Part of the Honolulu African American Film Festival: Black History Month.
Directed by Freida Lee Mock. 2013. USA. 95 min.
An entire country watched transfixed as a poised, beautiful African American woman in a blue dress sat before a Senate committee of 14 white men and with a clear, unwavering voice recounted the repeated acts of sexual harassment she had endured while working with U.S. Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas. That October day in 1991, Anita Hill, a bookish law professor from Oklahoma, was thrust onto the world stage and instantly became a celebrated, hated, venerated, and divisive figure. Her graphic testimony was a turning point for gender equality in the U.S. and ignited a political firestorm about sexual misconduct and power in the workplace that still resonates in the age of #metoo.
The New York Times calls Freida Lee Mock’s documentary Anita “an important historical document about an event that prompted a larger cultural conversation about sexual harassment. But, perhaps more important, it conveys Ms. Hill’s journey from an accuser alone to an activist who shares with, and listens to others.”
Now a professor at Brandeis University, Hill is an American icon, empowering millions of women and men around the world to stand up for equality and justice. Against a backdrop of sex, politics, and race, Academy Award-winning filmmaker Mock celebrates Hill’s legacy and offers a rare glimpse into her private life. Hill speaks openly and intimately for the first time about her experiences that led her to testify before the Senate and the obstacles she faced in simply telling the truth. A New York Times Critics’ Pick.
Showtimes:
Sunday Feb 04 04:00 PM
Tuesday Feb 06 07:30 PM
Special guests: Following the Sunday, Feb. 4 screening, we hold a panel discussion on the #MeToo movement and sexual harassment in Hawai‘i.
Panelists:
Della Au Belatti, State Representative
Glory Gervacio Saure, Director of U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission of Hawaii
Daphne Barbee-Wooten, Civil Rights Attorney
Kymberly Marcos Pine, Honolulu City Council Member
Tadia Rice, Communications Consultant (Moderator)