The Woman's Film

This film consists of interviews and testimonies of over a dozen women struggling to find equality in their daily lives despite poverty, spousal abuse and sexism in the home and workplace. The first woman interviewed recounts that as a child, her white, poor family had only the bare necessities and was unable to provide her with any money to buy treats or books of her own. She believed at the time that marriage would provide some sanctuary and enjoyment; however, her marriage was difficult, with an unsupportive and controlling husband. With no education, the woman was afraid to leave her husband, fearing that she would have no way to provide for her children. In another instance, a wife states that although she felt tortured in her loveless marriage, she also feared leaving because she could not support her children. Several women then comment that they are treated without respect in the world. One woman comments that females in general are assumed to be stupid, giving the example that mechanics treat her as though she is "dumb" because she does not know how her car works, while a male customer, who knows equally little, is given some respect. She also states that until she saw the female filmmakers using sound and camera equipment, she did not think a woman could handle making a film, believing technical skill was innately male. Several women interviewed talk about their endless work days: waking to feed and dress the children, cleaning house, ironing, washing, grocery shopping, sewing, cooking and doing dishes with only a spare hour to read or have time for one's self. In another instance, a woman says that she felt like a slave to her husband. In addition to caring for the children, home and food, she worked nine hours at a factory six days a week, while her husband, who worked nights, put a string on the door to make sure she did not leave the house at night. Outraged by her husband's betrayal of trust and fanatical need to control her, the woman finally left him. Several women then talk about their roles in the workplace. A "Chicano" woman explains that as an agricultural field worker without a diploma, she could not leave the fields and was discouraged by her co-workers from seeking any help from the "gringos," or whites. She therefore discouraged her children from any contact with whites as well, further isolating them in the poverty-stricken conditions of the field. Meanwhile, a middle-class woman with an education complains that after years of working as a secretary at a publishing firm, her attempts to gain a promotion were frustrating. Although her job title was changed to "editorial assistant," her responsibilities remained the same, including performing demeaning tasks such as serving her male co-workers coffee and taking their coats. Although the phone company is one of the largest employers of women, a female employee states that all women are relegated to entry level positions. All higher level supervisory jobs are filled by men, who tape record the operators' conversations with customers and fire employees for any divergence from company protocol. In another interview, a black woman talks about the racial prejudice in the school system, which regularly holds back black students. She states that if a black student shows initiative and intelligence, he or she is put in a remedial class to force the student to drop out of school out of frustration. Welfare is also discussed by a black woman who explains that the payments are just enough to cover rent and utilities, but not enough for food. She states that the welfare system is meant to humiliate a recipient and encourages people to work together to change it. The necessity of organizing, whether with a union or through womens' groups, is another topic. Some women working at a hospital join together to strike for better conditions for nurses and regular staff, while another woman talks about how factory workers' wives replaced their husbands on the picket line when their husbands were beaten and taken into custody by police for going on strike and protesting "scab" replacement workers. As part of helping one another, several women have found strength in cooperatives, in which they trade labor, including tasks such as carpooling, child car and repairing appliances. Several women interviewed laud the power of women's groups to help one realize one's own oppression, which often goes unnoticed. They also express anger at U.S. domestic and foreign polices, which often ignore the welfare of its most needy citizens. Many women protest the Vietnam War because, as one woman states, the United States is using young men from poor backgrounds like her's to invade and kill the poor and powerless citizens of another country. Another woman suggests that if she were president she would tax the rich so hard that they would know what it is like to be poor. At the conclusion, several interviewees state that black, white and Chicano women must work together to change the country and that working-class people should be leading that fight.