Celebrate women – their history and present – in March with WORLD, appreciating the hard won battles for gender equality and recognizing how much more we all have to work toward.
For far too long, women in the United States, and around the globe, have been overlooked and oppressed, their intelligence, talents and opinions suppressed to maintain a patriarchal status quo. Today, through the achievements of trailblazers who fought against inequality, and the many waves of the feminist movement, women of all identities are able to demonstrate their leadership and power in science, politics, the arts and beyond.
This Women’s History Month, watch films that showcase how women are working against deep-rooted gender discrimination and stereotypes while advocating for their stories to be told – from the groundbreakers of the suffrage movement to high school students amplifying their voices to win championships and parity on a Massachusetts high school debate team in the new Local, USA special Girl Talk.
WATCH LIVE
Finding Kukan | America ReFramed
March 2 on TV, online & on the PBS app
Filmmaker Robin Lung documents her seven-year journey to uncover the efforts of Li Ling-Ai, the visionary but uncredited producer of the Academy Award®-winning documentary 'Kukan.' This portrait of the pioneer sheds light on the long-standing underrepresentation of women and people of color in the movie-making business.
Amy Tan: Unintended Memoir | American Masters
March 4 on TV | Available on PBS Passport
The story of the author whose first novel, “The Joy Luck Club,” was published to great commercial and critical success. With the blockbuster film adaption that followed as well as additional best-selling novels, librettos, short stories and memoirs, Tan firmly established herself as one of the most prominent and respected American literary voices working today. Read an exclusive interview with Amy Tan.
Imara Jones: The Anti-Trans Hate Machine | The Laura Flanders Show
March 5 on TV | Available on YouTube
Over 300 legislative bills banning books, medical treatment and bathroom access were been introduced in 2022. As extremists crank up the volume on hate, trans people, especially trans women of color, are facing an onslaught of violence. Imara Jones, producer of podcast mini-series "The Anti-Trans Hate Machine: A Plot Against Equality" and creator of journalism, personal storytelling and narrative project "TransLash Media," discusses what impacts these restrictions and increased control have on all of us.
NEW Girl Talk: A Local, USA Special
March 6 on TV, online & on the PBS app
Set in the cutthroat, male-dominated world of high school debate, this is the compelling story of five girls on the diverse, top-ranked Massachusetts team at Newton South. Often talked over, underrepresented and judged differently than their male counterparts, each girl learns to navigate gender biases, reminding us that equal rights and freedom of expression are worth fighting for.
NEW The Power of Name | Stories from the Stage
March 6 on TV, online & on the PBS app
A given name is just that - one we have no choice over. But our names can provide us with such unexpected strength. Szifra Birke discovers the hidden meaning of her Jewish name; U-Meleni Mhlaba-Adebo celebrates her name as she sows seeds of renewal in the U.S.; and Sofia Colombo-Abdullah finds that her name carries both power and identity.
Listen and subscribe on Stories from the Stage: The Podcast!
Fannie Lou Hamer’s America | America ReFramed
March 9 on TV, online & on the PBS app | Available on PBS Passport, iTunes & Prime Video
A portrait of a civil rights activist and the injustices in America that made her work essential. Through public speeches, personal interviews and powerful songs of the fearless Mississippi sharecropper-turned-human-rights-activist, the film explores and celebrates the lesser-known life of one of the Civil Rights Movement’s greatest leaders.
NEW Turn the Page | Stories from the Stage
March 13 on TV, online & on the PBS app
With every step forward, we carry history with us as we are shaping our future. Raul The Third moves from El Paso to Boston and finds his artistic voice; Hannah Harlow buys a beloved community bookstore on the eve of the pandemic; and Rita Zoey Chin makes a bold decision about her lifelong search for a mother. Hosted by Wes Hazard.
Listen and subscribe on Stories from the Stage: The Podcast!
NEW A Decent Home | America ReFramed
March 16 on TV, online & on the PBS app
When housing on the lowest rung of the American dream is being devoured by the wealthiest of the wealthy, whose dream are we serving? The film addresses urgent issues of class and economic (im)mobility through the lives of mobile home park residents who can’t afford housing anywhere else.
Olympia
March 19 on TV
Academy Award®-winning actress and theater icon Olympia Dukakis is well known and beloved to viewers across America for her performances on stage and in film. But what did it take for her to achieve this success? With unprecedented access to Olympia and her family, filmmaker Harry Mavromichalis captures the story of her life, from rebelling against her overbearing Greek mother to starting her own theater company, revealing both the public and private aspects of a woman who faced obstacle after obstacle as she learned how to be comfortable in her own skin and live life with blazing courage.
NEW Defining Moments | Stories from the Stage
March 20 on TV, online & on the PBS app
Defining moments can be brief, but what they teach us are lessons that last a lifetime. Michelle LaPoetica’s outlook transforms when she becomes the subject of a community art project; at 18, Annie Tan assumes the financial burdens of her Chinese immigrant family; and Elena Yureneva takes a chance on love - and life - when she moves to the U.S. from Moscow. Hosted by Wes Hazard.
Listen and subscribe on Stories from the Stage: The Podcast!
NEW Storming Caesar’s Palace | Independent Lens
March 22 on TV, online & on the PBS app
After losing her job as a hotel worker in Las Vegas, Ruby Duncan joined a welfare rights group of mothers who defied notions of the “welfare queen.” In a fight for guaranteed income, Ruby and other equality activists took on the Nevada mob in organizing a massive protest that shut down Caesars Palace.
Meltdown in Dixie | America ReFramed
March 23 on TV, online & on the PBS app
In the wake of the 2015 Charleston Massacre, a battle erupts in Orangeburg, SC between the Sons of Confederate Veterans and an ice cream shop owner forced to fly the Confederate flag in his parking lot. The film explores the broader role of Confederate symbolism in 21st century America and the lingering racial oppression which these symbols help maintain.
NEW Against the Odds | Stories from the Stage
March 27 on TV, online & on the PBS app
Sometimes the odds are against us. But with effort and a little luck, they can sway in our favor even when success seems impossible. Vojislav Djordjic finds a way to connect with his son with a disability; Alexis Davis finally confronts the power of addiction and denial; and Irene Smalls discovers that in the face of racism, a great teacher can make a difference. Hosted by Theresa Okokon.
Listen and subscribe on Stories from the Stage: The Podcast!
NEW Hidden Letters | Independent Lens
March 29 on TV, online & on the PBS app
The bonds of sisterhood, and the parallels of struggles among generations of women in China, are drawn together by the once-secret written language of Nüshu, the only script designed and used exclusively by women.
Busy Inside | America ReFramed
March 30 on TV, online & on the PBS app
Through personal stories, the film delves deeply into Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) – formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder. A respected therapist specializing in the condition's treatment, and her patients, confront past trauma and embrace their different personalities.
WATCH ONLINE
Sandra Day O'Connor: The First | American Experience
March 5 on TV | Available on PBS Passport
Discover the story of the Supreme Court’s first female justice. A pioneer who both reflected and shaped an era, Sandra Day O'Connor was the deciding vote in cases on some of the 20th century’s most controversial issues – including race, gender and reproductive rights.
Dear Homeland
March 9 on TV | Available on YouTube
The lyrical story of Mexican singer/songwriter Diana Gameros, who left Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, to pursue her musical dream in Michigan. Arriving legally but unable to extend her stay as an international college student, she becomes an undocumented immigrant who can’t return to her beloved homeland and family for fear of not being able to re-enter the United States. Moving to San Francisco, she finds community, realizes her musical gift and becomes an advocate for Dreamers and immigrant communities while struggling to change her own status.
She Had a Dream | AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange
March 15 on TV | Available online, on YouTube & on the PBS app
A young Black Tunisian woman, a committed activist who speaks her mind, embodies Tunisia's current political upheaval. As a victim of racial discrimination, she decides to go into politics. Following her extraordinary path, through her attempts to persuade both close friends and complete strangers to vote for her, her campaign reveals the many faces of a country seeking to forge a new identity.
Mama Gloria | AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange
Available online & on the PBS app
The late Gloria Allen, a Black trailblazing transgender activist, started a charm school for homeless trans youth and is now aging with joy and grace. The film is a story of a mother’s love – the love that Gloria’s mother had for her and the love that Gloria has for her chosen children.
Two Dollars and a Dream
Available on YouTube
The biography of Madame C.J. Walker, America's first self-made millionairess. Mrs. Walker's fortune was built on skin and hair care products, parlaying a homemade beauty formula into a prosperous business from coast to coast. By interweaving social, economic and political history, the film also offers a view of black America from 1867 to the 1930s.
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