LGM Film Club, Part 6: Janie’s Janie
By 
On the Criterion Channel right now, you can watch a series of films by and about women. Called “Tell Me: Women Filmmakers, Women’s Stories,” it’s around 25 films, mostly but not all documentaries from the 70s and 80s that explore different aspects of gender and sexuality in America. Last night, I checked out the 1971 film Janie’s Janie, the story of a woman and her self-awakening as an independent person and political actor. This is a woman who was abused by her father, got married young, was abused by her husband, had 5 kids, left him, and then got involved in the welfare rights movement in Newark, specifically working toward daycare. It’s not the highest budget thing but is a remarkable document. It’s not fully available online, but a 2 minute trailer is and considering the film is only about 23 minutes, this gives a good snippet.