Sit back relax and enjoy a little women's history on the silver screen.
The Bechdel Test
In 1985 a woman named Alison Bechdel wrote a comic strip satirizing how few women appear as major characters, and appear to have lives, in movies. The immediate result was something nicknamed the Feminist Movie Test, or the Bechdel Test. Here it is: a film has to have at least two, named women in it, who talk to each other at some point, about something besides a man. That’s it: two women who exist and talk about stuff. The bar for feminism in film is barely off the ground and yet sadly few films pass the test. Every one of my favorites failed miserably. The only film I showed in my history courses that passed the test was Iron Jawed Angels, a film about women’s suffrage. This test helped raise awareness of gender discrimination in the industry, but also created a rich national dialog about the absence of women of substance in the media. If women barely exist in the films, don’t have friends or meaningful conversations outside of men, what conclusions will children draw about women? It wouldn’t be a far cry to suggest they might conclude that girls don’t think about important things and are only interested in men. Thankfully today there are more options for history teachers.
How to teach with films?
Remember, teachers want the student to be the historian. What do historians do when they watch films?
- Before they watch, ask students to research the director and producers. These are the source of the information. How will their background and experience likely bias this film?
- Also, ask students to consider the context the film was created in. The film may be about history, but it was made recently. What was going on the year the film was made that could bias the film? In particular, how do you think the gains of feminism will impact the portrayal of the female characters?
- As they watch, ask students to research the historical accuracy of the film. What do online sources say about what the film gets right or wrong?
- Afterward, ask students to describe how the female characters were portrayed and what lessons they got from the film.
- Then, ask students to evaluate this film as a learning tool. Was it helpful to better understand this topic? Did the historical inaccuracies make it unhelpful? Make it clear any informed opinion is valid.
Movies inspired by womens history
Check out the selections below, or click the button to explore all our recommendations! Click the poster to watch a trailer!
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RBG
DOCUMENTARY | U.S. HISTORY
Filmmakers gain unprecedented access to explore the life and career of United States Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and observe how her legal legacy has propelled the battle for gender equality.
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The Woman King
HISTORICAL FICTION | WORLD HISTORY
In the 1800s, a group of all-female warriors protects the African kingdom of Dahomey with skills and fierceness unlike anything the world has ever seen. Faced with a new threat, Gen. Nanisca trains the next generation of recruits to fight against a foreign enemy that's determined to destroy their way of life.
Rated PG-13
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Albert Nobbs
HISTORICAL FICTION | WORLD HISTORY
Albert Nobbs struggles to survive in late 19th-century Ireland, where women aren't encouraged to be independent. Posing as a man so she can work as a butler in Dublin's most elegant hotel, Albert meets a handsome painter and looks to escape the lie she has been living.
Rated R
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Television inspired by womens history
Check out the selections below, or click the button to explore all our recommendations! Click the poster to watch a trailer!
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Jamestown
HISTORICAL FICTION | U.S. HISTORY
Set in 17th-century Virginia, USA, this drama series follows the lives of the first settlers in the English colony of Jamestown. Alice, Verity and Jocelyn arrive ready to marry three men in the colony, who have paid for the women's transition to the New World. But upon their arrival, they quickly recognise the power struggles within the nascent community, which reach all the way up to the new governor and his staff. The women soon realise that they will need to rely on each other if they hope to survive the various challenges their new home presents to them.
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Self Made
HISTORICAL FICTION | U.S. HISTORY
A chronicle of the incredible story of Madam C.J. Walker, a washerwoman who rises from poverty to build a beauty empire and become the first female self-made millionaire.
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Call the Midwife
HISTORICAL FICTION | WORLD HISTORY
Inspired by the memoirs of Jennifer Worth, Call the Midwife follows the nurses, midwives and nuns from Nonnatus House, who visit the expectant mothers of Poplar, providing the poorest women with the best possible care.
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