Acting Like Women

USA

Art, activism, and female-powered performance burst onto the scene in 1970s Los Angeles, forming a tight-knit and transformative creative community. Centered around the early days of the Woman’s Building, a foundational Los Angeles art space active from 1973 to 1991, these artists explored the body, gender, and identity — challenging the entrenched sexism of the art world while forging groundbreaking new modes of expression that would influence generations to come. Director Cheri Gaulke, herself deeply embedded in this vibrant performance art scene, turns her lens on the radical ideas, daring works, and inventive strategies these women used to create and share their art. Executive produced by Lily Tomlin alongside her longtime partner Jane Wagner, ACTING LIKE WOMEN is both a personal and historical portrait. Drawing on rich archival footage and interviews with the artists — along with the voice of Tomlin herself — this dynamic documentary traces the roots of feminist performance art and its enduring legacy. – Kathleen Mullen