Here’s a list of empowering tales about inspiring women that will keep you busy whilst Storyhouse Women is on hold.
Harriet
Starring Cynthia Erivo in an Oscar nominated performance as Harriet Trubman. The story of the heroic female abolitionist, who following her escape from slavery took on the dangerous mission to liberate hundreds of slaves through the Underground Railroad.
Available on early release on Amazon at £9.99 here.
Miss World 1970: Beauty Queens & Bedlam
Scheduled on BBC to coincide with the theatrical release of Misbehaviour, the dramatisation of the story starring Keira Knightley which was due to screen at Storyhouse in March, this documentary revisits the events of one extraordinary night when a beauty contest at the Albert Hall became the unlikely epicentre of the era’s dramatic political and social upheavals. Contains interviews with the real life newly formed Women’s Liberation Movement and many of the contestants themselves.
Available for free on BBC iPlayer here.
Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché
Alice Guy-Blaché was a prolific filmmaker and a cinematic pioneer, yet she has largely been erased from the history books. In this entertaining and enlightening documentary, Pamela Green goes on an eventful journey to discover the astonishing scope of Guy-Blaché’s career, and probe just why she has been forgotten.
Available on Curzon Home Cinema for £4.99 here.
Maiden
Nominated for the 2020 BAFTA for Outstanding British Debut. In 1989 the 24 year old Tracy Edwards is a cook on charter boats and no one expected her to lead the first all-female crew to take on the Whitbread Round the World Race. Facing massive opposition – from male competitors who doubted women were up to the challenge, to incredulous sponsors – Tracy’s refusal to give up is inspirational, even as she is forced to mortgage her home to pursue her dream. This triumphant documentary is a testament to women’s redoubtable spirit and an amazing portrait of sporting achievement.
Available on Curzon Home Cinema £4.99 here.
Vita & Virginia
Vita & Virginia details the relationship between literary trailblazer Virginia Woolf (Elizabeth Debicki), and enigmatic aristocrat Vita Sackville-West (Gemma Arterton).
Available on Curzon Home Cinema £4.99 here.
RGB
Ruth Bader Ginsburg is one of the nine justices of the U.S Supreme Court, the highest legal court and one of the most prestigious positions in the country. At the age of 84, Ginsburg has developed a breathtaking legal legacy, while becoming an unexpected pop culture icon for her upholding of liberal values within the finely balanced court. RBG is a revelatory documentary exploring Ginsburg’s exceptional life and career.
Available on BFI Player for £3.50 here.
On The Basis of Sex
If drama is more your thing than documentary you can see the fictionalised version of RGB’s life in the movie On The Basis of Sex, in which Felicity Jones plays RGB as she battles sexism in her fight to be taken seriously in the male dominated law schools of the era.
Available free to Amazon Prime Subscribers here.
BFI Collection: Suffragette
Also on BFI Player you can watch for free an archive collection of film about the Suffragette Movement put together the mark the centenary of the vote back in 2018.
Available for free here.