This month’s female-centric VOD releases and noteworthy webseries showcase women at their boldest and bravest. On the VOD front, we have Lisa F. Jackson’s “It Happened Here,” a powerful documentary about an issue that has recently garnered widespread attention and action across the country: sexual assault on college campuses. The film, which has recently been screening at colleges as part of the White House’s It’s On Us initiative, takes the audience through the experiences of several sexual-assault survivors. On the webseries side of things, “My Gimpy Life” offers an honest, interesting and hilarious look into the life of actress Teal Sherer, who is navigating her way through Hollywood in a wheelchair.
Here are May’s promising VOD releases and webseries about women.
VOD
“The Milky Way”
“The Milky Way” is a new documentary focusing on the debate surrounding a surprisingly controversial topic: breastfeeding. Featuring interviews with a number of celebrity breastfeeding advocates, including Alanis Morissette, Carrie-Ann Moss and Minnie Driver, the documentary explores the state of breastfeeding in America and the most popular perspectives on lactation practices. The film’s producers have stated that their mission is to empower women with the mantra of “trust her body, her baby and herself in her journey as a mother.” (Available now on VOD)
“It Happened Here” — Directed by Lisa F. Jackson
“It Happened Here” is a powerful documentary about campus sexual assault. Directed by Lisa F. Jackson, the film follows the stories of survivors of sexual violence who are now advocates for campus reform across the nation. The featured students walk the viewer through their journeys, from the moment of assault to the outright hostility from authorities and community leaders when they began the process of reporting rape and attempting to hold their assailants accountable. “It Happened Here” has already been screened on campuses as part of the White House administration’s It’s On Us campaign. (Available on May 12)
Webseries
Though the series has only five episodes to its name so far, “You’re So Talented” already has people talking. Partially funded by an Indiegogo campaign, the show follows out-of-work artist Bea (played by series creator Sam Bailey) as she navigates life in Chicago while sorting through a less-than-amicable break-up. Bailey’s portrayal of Bea is not only honest and true, but powerful, raw and darkly funny. It’s no wonder the series was honored at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival as part of the N.O.W Project, which recognizes superlative online creators. While Bailey and the crew are said to be hard at work on Season Two, the entire first season is available on Vimeo for your binge-watching pleasure.
For too long, television has shied away from honest and interesting portrayals of people with disabilities. Cue “My Gimpy Life” actress and creator Teal Sherer. Back in 2012, Sherer set out to create a webseries loosely based on her life as a disabled actress. The series, which focuses on the trials and hilarious tribulations of Teal’s foray into Hollywood, is a breath of fresh air for those who have long waited to see body diversity on the screen. No word on a third season, but with two seasons under the series’ belt, there are loads of episodes to catch up on.
