Wonderful Girls Of The World Rise Up
Posted by Michelle Moquin on April 20th, 2013
Good morning!
I have been meaning to post about this for over a week now but somehow it didn’t cross my mind to do so when I began to post every morning. This time it did. And just in time. This movie “Girl Rising,” although has been previewed in many places across the country, has finally hit the theaters, as of yesterday. Once an avid movie goer, I haven’t been to a theater in months, (I still have yet to catch up with all of the Oscar winners!), I am so excited to see this.
Big love and kudos goes to all the writers, Holly Gordon the producer, the filmmakers, the 10X10 Campaign, and of course, last but not least, the 9 girls whose lives inspired this film, that I feel everyone (yes, you too guys!) should see.
They all deserve the title of Wonderful Women and Girls of the World.
From the Huff Po:
“Girl Rising,” a movie produced by the girls education campaign 10×10, tells the stories of nine young girls fighting for access to education and better opportunities. As the trailer above reveals, it’s not a traditional documentary — each girl’s story is written by a well known female writer from her country and narrated by one of a host of A-list actresses (yes, including Meryl), according to information provided on the 10×10 website. We dare you to watch and not be saddened at how little the world has offered these girls and inspired by their resolve to make better lives for themselves.
Girl Rising: Topping Charts by Breaking Molds
It’s a rare documentary that breaks into box office charts. Most linger longer in the moral conscience than graduate out of the festival circuit onto big screens. Even rarer is the cause documentary that achieves popular success as well as critical acclaim.
One notable exception was March of the Penguins. Magnificent cinematography, heart-warming stories of faithful parents, gut-wrenching odds of survival — and the attention it drew to the impact of climate change — rocketed Penguins to the top of the movie charts. Another rare exception is 10×10′s recently released Girl Rising, a feature film that tells the stories of nine resilient girls in nine developing countries who overcome insurmountable economic and cultural odds — simply to get an education.
Changing the World by Educating Girls
At first glance singling out educating girls as the most effective way to tackle global poverty seems a stretch. Yet the briefest look at the numbers quickly confirms the obvious — that educating girls is indeed the most effective way to address many fundamental economic, political and cultural goals across the developing world.
Consider the direct correlation between educating girls and economic growth. In their Council on Foreign Relations paper, “What Works in Girls Education,” Barbara Herz and Gene Sperling highlight the direct economic impact of educating girls in multiple ways. On an individual level, educated girls at both primary and secondary levels generate 10 to 25 percent higher wages, significantly higher than the relative increase among boys. That wage impact translates directly into faster national economic growth. As the authors note, more equal education of girls in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa in particular would have resulted in nearly 1 percent higher per capita growth in GDP over the period 1960 to 1992. Critically, in developing countries, higher education levels among girls leads to more productive farming results.
Then consider the economic multiplier effect of educating girls — given its minimal marginal cost. Not only does doing so dramatically improve health standards, encourage fewer children and discourage child trafficking, but it also drives up savings and small business activity. Not surprisingly, UNICEF reports that educated mothers are twice as likely to educate their own children — girls and boys. Now compound those benefits by just one generation.
But can a narrative documentary attract developed world attention to an issue so patently solvable? Surely noble goals, powerful story lines and chic Hollywood endorsements are a simple recipe for screen success. Not so fast. Many documentaries share similar attributes without making a notable impact. So how did Girl Rising debut at No. 5 on the New York Times Most Popular Movies List, open in 100 theaters, sell 100,000 tickets in its first month and be the signature purchase for CNN Films?
How to Turn Hollywood Upside Down — While Making Friends
Start with content: Girl Rising is an immensely uplifting film spotlighting one of the real success stories in development circles. As Academy Award nominee director Richard E. Robbins notes,
“Educating girls makes such obvious sense. An educated girl will in turn educate her own children — boys and girls — not only in arithmetic and in how to write and read, but also in how to stay healthy, how to work and save. It’s the multiplier effect writ larger by every generation. If you get sick, you might well go back to the hospital. But if you get educated, you never forget that.”
Star power also helps. Each girl’s story in Girl Rising is narrated by A-list Hollywood actresses including Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Alicia Keys and Selena Gomez. Having Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Jordan’s Queen Rania on your advisory board certainly lends credence as well. Strategic partners including Intel, Paul Allen’s Vulcan Productions and CNN Films also add impressive institutional heft.
Then add in 10×10′s groundbreaking distribution model. Turning Hollywood’s traditional distribution model on its head, 10×10 promotes screenings by offering any community — however large or small, urban, rural or campus-based — the opportunity to screen Girl Rising through its partnership with Gathr. Launched in 2011, Gathr is among the innovators in on-demand theatrical distribution, empowering audiences to bring films like Girl Rising to their communities, in effect democratizing theatrical film distribution. “With Girl Rising, we took a risk on a new model of on-demand theatrical distribution, and the leap of faith paid dividends,” said Tom Yellin, executive producer of Girl Rising. “We’ve established a new model for impact filmmaking, to build a movement — and an audience — around a film.”
Deft use of social media to promote Girl Rising also proves Facebook and Twitter are infinitely more cost-effective forms of promoting films than traditional sources. With a dedicated social media team that resembles a campaign war room, 10×10 constantly sends targeted alerts to promote local screenings, encouraging individuals to share and share again notices about upcoming screenings, while also circling back to spotlight successful screenings through an ever-widening web of friends and followers.
Translating Awareness into Impact on the Ground
Uplifting stories, star power, and impressive box-office stats without doubt. But can a documentary seen even in several hundred theaters actually translate into making a difference in traditional, and often patriarchal, societies thousands of miles away?
Emphatically yes, say director Robbins and executive producer Holly Green Gordon. Both quickly admit their value-add is in developing awareness and raising funds for the cause of educating girls through the power of film. To that end Robbins and Green established the 10×10 Fund to act as a conduit of all proceeds from Girl Rising – ticket sales, donations, and corporate gifts — to global nonprofits including Care, the UN Foundation’s Girl Up, and Room to Read, selected on the basis of their ability to make an immediate on-the-ground impact. Beyond that, 10×10 effectively pushed these organizations to place an even greater focus within their budgets on educating girls.
Little surprise then that Girl Rising quickly received star-billing nationwide. Barely a month after debuting to critical and popular acclaim as a documentary promoted at the grassroots level, 10×10 just disclosed a week-long exclusive deal with Regal Cinemas, the nation’s leading network of cinemas, to show Girl Rising in over 150 theaters across the country starting April 19th.
Announcing the deal, Amy Miles, CEO of Regal Entertainment Group stated, “Regal recognizes the intense interest by American moviegoers demanding that this film be seen in their local communities.” As she continued, “This movie is making an emotional impact on many of our patrons, me included.”
Fitting praise for a feature film called “one of the hottest cause documentaries in years” by the New York Times. With their drive and determination, these courageous young girls have proven that by striving to get an education, they themselves have the power to truly change the world.
*Y*O*U*G*O*G*I*R*L*S*
Readers: I can’t say much about this film since I haven’t seen it yet, but it is about time, that the world knows how much young girls endure in their lives, and yet still come out courageous, powerful and rising…and for the betterment of all. It is amazing to me the stats that show when women and girls have the opportunity to rise and prosper, families, communities, and countries flourish more. When will men get that? When will they stop trying to prevent women from achieving success, and instead nurture and cultivate an environment for women and girls to blossom? The time is now.
Peace & Love…give it to the girls.
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)
Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:
Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129
Thank you for your loyal support!
All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2012
“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream
" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"
April 21st, 2013 at 10:00 am
We have to fact it the majority of white women still do not have the intelligence to think independently of white men. And white men think with their tiny penises.
I really don’t think they deserve the use of the term “dick” when referring to that little piece of tissue between their legs. It is simply amazing that something so small has played such a huge role in the state of the planet.
April 21st, 2013 at 10:01 am
Sorry I meant we have to face the fact that the majority of white women still do not have the intelligence to think like adults.
April 21st, 2013 at 10:40 am
I fully understand the tiny penis men. In my country they still control the laws. Witness the rape of 5 year old girl here in Delhi.
April 21st, 2013 at 10:47 am
Indoctrination of women that they are of second importance to men comes from religion. Organized religion is basically a propaganda tool to keep women psychologically impaired when it comes to viewing themselves as equal to men.
Any woman who brings her child to a catholic church is instilling in them that the male is more important than the female.
Their male children feel superior psychologically on a subconscious level because God is portrayed as Male, and the role of the female is regulated to serving men while the men are the only ones who God will work with one on one.
What do you think that is doing both subconsciously and consciously to the female child? It is dooming her to psychologically believing that “even God thinks men are wiser.”
April 21st, 2013 at 10:48 am
It is a fact that most of the women who have led the fight for equality have been agnostic or atheists.
April 21st, 2013 at 10:56 am
Me, I am sick of the officials thanking themselves for the success of catching the bombers. That is bullshit. They took five days to catch two amateurs. If these terrors had the slightest intelligence when it came to planning, carrying out, and escaping, they may never have been caught.
The cops lost the two after surrounding the two when the older brother ran out of bullets. Yet the allowed the 19 year old to run over his brother while escaping o in the vehicle they were surrounded in.
To top it off he got away on foot while wounded. What the fuck were all those hundreds of “our bravest” doing while he was fleeing?
Good job my ass!
April 21st, 2013 at 10:59 am
Me, I am sick of hearing of the Margret Thatcher crap. She was a BAPF politician who sold our the people of the United Kingdom to the very rich.
Now the country is owned by the very rich.
April 21st, 2013 at 11:05 am
Where is the argument concerning whether a gun background check would have helped catch those two BEFORE they pulled off the bombing?
April 21st, 2013 at 11:08 am
All the republicans are talking about the “largest terror attack since 9/11.” Yet, none of them are mentioning that they used many different kind of guns to confront and elude police.
Where is the main stream media on this issue? A background check when they were purchasing those guns would have raised red flags. But their was no such red flag raised because there are NO background checks for buying guns.
April 21st, 2013 at 11:10 am
I checked on that comment from Madu – ” a 5-year-old girl who was allegedly kidnapped, raped and tortured by a man and then left alone in a locked room in India’s capital for two days.”
Men with small dicks are just sick.
April 21st, 2013 at 11:11 am
Child rapist just need to be killed. They are not human. How do you rehab a sociopath? Every try teaching a lion to not eat meat?
April 21st, 2013 at 11:14 am
India doesn’t value females of any age. The middle east doesn’t value females of any age either. Shit, most of the world doesn’t, America included.
We hear everyday of a woman being raped, or a child being molested. What is wrong with men..not all men. But the men that do this.
Look at the town in Ohio where those football kids raped that girl that was drugged. The town was fighting for the boys! WT(H)! What are people teaching their boys.
And let’s not forget the 15 year old in California that committed suicide because she was raped and her private parts were signed by the boys, her class mates who raped her.
April 21st, 2013 at 11:15 am
Right here in the U.S., good old American boys were drugging and raping a poor girl and laughing about it, thinking it was just fine to do such vile things.
These boys have mothers and sisters and should know better but they have absolutely no respect. I thank God that we have stricter laws and did not let this pass through the cracks but yes, it happens all of the time.
It should make every decent person angry, men and women alike and these horrible young men should be thrown into prison for life not till they are only 21.
They will not change and they are a threat to women everywhere. There parents should be sickened at the actions of their sons.
April 21st, 2013 at 11:16 am
They are just sharing the culture they learned from good ole dad and their coaches. You think powerful men don’t rape?
April 21st, 2013 at 11:16 am
The answer comes in a sentence you hear to justify anything young boys ever do.
‘Boys will be boys.’; Because this is taught, they believe they can get away with anything. You never hear that being said to justify a young girl
April 21st, 2013 at 11:17 am
Dubli you seem to be missing the point here. Not all men rape, but many cultures (including ours) are biased towards the rapists not the victims, thus allowing more men to rape as it is implicitly supported by the culture.
It’s not necessarily sick individuals, it is also enabled individuals. Women are dehumanized, thus it’s no big deal to them. That makes the society sick, and the perpetrators products of that society.
April 21st, 2013 at 11:18 am
Wow. Great conversation. Though I am disgusted by the treatment of women in the middle east, It IS true that this type of thing happens in the US also.
What we all need to be keenly aware of is that “monsters” DO exist. They’re just disguised as caring, productive adults. As parents, we have the most difficult and dangerous job on the planet: Protecting our children. And trust, they ARE under attack.
April 21st, 2013 at 11:37 am
Isn’t it telling that the same men who argue ferociously for the 2nd amendment right to bear arms not be infringed upon but see nothing wrong with suspending our 4th amendment rights to false imprisonment and the lost of our miranda rights?
White men are just plain sick for the most part. Their inconsequential penises in bed have devastating consequences in the political arena.
My husband prances around as if he is the great protector of the Constitution. I can easily see through his bulls**t. He is defending the charge owning his 4 automatic weapons.
After a few firings, he is so anxious to bed me. I lay back and scream how pleasing that pathetically inadequate thing is between his legs.
April 21st, 2013 at 11:40 am
The fact is the FBI was not legally entitled to keep that type of open file on an american citizen. I mean one would think a that if a 2nd amendment would give a person the right to own automatic weapons like an AK 47, or M16, then the 4th might give that same person the right to legal protection to their other privacies.
April 21st, 2013 at 11:44 am
Women around the world would do almost anything to have the rights and freedoms white women in America have.
It is a shame they do nothing to improve their lives with them.
April 21st, 2013 at 11:46 am
Russia is always sending stuff to America about foreigners residing here. The russians have their own devious aims behind anything they do.
April 21st, 2013 at 11:47 am
Our Hon’ble PM should not always remain “maun”. Because when he expressed his anguish over rape yesterday, all Govt machinery, including Home Ministry came into action. Had he spoken about Bangalore blast a few days earlier, the case would have been solved by now.
April 21st, 2013 at 11:49 am
The issue of sexual violence against women and girls has been under intense scrutiny in India, after the rape and murder of a student on a Delhi bus in December made international headlines, leading to widespread protests, sparking nationwide outcry and calling for draconian punishment for the rapists.
Yet it did’t seem to scare perpetrators off and we keep on reading a series of outrageous sexual abuses against women. A female tourist from Switzerland went through the same ordeal and now a five-year old girl couldn’t have been spared.
Something has to be done to change the misogynistic views of men in India.