Described by director Yu Gu as being at the “intersection of several worlds, including football, women’s rights, and labor rights,” “A Woman’s Work: The NFL’s Cheerleader Problem” sees two NFL cheerleaders filing class-action lawsuits against their teams for illegal employment practices. “Game day is pretty much what you live for,” says one of the doc’s characters in a new trailer for the film. “Game day doesn’t completely make up for the fact that we work for nine months straight with no paycheck.”

“A Woman’s Work” explores how cheerleaders are being asked to donate their time to a multi-billion dollar enterprise that profits from their labor.

“I want the audiences to reflect on themselves,” Gu told us. “Do you value women’s work? Why or why not? If you think of yourself as a feminist, are there still biases within yourself that separate you from other women? Women, are you perpetuating the same toxic power dynamics and cultural norms of the patriarchy that hurt you? Irrespective of political allegiances, what are your values when it comes to gender equality and how can you better live those values? Collective identity is important, but does that collective serve to uplift all its members?”

“A Woman’s Work: The NFL’s Cheerleader Problem” lands on VOD January 26.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLM53dDnaqo&feature=youtu.be