1975 IWD March

Synopsis

‘It was one of those epoch-breaking periods that can only be sustained briefly but, within which, everything is born.” SUZANNE BELLAMY

BRAZEN HUSSIES introduces contemporary audiences to the Australian second-wave feminists, who declared war on ‘male chauvinism’, traditional sex roles and demanded that women be set free from the ‘chains of femininity’. This feature documentary traces how the Australian Women’s Liberation Movement was born amidst the tumultuous politics of the 1960s, influenced by the anti-war, anti-imperialist, and civil rights movements worldwide. The film combines a treasure trove of startling archive footage with interviews from key activists from around Australia.

From its first stirrings in Brisbane in 1965 to its controversial incursions into the Whitlam government from 1973 to 1975, the film shows how women began organising around issues such as equal pay, reproductive rights, affordable childcare, and the prevention of family violence and rape. As the story unfolds, these issues go from being dismissed as the outrageous demands of a few “brazen hussies’’ to becoming crucial elements on the platforms of Australia’s major political parties.

From the radical arm of the ‘Women’s Libbers’ to the reform-focused groups such as the Women’s Electoral Lobby, BRAZEN HUSSIES shows the diversity of women involved, and the collective power it took to achieve change. The film explores how ASIO spied on the movement, the pushback by the male-dominated media, and the impact of internal struggles within the movement. Tensions emerge over the inclusion of lesbians and the relevance of the movement to Aboriginal women.  These struggles are laid bare to show how the activities of a small group of determined women grew into a huge social movement and ultimately changed the lives and opportunities of ALL women.

By going back in time, BRAZEN HUSSIES reveals how the changes demanded by these women 50 years ago, have paved the way for where feminism finds itself today. While the landscape, breadth and diversity of feminism is vastly different today – without this movement and the changes it achieved, we wouldn’t be where we are now. Recording and celebrating this important history, offers a valuable opportunity to reassess and discuss where we are at as a society, what gains have been made, what is at risk and where we are headed. While the struggle is far from over, women and girls today will be inspired by the pioneering efforts of those who came before them and changed the world forever.

Winner – 2020 AACTA Awards for Best Original Score in a Documentary

Nominated – 2020 AACTA Awards for Best Documentary and Best Sound in a Documentary

Nominated – 2021 AIDC Awards Best Feature Documentary

Nominated – 2021 ATOM Awards Best Documentary – General

Nominated – 2021 ADG Awards Best Direction – Documentary Feature

Nominated – 2022 AIDC Award for Best Documentary/Factual Single

Nominated – 2021 AACTA Award for Best Documentary or Factual Program

Nominated – 2021 AACTA Award for Best Direction in Nonfiction Television – Catherine Dwyer

Official Selection – 2020 Brisbane International Film Festival

Official Selection – 2020 Adelaide Film Festival

Official Selection – 2020 Antenna Selects

Official Selection – 2020 Human Rights Arts & Film Festival

Official Selection – 2020 Melbourne International Film Festival

Official Selection – 2021 MelbourneWomen in Film Festival

Official Selection – 2021 All About Women Festival

Official Selection – 2021 Vision Splendid Outback Film Festival

Official Selection – 2021 Castlemaine Documentary Film Festival

Duration: 90 minutes

Written & Directed by: Catherine Dwyer
Produced by: Philippa Campey & Andrea Foxworthy
Executive Producer: Sue Maslin
Editor: Rosie Jones
Script Editor: Annette Blonski
Sound Designer: Emma Bortignon
Animator: Juliet Miranda Rowe
Directors of Photography: Anna Howard, Erica Addis & Sky Davies
Composer: Amanda Brown
Production Manager: Samantha Dinning
Impact Producer: Diana Fisk

 

Featuring Alva Geikie, Anne Summers, Barbara Creed, Biff Ward, Daniela Torsh, Elizabeth Reid, Eva Cox, Gillian Leahy, Iola Mathews, Jeni Thornley, Kate Jennings, Kerryn Higgs, Lilla Watson, Margot Nash, Martha Ansara, Merle Thornton, Pat O’Shane, Robin Laurie, Rosemary West, Sara Dowse, Shirley Castley, Sue Jackson and Suzanne Bellamy.

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