By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON November 23, 2012 It started with two good friends telling another friend about a trailer for a movie called “Miss Representation.” The outcome was a group of woman doing something they had never done before – Committing to spreading the word about an issue they believed to be paramount for our society in 2012.
One of the, if not THE most important films to be shown in Burlington this year.
So they did spread the word to a few friends but in their hearts wanted to do something more. Their belief was “when we come together we realize we all share similar thoughts, experiences, concerns, and hopes – and we do this through sharing stories. Our intention is to create the environment where people as daughters, sons, friends, wives, partners, fathers, husbands, aunts, uncles, cousins (you get the drift) will come together, watch the the movie that trailer introduced us to and then in conversation after the film, take ownership of an issue that is systemically hurting our youth (female and male) and all of us as adults. It’s how women and girls are portrayed and perceived in the media and how this imagery is then taken and owned in society.
Lisa Bloom in THINK framed it well when she said: Twenty-five percent of young American women would rather win America’s Next Top Model than the Nobel Peace Prize.
The movie is not distributed commercially; the distributors didn’t apparently think there was enough money in it. Groups of people rent the movie on a DVD ($750 for the thing) and then take it to a theatre where it is shown to as many people as they can get into the room.
That movie, Miss Representation, is being shown at the Performing Arts Centre this Thursday.
The film won an award at the Sundance Film Festival and has been critically acclaimed almost everywhere.
If you’ve any doubt as the whether or not this is for you – click on to the trailer. Short two minutes version or the longer eight minutes version.
If you can remember Dr. Helen Caldicott and her “If you love this planet” speech you know how a single event can change the way people see a public issue. Miss Representation is one of those events. For the sake of your daughters, your sons – and yourself – see this film. Thursday at the Performing Arts Centre. Call 905-681-6000
