‘Miss Representation,’ a film about women in media, screens for free in Scranton on April 30
From a press release:
The critically acclaimed documentary “Miss Representation,” which exposes how the media’s misrepresentations of women have led to the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence, will be screening for free at The Theater at North in Scranton on Saturday, April 30, presented by the Junior League of Scranton in association with Goodwill Industries of Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Doors at The Theater at North (1539 N. Main Ave., Scranton) open at 6 p.m., and the movie starts at 6:30 p.m. After the film, around 8 p.m., there will be a panel and open discussion moderated by Amy Betts with the following local panelists:
Helena Albert
advocate, singer/songwriter
Lindsay Barrasse
multimedia producer/filmmaker
Jennifer Frey
SAG-AFTRA actress/body double
Stacy Lange
anchor/reporter for WNEP-TV
Rose Matatics
small business owner/photographer
Nikki Moser
artist, educator
Gene Talerico
counsel at SCE Environmental Group
Robert Thomas
Girls on Guard instructor
Written and directed by Jennifer Siebel Newsom, “Miss Representation” draws back a curtain to reveal a glaring reality we live with every day but fail to see – how the media’s limited and often disparaging portrayals of women and girls makes it difficult for women to feel powerful and achieve leadership positions.
In a society where media is the most persuasive force shaping cultural norms, the collective message we receive is that a woman’s value and power lie in her youth, beauty, and sexuality and not in her capacity as a leader. While women have made great strides in leadership over the past few decades, the United States is still 33rd out of the 49 highest income countries when it comes to women in the national legislature. And it’s not better outside of government. Women make up only 4.6 percent of S&P 500 CEOs and 17 percent of directors, executive producers, writers, cinematographers, and editors working on the top 250 domestic grossing films.
Stories from teenage girls and provocative interviews with politicians, journalists, entertainers, activists, and academics like Katie Couric, Rosario Dawson, Gloria Steinem, Margaret Cho, Condoleezza Rice, Rachel Maddow, and Nancy Pelosi build momentum as “Miss Representation” accumulates startling facts and statistics that will leave the audience shaken, but armed with a new perspective.
Parents, educators, and high school and college students are particularly encouraged to attend to learn to critically evaluate the message of the media and the tools to affect cultural change. The film is rated TV-14 and may not be suitable for all ages.
For more information on the screening, see the Facebook event page.
