Celebrate Women’s History Month with Arizona PBS

Enjoy a wide variety of Arizona PBS programming in March as we honor some of the countless American women who’ve blazed trails, inspired change and shaped a better world.

The highlight is “Women, War & Peace,” a new four-part, four-hour miniseries on the changing roles of women throughout the world during times of war and peace. The vast majority of today’s conflicts are not fought by nation states and their armies, but rather by informal entities: gangs, insurgent groups and warlords using unconventional weapons.

The series reveals how women during this post-Cold War have become primary targets while suffering unprecedented casualties. Yet they are simultaneously emerging as necessary partners in brokering lasting peace and as leaders in forging new international laws. These stories of women in conflict zones from Bosnia to Afghanistan, and Colombia to Liberia, place women at the center of an urgent dialogue about conflict and security.

The series is narrated by actors Matt Damon, Geena Davis, Tilda Swinton and Alfre Woodard.

Monday, March 25

Women, War & Peace “Wave Goodbye to Dinosaurs” (8 p.m.) — New
Discover the story of the Catholic and Protestant women who come together during Northern Ireland’s bloody civil war and fight to ensure that human rights, equality and inclusion shape the historic Good Friday Agreement peace deal.

Women, War & Peace “The Trials of Spring” (9 p.m.) — New
Follow three Egyptian women as they put their lives and bodies on the line fighting for justice and freedom. The film tells the story of Egypt’s Arab Spring, the human rights abuses that came to define it and the women willing to risk everything.

Tuesday, March 26

Women, War & Peace “Naila and the Uprising” (8 p.m.) — New
Discover the story of a courageous, nonviolent women’s movement that formed the heart of the Palestinian struggle for freedom during the 1987 uprising. One woman must make a choice between love, family and freedom. Undaunted, she embraces all three.

Women, War & Peace “A Journey of a Thousand Miles: Peacekeepers” (9 p.m.) — New
Embark on a risky yearlong U.N. peacekeeping mission into earthquake-ravaged Haiti with an all-female Bangladeshi police unit. Leaving their families behind, these police officers shatter stereotypes as they rise in the name of building peace.

 

Here is a schedule of programming highlights for March (in chronological order) on Channels 8.1 and 8.3. Visit our Schedule page for complete listings.

Monday, March 18

POV “306 Hollywood” (8 p.m.) — New
Take a magical journey to the house at 306 Hollywood Avenue. After its owner dies, her two grandchildren begin an epic excavation of her belongings. Lip-synced conversations and dramatic animations come to life in this magical realist documentary.

“Heather Booth: Changing the World” (8 p.m. on Ch. 8.3)
Heather Booth might be the most influential person you’ve probably never heard of. The newest film by critically acclaimed filmmaker Lilly Rivlin launches during a time when many are wondering how to make their voices heard and civil and women’s rights are under attack. This empowering documentary is an inspiring look at how social change happens.

Wednesday, March 20

“Miriam Beerman: Expressing the Chaos” (4 p.m. on Ch. 8.3)
Enjoy this retrospective of a remarkable artist whose personal demons and empathy for human suffering colored a lifetime of her work.

Friday, March 22

“Holly Near: American Masters” (8 p.m. on Ch. 8.3) — New
Experience the power of song in the struggle for equality through the story of feminist singer and activist Holly Near, who for the last 40 years has worked on global social justice coalition-building in the women’s and lesbian movements.

“Return: Native American Women Reclaim Foodways for Health and Spirit” (9:30 p.m.) — New
At its heart, it’s a film about empowering people to overcome their current circumstances through eating as their ancestors did – nutritiously and locally. It explores the food sovereignty movement occurring across the country through the stories of women championing the return to traditional food sources. The documentary features the charismatic Roxanne Swentzell from Santa Clara Pueblo in New Mexico, whose Pueblo Food Experience project is transforming lives in her community. Her efforts to reclaim ancient foodways are echoed across the continent by Tlingit, Muckleshoot, Oglala Sioux, Menominee and Seneca women who share Roxanne’s passion and drive.

Saturday, March 23

“Janis Joplin: American Masters” (2 p.m. on Ch. 8.3)
Narrated by Chan Marshall, observe Janis Joplin’s life through intimate letters and rare footage in the first in-depth celebration of the iconic rock singer. Director Amy Berg presents a portrait of a complicated, driven, often beleaguered artist.

“It’s All in the Game: The Leta Andrews Story” (7 p.m. on Ch. 8.3)
Narrated by NBA Basketball Hall of Famer Bill Walton, it’s a profile of Leta Andrews, the all-time winning high school basketball coach in U.S. history. During her career, Leta posted 1, 416 wins and received numerous honors and awards. Leta entered the coaching profession in the 1960s, in an era before Title IX became law. Her early career has been described as an anomaly because most, if not all, of her high school coaching competitors were men.

American Masters: “Althea” (8 p.m. on Ch. 8.3)
Discover the story of Althea Gibson, who emerged as the unlikely queen of the segregated tennis world of the 1950s. She was the first African American to play and win Wimbledon and the U.S. Nationals. The documentary features Billie Jean King and David Dinkins.

Sunday, March 24

Great Performances “Birgit Nillson: A League of Her Own” (2 p.m.) — New
Celebrate the life of Swedish soprano Birgit Nilsson, the face of opera in the 1950s-70s. This performance-documentary showcases her greatest roles, including “Elektra” and “The Ring Cycle,” plus interviews with Placido Domingo and more.

“Fannie Lou Hamer: Stand Up” (3:30 p.m.) — New
This short documentary examines the life of civil rights legend Fannie Lou Hamer, offering first-hand accounts by those who knew her and worked with her in the struggle for voting rights.

America Reframed “100 Years: One Woman’s Fight for Justice” (5 p.m. on Ch. 8.3)
Elouise Cobell is a little-known hero whose relentless pursuit of justice led her to find remedy for over half a million American Indian account holders whose funds were held by the U.S. government in trust for a century. An advocate for Native American financial self-determination and independence, she initiated new ways of viewing tribal trust funds and their management. In 1996, she led a lawsuit against the U.S. government for failing to deliver individual American Indian landowners monies they had earned under oil, timber and mineral leases.

“Doc World: Daze of Justice” (10 p.m. on Ch. 8.3) — New
Witness the intimate story of trailblazing Cambodian American women who break decades of silence to resurrect the memory of their loved ones before the UN Special Tribunal prosecuting the Khmer Rouge. The women must not only find the courage to revisit sites of unspeakable trauma, they also face an unexpected and agonizing predicament when they come face to face with the son of one of Pol Pot’s most notorious torturers.

Tuesday, March 26

America Reframed: “In the Game” (8 p.m. on Ch. 8.3)
Follow the the ups and downs of a girls’ soccer team reveal the very real obstacles that low-income students confront in their quest for higher education. Set in a primarily Hispanic neighborhood in Chicago, Kelly High School is an inner city public school struggling to provide the basics for their students, many of whom do not make it to college either because they cannot compete academically or their families do not have the financial resources. The girls face an uneven playing field – or in the case of the girls at Kelly High School, no soccer field at all – little or no support, problems at home, uncertain futures, discrimination and poverty, but remain undaunted thanks to their teammates and the dedicated mentoring of their coach.

“Perfect 36: When Women Won the Vote” (9:30 p.m. on Ch. 8.3)
This 30-minute story chronicles the dramatic vote to ratify the 19th amendment and years of debate about women’s suffrage that preceded it. On July 17, 1920, Carrie Chapman Catt, President of the National American Woman Suffrage Association, arrived to spend a few days in Nashville. She was traveling on the heels of Tennessee Governor A.H. Roberts’ announcement of a special session of the state legislature, called at the urging of President Woodrow Wilson.

Wednesday, March 27

“Women Outward Bound” (4 p.m. on Ch. 8.3)
Follow the first group of young women to participate in an Outward Bound survival school course in 1965 and chronicle their experiences in the wild. During their experience, the young women forged a special bond, and at a reunion 47 years later, the group reminisce about the lessons they learned and the memories they made, with some surprising revelations. The documentary takes you on a journey over many decades with rare archival footage, family home videos, photos and stunning aerial footage of the lush-yet-challenging Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

“Medicine Woman” (6 p.m. on Ch. 8.3)
Medicine Woman, interweaves the lives of Native American women healers of today with the story of America’s first Native doctor, Susan La Flesche Picotte (1865-1915). The one-hour PBS documentary produced by and about women, features historic and contemporary profiles of female healers, starting with Susan La Flesche Picotte (1865-1915) of the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska.

Friday, March 29

“Anne Morgan’s War” (8 p.m. on Ch. 8.3)
From 1917-1924, a team of approximately 350 American women, appalled by news of wartime destruction, left comfortable lives at home to volunteer in the devastated regions of France. The show chronicles how American heiress Anne Morgan poured both her own fortune and the fruits of intense fundraising into rebuilding Picardy, a region in northern France which had been devastated by the war. Utilizing film and photographs from Anne’s rich archive, and letters written by the volunteers, “Anne Morgan’s War” brings to life the adventures of these real-life heroines and provides an up-close and personal view of the post-WWI period.

Makers “Women in Hollywood” (9 p.m.)
Follow the women of showbiz, from the earliest pioneers to present-day power players, as they influence the creation of one of the country’s biggest commodities: entertainment. Hear from actress-producer-activist Jane Fonda, who at 75 is playing a sharp, sexy and powerful media mogul on the award-winning series “The Newsroom”; television powerhouse Shonda Rhimes, who created “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Scandal”; screenwriter Linda Woolverton, who re-imagined the traditional Disney princess by making Belle (Beauty and the Beast) a self-possessed, strong-willed young woman; writer-director-actress Lena Dunham, who finds comedy and drama by exploring what it’s really like to be a young woman today; six-time Academy Award nominee Glenn Close, director Nancy Meyers and actress Zoe Saldana are also included.

Saturday, March 30
In Their Own Words “Queen Elizabeth II” (8 p.m. on Ch. 8.3)
Follow Queen Elizabeth II’s remarkable life, from her youth to her uncle’s abdication, her father’s coronation as King George VI, World War II, ascension to the throne and an eventful reign of more than 60 years.

Sunday, March 31
Great Performances “Julius Caesar” (2 p.m.) — New
Experience Shakespeare as never before in an all-female production from the Donamar Warehouse set in prison. “Julius Caesar” depicts the catastrophic consequences of a political leader’s extension of his powers beyond the remit of the constitution. As Brutus (Harriet Walter) wrestles with his moral conscience over the assassination of Julius Caesar (Jackie Clune), Mark Antony (Jade Anouka) manipulates the crowd through his subtle and incendiary rhetoric to frenzied mob violence.

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