Not that they probably had time for such things, but if they did take a break the Suffragettes might have taken in a flick of the day. They could follow the real and virtual lives of Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, superstars wed on March 27, 1920. Or they might have caught a D.W. Griffith blockbuster or found comic relief at a Charlie Chaplin hit. Forward-looking women that they were they, like Chaplin, might have discovered future star Jackie Coogan in The Kid.
But their priority was passage of the Nineteenth Amendment, adopted on August 18, 1920, which amended the U.S. Constitution to guarantee that “the right of the citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex” and granted to the U.S. Congress the “power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.”
Maybe those triumphant women celebrated by taking a movie break.
Take time to reflect on the spirit and tenacity of those feminists by taking a lunchtime break for the now-underway Feminist Film Festival, sponsored each year by the Minnesota Women’s Consortium in anticipation of Women’s Equality Day. Take a break and think about how those prescient feminists would have enjoyed the mix of modern day films chosen to “depict feminist concepts or characters”
• On Wedneday, August 18, it’s Amreeka, a bittersweet film in which a single Palestinian mother and her son settle in the new world.
• Princess Mononoke is Thursday’s feature. Princess Mononoke, raised by the wolf-gods, bravely leads the animals of the forest in a struggle with enemy forces.
• The week wraps up with Whip It. Drew Barrymore directed this coming-of-age film about a small town teen who joins a roller derby team. Come on down, Roller Girls!
All films roll at 11:30 a.m. at the Minnesota Women’s Building: 550 Rice Street in St. Paul. Bring a lunch and a friend. Listen for the popping sound of free popcorn.
Correction: The Nineteenth Amendment was adopted on August 18, 1920.
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