'wonder Women' Documentary To Kick Off Habitat For Humanity Women Build Campaign

Oct. 16, 2012

Michelle Eubanks, UNA, at media@una.edu, 256.765.4392 or 256.606.2033

FLORENCE, Ala. - The University of North Alabama and Habitat for Humanity and Shoals Habitat for Humanity are partnering with the George Lindsey UNA Film Festival and the UNA Women's Center in an event to kick off a Habitat Women Build Campaign. The highlight of the event will be the screening of the award-winning film "Wonder Woman: The Untold Story of American Superheroines" at the UNA Performance Center Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. "Wonder Women! The Untold Story of American Superheroines," directed by Kristy Guevara-Flanagan and featuring Lynda Carter, Lindsay Wagner, Gloria Steinem and Jane Espenson, held its world premiere at SXSW last year, and has since taken the film festival circuit by storm. The 60-minute documentary focuses on the role of superheroines over the years and places those characters within the context of the real lives of women and girls. Simon Foster, of the blog Screen-Space, noted the film's most significant achievement to be "captured in the scenes of the young girls and working class mums who look to the superheroines to establish values and overcome hardships. If it was the production's intention to finally kill-off any non-believers who still consider the fantasy genre a worthless art form peopled by slackers dodging a real life, it is a goal achieved. The deeply human role our mythical figures continue to fulfill in our society, on many levels, is honoured triumphantly." According to UNA Habitat faculty advisor and Shoals Habitat for Humanity president Cynthia Burkhead, the film is perfect for an event that kicks off a project like Shoals Women Build. Over the next year, Habitat for Humanity will raise funds from Shoals area women to fund a Habitat home built by Shoals area women. Women Build is a Habitat for Humanity International program that seeks to "empower women to take action against poverty housing conditions." Other Alabama affiliates of Habitat for Humanity have participated in the program in the past, but this will be the first Women Build for Shoals Habitat. The George Lindsey UNA Film Festival and the UNA Women's Center are proud to be a partner in this event, which will initiate the Lindsey Fest's year-round programming efforts. For more information on Shoals Women Build, contact Burkhead at caburkhead@una.edu or 256-765-4790 or Shoals Habitat for Humanity at 256-760-9515. Information on "Wonder Women! The Untold Story of American Superheroines" can be found at wonderwomendoc.com.