Actor Evan Rachel Wood's journey from domestic violence survivor to activist is told in Phoenix Rising, in Special Screenings.
By Laura Kern
In these selections from the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, women who have been placed in unjust, or violent, positions choose to take matters into their own hands, often at the loss of much blood, sweat, and tears.
Notably, two titles - one narrative, one documentary - act as companion pieces on the subject of Jane, the collective of women in pre-Roe v. Wade Chicago who put their safety and reputations on the line to help provide women with safe and affordable abortions. Both works feel especially timely in our current time, when abortion rights are particularly delicate.
While films addressing these types of themes naturally lean toward the serious, from purely an entertainment standpoint, it's also fair to ask: Who doesn't enjoy a little satisfying woman empowerment?
Alice (U.S. Dramatic) - After escaping her bleak, timeless existence enslaved on a Georgian plantation, Alice (Keke Palmer) educates herself on the ways of the modern world of the 1970s. Under the care of a kind-hearted activist (Common) who discovered Alice lost and confused on the highway, she gains strength and confidence while plotting for a bit of revenge, Pam Grier-style. Writer-director Krystin Ver Linden's debut feature was inspired in part by real-life occurrences of slavery that extended far beyond abolishment.
Call Jane (Premieres) - A commanding Elizabeth Banks stars as Joy, a housewife living far below her potential, who discovers that her pregnancy presents serious risks to her health. When the hospital refuses to provide assistance, she seeks her own course of action. The quest leads her to abortion activists the Janes, and their crossing of paths turns out to be life-altering in more ways than one.
Eva Noblezada appears in Champ, by Hannah Peterson, in the Shorts Program.
Champ (Short Film Program 4) - During a playful-yet-innocent round of girl talk following basketball practice, one teammate discloses something shocking about their coach, setting them off on a payback mission that only teenagers would conceive of. Hannah Peterson's eight-minute short broaches a tricky subject with sensitivity, humor, and a sense of realness effectuated by the wholly believable performances of the young actresses.
God's Country (Premieres) - In Julian Higgins' self-described modern-day neo-western thriller, Sandra (Thandiye Newton), a no-nonsense Black teacher, is a pure anomaly in her neck of the woods. On top of the racial and gender discrimination she handles daily, she goes head-to-head with two hunters who refuse to stay off her property. The film shows the power of women standing their ground, while also considering if there's a point at which one can go too far.
The Janes (U.S. Documentary) - Sundance Film Festival alumni Tia Lessin and Emma Pildes are back to present their first work as co-directors, a galvanizing look at the group of women known as Jane, whose cause was making abortion possible in late-'60s/early '70s Chicago, when it was illegal. The film covers their covert activities up until Roe v. Wade, the 1973 court case that made operations like Jane redundant.
Phoenix Rising (Special Screenings) - On February 1, 2021, actress Evan Rachel Wood went public with her accusations against her ex, Marilyn Manson, opening the door for other women to come forward as well. In Amy Berg's film, Wood relates the details of her experiences as a victim and survivor of domestic violence and how she channeled some of her trauma into initiating The Phoenix Act, a nonprofit organization designed to help end the cycle of abuses.
Watcher (U.S. Dramatic) - New to Bucharest, a seriously ominous city in this film's vision, Julia (Maika Monroe) becomes convinced that a man residing in the opposite apartment building is watching and eventually following her. She also suspects he may be connected to killings plaguing the area. No one, including her husband who's forever stuck at work, takes her fears seriously, so she's forced to face them on her own.
North America Stories
07/01/2026
NASA's Space Launch System rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft launches on the Artemis I flight test, Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022, from Launch Complex 39B at ...
07/01/2026
For the first time ever, new C' variants allow international users to interoperate with U.S. personnel via NSA-certified cryptography....
07/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
07/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
07/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
07/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
07/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
07/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
07/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
07/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
07/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
07/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
07/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
07/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
07/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
07/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
07/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
07/01/2026
Back to All News
The Trailer of Paparazzi King: The 5-Episode Docuseries Coming...
07/01/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Supports Warner Bros. Discovery Board's Commitment...
07/01/2026
Back to All News
What Next? Netflix Reveals Series, Films and Games Coming in 2026
Entertainment
07 January 2026
Global
Link copied to clipboard
Download ...
07/01/2026
AI has transformed retail and consumer packaged goods (CPG) operations, enhancin...
06/01/2026
Peacock Bringing Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos to Live Sports ContentPeacock is the first streamer to embrace Dolbys full suite of advanced picture/sound innovat...
06/01/2026
SVG Europe Audio: Listening to the sounds of powder and ice at Milano Cortina wi...
06/01/2026
Quintar Meta Spatial SDK Integration Promises Next-Level XR ExperiencesBy Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director
Tuesday, January 6, 2026 - 9:41 am
Print This...
06/01/2026
Milano Cortina 2026: BBC Sport Previews Broadcast Ops, Studio Setup, Social Medi...
06/01/2026
Dolby's Jason Power on Elevating Live Sports Through Immersive Audio and HDR...
06/01/2026
DAZN's Global CRO Walker Jacobs on the Streamer's Breakout Year in the U...
06/01/2026
California Dreamin': LA28's SVP of Media Jim Bell Previews the Olympic a...
06/01/2026
One Month Out From Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony, NBC Sports in Final Prep fo...
06/01/2026
Advanced HDR by Technicolor and Zinwell Integrated onto ATSC 3.0 Conversion Boxe...
06/01/2026
Fox Sports President and COO Mark Silverman Shifts to Consulting RoleBy Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director
Tuesday, January 6, 2026 - 2:37 pm
Print This S...
06/01/2026
In a live broadcast, L3Harris CFO and Missile Solutions President Ken Bedingfield joined Morgan Brennan on CNBCs Closing Bell: Overtime. Bedingfield discussed...
06/01/2026
First-of-its-kind SSP capability delivers program-level insight and brand suitab...
06/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
06/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
06/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
06/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
06/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
06/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
06/01/2026
Boston Conservatory at Berklee Kicks Off Spring Center Stage Season in February Boston Conservatory at Berklee's Center Stage season continues this spring...
06/01/2026
Operative, the preferred advertising management solution provider for the world's leading media brands, today announced a new AOS Services Platform, advanci...
06/01/2026
Beam Dynamics has strengthened its leadership team with two appointments to support the company's next stage of growth. Jonathan Rollman will lead product s...
06/01/2026
MNC Software, a global leader in network management and operational support systems tailored to the broadcast and media industry, has today announced the appoin...
06/01/2026
Friend MTS, the number one anti-piracy provider and video cybersecurity partner in entertainment, media and sports, today announced a partnership with Jasmine I...
06/01/2026
Kiloview, a global leader in AV-over-IP solutions, will showcase its latest innovations at ISE 2026, highlighting the continued evolution of its complete, light...
06/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
06/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
06/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
06/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
Actor Evan Rachel Wood's journey from domestic violence survivor to activist is told in Phoenix Rising, in Special Screenings.
