Iron Ladies of Liberia
English/English Subtitles/Political

Directors: Daniel Junge and Siatta Scott-Johnson
Producers: Henry Ansbacher and Jonathan Stack

Screening: Friday, 17 October, 7:30 PM, Golden State Theater

Time:  60 minutes

After nearly two decades of brutal civil war, Liberia was a nation ready for change. In January 2006, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf was inaugurated president, immediately earning a place in history as the first woman ever elected president of an African nation. Since her victory, President Johnson-Sirleaf has appointed women from diverse backgrounds to key positions throughout the government. This set of female leaders is popularly known as the “Iron Ladies of Liberia.” The film follows the president and the extraordinary women surrounding her as they develop and implement policies to rebuild their ravaged country and prevent a descent back into civil war.

Director Daniel Junge was named by Filmmaker magazine as one of the 25 up-and-coming filmmakers in 2003. Junge had his feature-length directorial debut with Chiefs, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, where it won the award for Best Documentary, and subsequently received national airing on PBS. He also won four regional Emmy’s for Common Good (2005), a six-part series on social entrepreneurs. Co-Director Siatta Scott-Johnson was born in Buchanan, Liberia, 1974, and raised in rural Grand Bassa County. She also holds the position of a reporter and producer at DCTV, a Liberian broadcast television station, and is a founding member of Omuahtee Africa Media.