Written and directed by Jennifer Siebel Newsom, Miss Representation exposes how mainstream media contribute to the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence in America.
There will be a free local screening of Miss Representation on Dec. 3 at the Arrow Lakes Theatre at 7 p.m. Free popcorn and beverages will be provided as well as travel subsidies for those travelling more than 30 kilometres to attend. This film is recommended for people ages 13+. After the screening, there will be community/panel discussion led by Carlee Hughes and Debbie Pitaoulis.
Miss Representation includes stories from teenage girls and provocative interviews with politicians, journalists, entertainers, activists, and academics like Lisa Ling, Nancy Pelosi, Condoleezza Rice, Katie Couric, Rachel Maddow, Rosario Dawson, Jackson Katz, Jean Kilbourne, and Gloria Steinem. The film offers startling facts and statistics to leave audiences shaken and armed with a new perspective.
“I made Miss Representation because we live in a society where media is the most persuasive force shaping cultural norms, and the collective message the media send to our young women and men is that a woman’s value lies in her youth, beauty, and sexuality, and not in her capacity as a leader,” Newsom said. “I wanted to shed a light on this problem, because if we don’t question that thinking and work to change it, we are going to continue to be marginalized.”
In response to overwhelming public demand for ongoing education and social action in support of the film’s message, Newsom founded the organization that has become The Representation Project in April 2011. Using film as a catalyst for cultural transformation, The Representation Project inspires individuals and communities to challenge and overcome limiting stereotypes so that everyone, regardless of gender, race, class, age, sexual orientation or circumstance can fulfill their human potential.
Learn more about The Representation Project, including our second film The Mask You Live In and guidance on how to join the movement, at therepresentationproject.org.
