Independent Lens: Women Who Change the World

The acclaimed Emmy® Award-winning anthology series, Independent Lens, which features documentaries and a limited number of fiction films united by the creative freedom, artistic achievement, and unflinching visions of their independent producers, brought to you through a partnership with CMU Public Television.

Shadya, 10:00 am

Shadya Zoabi, a charismatic 17-year-old karate world champion, strives to succeed on her own terms within her traditional Muslim village in northern Israel. Despite her father’s support, she faces the challenge of balancing her dreams with her religious commitments and others’ expectations. This film takes an intimate look at the evolution of a young Israeli-Arab woman with feminist ideas in a male-dominated culture.  By Danny Hakim and Udi Kalinsky

Iron Ladies of Liberia, 12:00 pm

In 2006, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was inaugurated the country’s first elected female president and Africa’s first freely elected female head of state. A Harvard-educated economist and grandmother of eight nicknamed the Iron Lady, Johnson Sirleaf won a run-off election with 59 percent of the vote, but faced enormous obstacles in rebuilding a war-torn country. Iron Ladies Of Liberia goes behind the scenes of this groundbreaking administration during its first year, as it works to prevent a post-conflict nation from returning to civil war.  By Daniel Junge and Siatta Scott-Johnson.

Shayfeen.com: We’re Watching You, 2:00 pm

After 24 years of leadership under President Hosni Mubarak’s National Democratic Party, Egypt is a nation on the brink of change. However, in 2005, violence and widespread allegations of fraud accompany the nation’s first democratic elections. The film follows three women activists in their quest to expose the truth about Egypt’s new democracy. By Leila Menjou and Sherief Elkatsha

Taking Root: The Vision of Wangari Maathai, 4:00 pm

How does the simple act of planting trees lead to winning the Nobel Peace Prize? Ask Wangari Maathai of Kenya. In 1977, she suggested rural women plant trees to address problems stemming from a degraded environment. Under her leadership, their tree planting grew into a nationwide movement to safeguard the environment, defend human rights, and promote democracy, bringing Maathai the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004. By Lisa Merton and Alan Dater