Resisterhood: Review

17th September 2020

Resisterhood is a feature-length documentary about the rise in activism from women and minority groups in America, in response to Trump’s 2016 presidential election.

The film follows six American activists on their journey to fight social injustice and campaign for the November 2020 elections. Dr Jean Gearon, the great-granddaughter of a Suffragist, turns her small book club into the Women’s Alliance for Democracy and Justice, with over 400 members. Margaret Morrison, who first marched alongside John Lewis and Martin Luther King Jr. in 1965, now at 82 years old still attends protests including the Women’s March where she proudly wears her “Black Lives Matter” button and pink pussy hat, with a determination to educate future generations.

Joanna Lohamn, a professional soccer player from Washington known as the “Rainbow Warrior”, uses her platform to champion LGBTQ rights. Mimi Hassanein is a Muslim Egyptian immigrant running for county office in the Midterm elections. Luis Gutierrez fights for immigrant rights as a long-time Congressman from Chicago, and leads the charge to boycott the 2017 Inauguration.

This documentary does a great job at representing six very different lives within America, which are all connected by their activism and by being victims of social injustice.

Despite the very negative start to the film, which depicts Trump aggressively promoting sexism, homophobia and racism, the general theme is very positive as we see the activists find support and strength within their communities. We are left feeling a sense of power and hope from women and minority groups, and a clear resistance to Trump and what his presidency represents.

Resisterhood proudly promotes that it is produced, directed, filmed and edited by women. Director Cheryl Jacobs “CJ” Crim has a reputation as a provocative independent filmmaker, and does not disappoint with this raw and well-researched piece. The mixture of live campaigning and marching footage, alongside private interviews, is incredibly emotive and presents a full picture of the current political state of America.

“Watch us fly”, says Margaret as her last words in the film. Resisterhood is a testament to the strength of the ordinary Americans who led the wave that created the most ethnically, racially and gender diverse Congress in history. This documentary is hugely informative, but its true purpose is to tell uplifting stories, spread hope and reenergize the fight against social injustice.

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