Photo from Wikimedia Commons
Arise then…women of this day!
Arise, all women who have hearts!
This Sunday, May 13th, is Mother’s Day, and motherhood will be celebrated worldwide.
The above words are the opening lines of the poem Mother’s Day Proclamation written by the abolitionist, social activist and poet Julia Ward Howe in 1870.
She wrote this declaration after seeing some of the worst effects of war from the American Civil War and then the Franco-Prussian war. She called on women to come together across national lines to find peaceful resolutions to conflicts.
What Howe wanted to call “Mother’s Day for Peace” was not formally recognized during her lifetime, but her work was a key influence to the first national Mother’s Day, declared in 1914 by President Woodrow Wilson. Learn more about the history of Mother’s Day including how it is celebrated around the world by clicking here »
Principal photography for Pray the Devil Back to Hell began on Mother’s Day in Monrovia in May of 2007, which makes this very special day even more meaningful for us at Fork Films.
We wish you a happy and peaceful Mother’s Day!
Leymah Gbowee on Taylor conviction
Nobel Peace laureate Leymah Gbowee has embraced the challenge of working to heal and rebuild a battered Liberia. Her comments on the verdict and the work she has ahead of her are in the April 30th Newsweek article as told to Abigail Pesta, “A Dictator, Vanquished. Read it here »
Women, War & Peace Updates
Women, War & Peace was awarded two Overseas Press Club Awards this year. On April 25th the series won both the Edward R. Murrow Award for documentaries and the Robert Spiers Benjamin Award for the best reporting from Latin America for its segment on the guerrilla war in Colombia.
Pictured from left to right: Gini Reticker, Abigail E. Disney, Pamela Hogan and Nina Chaudry
On May 2nd the series was honored at the 5th Annual Television Academy Honors. Read the Variety write up about the awards ceremony and click here to watch the acceptance speech.
I Came To Testify screened at the Bosnian-Herzegovinian Film Festival in New York on May 5th. Producer Pamela Hogan attended the screening and took part in a Q&A following the film. The festival is an annual event, which features contemporary Bosnian Herzegovinian cinematography and films with Bosnia and Herzegovina as their theme.
COMING UP
Women, War & Peace will be bestowed with two Gracie Awards, one in the outstanding series categories and one in the outstanding producer category. The awards are presented by the Alliance for Women in Media at ceremonies in Hollywood on May 22-23, 2012.
Watch Women, War & Peace:
- View all episodes online* by clicking here »
- Purchase the Home DVD Set by clicking here »
- Purchase the Educational / Public DVD Set by clicking here »
*Please note that streaming online is only available in the U.S.
Abigail E. Disney public appearances
Secretary Hillary Clinton holds up the NYWF Century Award with Abigail E. Disney
May 9, 2012 – Source: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images North America
Abigail E. Disney presented the Century Award to Secretary Clinton in what ABC News called a “glowing, yet humorous introduction of Clinton.” (Read the article here.) Secretary Clinton honored her late mother, saying “I was always struck at how despite a life that was much more difficult than anything I’ve ever experienced – abandonment and abuse and just really unfortunate kinds of early experiences – my mother had a resilience and a commitment to her family that she worked hard on every single day.”
Watch the introduction and speech or read the transcript by clicking here »
Abigail also recently addressed thousands of college graduates at Eastern Mennonite University (EMU) with a commencement speech highlighting the need for a greater role for women in politics, especially with peace negotiations.
She cited Julia Ward Howe and a United Nations study. Read more about her speech on EMU.edu »
On May 20th, Abigail will deliver a speech entitled, “What’s Peace got to Do with Me?” at Mary Baldwin College.
RETURN
Catch RETURN, the incredible feature debut from director Liza Johnson, now available on demand!
Linda Cardellini delivers a tour de force performance, leading an all-star cast that also includes John Slattery and Michael Shannon.
RETURN is now available on:
A documentary about sexiness & the cyber age
SEXY BABY filmmakers, Jill Bauer and Ronna Gradus, have started the spring off with a bang! The film premiered to a sold out crowd at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival. IndieWire said the film is “harrowing, graphic and poignant — essential viewing for everyone living in a post-Internet age.”
Sexy Baby continues on the festival circuit. To find out about upcoming screenings check out their website at SexyBabyMovie.com
THE IRAN JOB
THE IRAN JOB‘s filmmakers have been hard at work after running one of Kickstarter’s most successful campaigns of all time.
They will have its world premiere at the LA Film Fest on June 15th in the Documentary Competition category. Read more about the festival here or visit their official website at TheIranJob.com.
A story about men who want to hit like girls
THIS IS HOW I ROLL, a film that poses questions about how conflicting ideas about gender influence our perceptions of sports, athletes, ownership and entitlement through the unique lens of men’s roller derby.
The film will premiere this month at the Seattle True Independent Film Festival. For more information about the project visit the website ThisIsHowIRollMovie.com