“This is not an antiwar film,” LIONESS co-producer Meg McLagan told The New York Times. “It takes a position that we need to talk about and recognize what women are doing. The gap between the policy and the reality needs to be closed.”
LIONESS, a film we screened last month as part of the ITVS Community Cinema in Nashville series at the downtown Nashville Public Library, makes its NPT broadcast premiere this Wednesday, November 12 at 9:00 p.m. as part of the Independent Lens series. McLagan and Daria Sommers have made an extraordinary documentary that gives viewers an intimate look at war through the eyes of the first women in U.S. history sent into direct ground combat, despite a policy that bans them from doing so. Specialist Shannon Morgan, an Arkanasas native, and other members of Team Lioness share their experiences in Iraq as well as experiences from their lives back home. It’s an eye-opening portrait of the emotional and psychological effects of war.
In addition to the New York Times preview, tune in to the CBS Evening News on Nov. 11 for interviews with four of the LIONESSES — Anastasia Breslow, Shannon Morgan, Ranie Ruthig, and Rebecca Nava.