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The Girls Project, an initiative from Women Make Movies funded by
the National Endowment for the Arts, is a unique and compelling collection
of films and videos centered on girls' lives around the world.
Recognizing the critical need for alternative, more complex portrayals of
young women in media, WMM has assembled this collection as a
response, a challenge and a call to action. From the classroom to community
centers, these works increase the visibility of girls' experiences
and celebrate their individual strength and collective power.
A mix of documentary, shorts and feature length films, The Girls Project
includes 25 titles that intimately and honestly portray the struggles and
triumphs of young women from a cross-cultural perspective. The Girls
Project introduces young women to their counterparts around the world,
encourages dialogue on a number of issues - including sexuality, peer
pressure, cultural identity and body image - and presents a portrait of
girlhood that is engaging, celebratory, and ultimately inspiring.
The films and videos in The Girls Project provide an invaluable resource
for both classroom and community environments. To integrate the use
of the collection in these settings, WMM has created several teaching
modules and study guides designed to facilitate dialogue on issues of
importance to young people. Developed by media educators Pam Sporn
and Michelle Materre, these guides provide teachers and group leaders
useful activities for their everyday curriculum and outreach programs
and include essential resources for working with young women.
In the classroom, these films can be used to provide access to experiences
and viewpoints rarely offered in standard textbooks, allowing students
the opportunity to understand past and present events through a
global perspective. Working with young people in after school programs,
these films also offer an excellent method to facilitate communication
between teens, parents and youth advocates on difficult subject matters.
With the rising academic interest in girls' studies, The Girls Project offers
a perfect complement to college and university courses in educational
psychology, gender studies and contemporary social history.
Since 1972, Women Make Movies has supported the work of independent
women film and video makers who provide alternative perspectives
into the lives and experiences of women. The Girls Project extends this
mission by bringing independent media to young people, encouraging
them to think of women as media makers and inspiring them to see
themselves as the owners of their own images.
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"This groundbreaking series of films about girls is of critical
importance in raising awareness about the unique needs, strengths, and
perspectives of girls-not just American girls, but girls around the
world. Portrays a fuller range of girls experiences than I've ever seen
before, leading to a deeper understanding of what it mean to be a girl
in today's complex and diverse world. In exploring the lives of real
girls and the complexity of the issues they face, each film stands alone
as powerful and provocative; together they are an unbeatable collection
for anyone interested in girls' issues."
Kathryn Wheeler
Executive Director, Girls' Coalition of Greater Boston
"I would highly recommend the curated collection from WMM for anyone
working with young women today."
Malory Graham
Director, Reel Grrls
"It's an encouragement for all of us who care about the world of girls that these films are being produced.
Caring, realistic and thought-provoking portraits of diverse girls."
Kathryn Herr
Editor, Youth and Society
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