62 to 95 who challenge conventional ideas about beauty and aging; renowned performance artist Marina Abramovic; and a ferocious, funny, and poignant portrait of the one-of-a-kind Broadway legend, the late Elaine Stritch, as she reaches her 87th year.
1.
“MAKERS: Women Who Make America”
Makers, Trailer
MAKERS: Women Who Make America tells the remarkable story of the most sweeping social revolution in American history, as women have asserted their rights to a full and fair share of political power, economic opportunity, and personal autonomy. It’s a revolution that has unfolded in public and in private, in courts and in Congress, in the boardroom and in the bedroom, changing not only what the world expects from women, but what women expect from themselves. MAKERS brings this story to life with priceless archival treasures and poignant, often funny, interviews with those who led the fight, those who opposed it, and the first generations to benefit from its success. Trailblazing women like Hillary Rodham Clinton, Ellen DeGeneres, and Oprah Winfrey share their memories, as do countless women who challenged the status quo in industries from coal-mining to medicine. MAKERS captures—with music, humor, and the voices of the women who lived through these turbulent times—the dizzying joy, aching frustration, and ultimate triumph of a movement that turned America upside down.
On Netflix
2.
“Closure”
Closure, Trailer
In Closure, Angela, an African-American, was raised by a Caucasian couple in a large, multiracial family in Washington State. She was adopted as a one-year-old from foster care in the state of Tennessee, under the terms of a closed adoption. As Angela grew older it became apparent that the unanswered questions about her birth story would continue to haunt her if she did not attempt to find some answers. Filmed and edited by her husband, Bryan, this documentary follows Angela for two years during the search for her birth family. Several twists and surprising revelations ultimately lead Angela and her family across the country to her place of birth. It is here that Angela comes face to face with her birth mother for the first time, and meets family members who had never known she was even born—including her birth father.On Netflix
3.
“Advanced Style”
Advanced Style, Trailer
Advanced Style examines the lives of seven unique New Yorkers whose eclectic personal style and vital spirit have guided their approach to aging. Based on Ari Seth Cohen’s famed blog of the same name, this film paints intimate and colorful portraits of independent, stylish women aged 62 to 95 who are challenging conventional ideas about beauty, aging, and Western culture’s increasing obsession with youth.
On Netflix.
4.
Marina Abramovic: “The Artist Is Present”
The Artist is Present, Trailer
In The Artist Is Present, follow renowned performance artist Marina Abramovic before, during, and after an exhibition of her work at New York’s Museum of Modern Art, including her role as part of the exhibition, sitting motionless in an “energy dialogue” with the audience.
On Netflix.
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5.
“ ELAINE STRITCH: SHOOT ME”
ELAINE STRITCH: SHOOT ME, Trailer
ELAINE STRITCH: SHOOT ME is a ferocious, funny, and poignant portrait of the one-of-a-kind Broadway legend as she reaches her 87th year. Even after her death last year, Broadway legend Elaine Stritch remains indisputably in the spotlight. In the revealing and poignant ELAINE STRITCH: SHOOT ME, the uncompromising Tony and Emmy Award winner is showcased both on and off stage via rare archival footage and intimate cinéma vérité.
Click here to read about the film directly from its producer and Women’s Voices board member Elizabeth Hemmerdinger.
On Netflix.
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