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The documentary film Miss Representation is written, directed and produced by Jennifer Siebel Newsom. It explores how mainstream media contribute to the under-representation of women in influential positions by circulating limited and often disparaging portrayals of women. The film will premiere in the documentary competition at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. Synopsis Despite the fact that women in the United States have made some gains in leadership over the past few decades, the media has increased its focus on images of women as powerless sex objects achieving success only at the hands of their male counterparts. In this climate of dangerous stereotypes, where the media is the most persuasive force of communication in our culture--dictating cultural values and gender norms--the collective message that seeps into Americans' subconscious is that a woman’s value lies primarily in her youth, beauty, and sexuality. As a consequence, women are trivialized, objectified, and rarely viewed as strong and powerful figures—making it doubly challenging for women to attain leadership positions and making it difficult for the average woman to feel powerful herself. The film’s motto, “You can't be what you can't see,” underscores the implicit message that young women need and want positive role models, and that the media has thus far neglected its unique opportunity to provide them. Cast Jean Kilbourne as herself Jim Steyer as himself Katie Couric as herself Margaret Cho as herself M. Gigi Durham as herself Caroline Heldman as herself Pat Mitchell as herself Gavin Newsom as himself Gloria Steinem as herself Jennifer Lawless as herself Cory Booker as himself Condoleezza Rice as herself Dolores Huerta as herself Marie Wilson as herself Devanshi Patel as herself Ranna Patel as herself Oliver Mittelstaedt as himself Carol Jenkins as herself Geena Davis as herself Lisa Ling as herself Paul Haggis as himself Jackson Katz as himself Jane Fonda as herself Martha Lauzen as herself Daphne Zuniga as herself Jennifer Pozner as herself Rachel Maddow as herself Nancy Pelosi as herself Erika Falk as herself Dianne Feinstein as herself Lindy DeKoven as herself Barbara J. Berg as herself Catherine Hardwicke as herself Jennifer Todd as herself Rosario Dawson as herself Jehmu Greene as herself Marissa Mayer as herself Malkia Amala Cyril as herself Jan Yanehiro as herself Jessica Shambora as herself Dee Dee Myers as herself Candy Crowley as herself Susan Molinari as herself Dana Perino as herself
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