A lot has changed since Ms. magazine launched in 1971 — and a lot hasn’t. This ironic truth is something Irene Lusztig explores in her performative documentary, “Yours in Sisterhood.” The project, the culmination of four years of work, sees contemporary women reading letters written to Ms. during the ‘70s. And many of Lusztig’s modern-day subjects recognize parallels between the letters’ contents and their own lives.
“There’s always a need for feminism, there’s always a need for anti-racist action. But [reading the letters] is really resonant,” one woman observes in the project’s trailer. “It reminds me that we’re kind of moving backwards,” another woman says, tearfully.
“Each project participant was carefully matched with a ‘70s letter sent from their own city or town and invited to read aloud and respond to their letter,” Lusztig explains on the project’s Indiegogo page. “I’ve filmed readings with people of all ages, gender identities, shapes, colors, and backgrounds.” Since wrapping up the interviews, Lusztig has found that “Yours in Sisterhood’s” relevance has only grown. “Filming these conversations with strangers alongside the election, its aftermath, the #MeToo movement, and much more, this project has felt increasingly timely and resonant — the stakes for how we create conversations about feminism right now are higher and more urgent than ever.”
Now in post-production, “Yours in Sisterhood” will hopefully make the festival circuit rounds and receive distribution from Women Make Movies. In order to meet these goals, Lusztig and her team launched a crowdfunding campaign this week. Contributions will go towards getting the film festival-ready and other expenses like sound, color correction, and marketing.
Lusztig previously directed the feature length archival film essay “The Motherhood Archives” and the doc “Reconstruction,” among other projects. She has also worked as an editor and cinematographer.
Check out the trailer for “Yours in Sisterhood” below. If you’re interested in donating to the project, go to its Indiegogo campaign.
