Netflix is teaming with the United Nations and putting the spotlight on women and femmes across the world for International Women's Day. Thanks to the release of the trailer for the "Because She Watched" collection, which is narrated by To All the Boys I've Loved Before star Lana Condor, on Wednesday, viewers can now dive into a carefully and thoughtfully curated intersectional collection of movies and television shows which focus on female stories and characters.
For those who didn't know, International Women's Day is March 8. The theme of this year's special holiday is "I Am Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights." As such, the "Because She Watched" collection is meant to share stories that have inspired the women who inspire us. A respected group of female writers, actors, directors, and producers from around the world were called on to contribute their picks for this special Netflix collection. Among the incredible list of folks who contributed are Ava DuVernay, Sophie Loren, Mindy Kaling, Salma Hayek, Laverne Cox, Janet Mock, and Netflix faves Condor, Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger Things), and Logan Browning (Dear White People).
And for every major celebrity, there is an equally notable title selected to be included in the collection. The titles picked run the gamut of genres, from historical drama to comedy to documentary to sci-fi thriller and beyond. Some eye-catching picks include Miss Americana, Hannah Gadsby's Nanette, Roma, Bird Box, Sex Education, Marriage Story, She's Gotta Have It, Paris Is Burning, Orange is the New Black, The Crown, and Beyoncé's Homecoming. What the list indicates is that time and care was taken in selecting movies and television shows which depicted the female or femme experience across all socio-economic, political, racial, and sexuality categories.
In a statement on this special collection's announcement, Anita Bhatia, UN Women Deputy Executive Director, shared,
"This collaboration is about taking on the challenge of telling women’s stories and showing women in all their diversity. It’s about making visible the invisible, and proving that only by fully representing and including women on screen, behind-the-camera and in our narratives overall, society will truly flourish."
Longtime Netflix favorite Cox also shared her thoughts on this collection and what it means to come to fruition:
"Having a world where everyone is truly represented is about true democracy. And truly seeing ourselves allows us to envision endless possibilities for ourselves and each other. Orange Is the New Black is the first project where I felt genuinely empowered as a woman thanks to the woman at the helm of the show, Jenji Kohan, and the many women directors, writers, producers, and crew members as well as the stories that centered diverse women in an unprecedented way. This show created a space and platform for me as a black openly trans woman that created space for other openly trans women of all races to be truly seen in the depth of our humanity."
The "Because She Watched" collection will be available to stream through 2020 and you can access it here. Watch the "Because She Watched" announcement trailer below and check out the complete list of titles curated by film and television creatives for the collection, too.
Netflix's "Because She Watched" Collection
Alejandra Azcárate (Colombia) – Vis a Vis
Alice Wu (United States) – Frances Ha
Andrea Barata Ribeiro (Brazil) – Sex Education
Anna Winger (Germany) – Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Ava DuVernay (United States) – A Wrinkle in Time
Barbara Lopez (Mexico) – Scandal
Beren Saat (Turkey) – Bird Box
Bruna Mascarenhas (Brazil) – Quien te cantará
Cecilia Suárez (Mexico) – Marriage Story
Chris Nee (United States) – Orange is the New Black
Christian Serratos (United States) – The Goop Lab
Cindy Bishop (Thailand) – Anne with an E
Elena Fortes (Mexico) – Atlantique
Esther Acebo (Spain) – Chef’s Table: Bo Songvisava
Fadily Camara (France) – How to Get Away with Murder
Fanny Herrero (France) – Je Parle Toute Seule
Fatimah Abu Bakar (Malaysia) – Babies
Francesca Comencini (Italy) – What Happened, Miss Simone?
Giovanna Ewbank (Brazil) – The Most Beautiful Thing
Hanna Ardéhn (Sweden) – Silence of the Lambs
Hazar Erguclu (Turkey) – House of Cards
Hend Sabry (Egypt) – Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold
Ida Elise Broch (Norway) – RuPaul’s Drag Race
Janet Mock (United States) – Paris Is Burning
Joyce Cheng (Hong Kong) – Queer Eye
Juliana Vicente (Brazil) – When They See Us
Kemi Adetiba (Nigeria) – King of Boys
Kiara Advani (India) – Lust Stories
Lali Espósito (Argentina) – Notting Hill
Lana Condor (United States) – Grace and Frankie
Lauren Morelli (United States) – Julie & Julia
Laurie Nunn (England) – The Keepers
Laverne Cox (United States) – A Call to Courage
Liz Garbus (United States) – She’s Gotta Have It
Logan Browning (United States) – Someone Great
Lynn Fainchtein (Mexico) – 2001: A Space Odyssey
Marcela Benjumea (Colombia) – Dead to Me
Mercedes Morán (Argentina) – Aquarius
Mika Ninagawa (Japan) – In the Realm of the Senses
Millie Bobby Brown (United Kingdom) – Miss Americana
Mina El Hammani (Spain) – ¿Qué Co#o Está Pasando?
Mindy Kaling (United States) – Chewing Gum
Mira Lesmana (Indonesia) – ROMA
Mithila Palkar (India) – Hannah Gadsby’s Nanette
Nahnatchka Khan (United States) – Young Adult
Ngô Thanh Vân (Vietnam) – Wonder Woman
Nosipho Dumisa (South Africa) – Gravity
Pathy Dejesus (Brazil) – Raising Dion
Paulina Garcia (Chile) – Deux Jours, Une Nuit
Petra Costa (Brazil) – Feminists: What Were They Thinking?
Salma Hayek (Mexico) – Unbelievable
Sandi Tan (Singapore) – Russian Doll
Shefali Shah (India) – Delhi Crime
Sophia Loren (Italy) – The Crown
Yalitza Aparicio (Mexico) – Knock Down the House