During last Sunday’s Academy Awards, Frances McDormand called on Hollywood to financially support women. While the organizers of the annual Portland Oregon Women’s Film Festival (POW Film Fest) couldn’t possibly have predicted the timeliness of their event, it’s timely as hell: The fest showcases films directed by women. That, in and of itself, is reason to hand them your dollars. But also: There’s some good stuff here!
POW’s 2018 lineup features two documentaries by Barbara Kopple: 1976’s Harlan County USA is an unforgettable documentary about a coal miners’ strike in Kentucky; while women weren’t working the mines, they were equally involved in the strike’s organizing, and crucial to its community support. As a woman sings on the soundtrack, “Women and children stood right by the men/They’ll never shoot the union out of me.” Badass!
