SARI SOLDIERS, CHARLOTTE CORDAY, AND OTHER FEMALE POLITICAL FIGURES

I saw the documentary THE SARI SOLDIERS (2008, Julie Bridgham, Nepal, A++++++++++) early this month. It deals with six women during the political turmoil in Nepal early this decade. These six women can be divided into two groups. The first group consists of a victim of the Royal Army, a lawyer who fights for human rights, a Maoist fighter, and a student activist (Ram Kumari). The second group consists of a Monarchist and a female soldier. I am very impressed with the filmmaker’s ability to gain trust from these two groups who may want to kill each other.

This is the trailer of THE SARI SOLDIERS:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tT-rw3KBpS0

THE SARI SOLDIERS reminds me that there are many interesting female politicians/political activists/political figures. Apart from Aung San Suu Kyi, whom all eyes in the world are looking at now, other female political figures I’m interested in include:

(I don’t know if these people are good or bad. I just think they are interesting and their lives may be worth being adapted into a film or they may be worth being the subject of a documentary)

1.Beatriz Merino, former Prime Minister of Peru
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2468/3549460356_d4de047bca_o.jpg

2.Charlotte Corday, the Angel of Assassination (1768-1793)
Actually there is a film about her starring Emilie Duquenne. Tori Amos once wrote a song about her for Al Stewart’s album.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3557/3549460358_29aa0e96e0_o.jpg

3.Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, President of Argentina
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2014/3549460362_477e117a64_o.jpg


4.Cynthia McKinney, Green Party nominee for the President of USA
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3596/3549460366_df024eb7da_o.jpg

5.Janet Jagan, former Marxist President of Guyana
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2014/3549460370_d2774783db_o.jpg


6.Johanna Sigurdardottir, the lesbian prime minister of Iceland
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3388/3549460388_be0b918cb6_o.jpg

7.Martine Aubry, First Secretary of the French Socialist Party
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3640/3549466504_fc402d5335_o.jpg

8.Michele Pierre-Louis, Prime Minister of Haiti
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2476/3549466508_038830579a_o.jpg

9.Ram Kumari
She is one of the subjects of THE SARI SOLDIERS.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2464/3549466512_8ef7daf284_o.jpg

10.Rosa Clemente, vice presidential running mate of Cynthia McKinney
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2462/3549466516_38a1f70015_o.jpg

11.Sitara Achakzai, an Afghan female politician killed by Taliban
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2446/3549466518_c1961b5ce7_o.jpg

12.Thitima Chaisang, a Thai female politician
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3634/3549466522_a64b994183_o.jpg


13.Violeta Chamorro, former President of Nicaragua
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3333/3549471476_5554f6e947_o.jpg

14.Viraya Javakul
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3355/3549471480_855aa4f92f_o.jpg

15.Yulia Tymoshenko, Prime Minister of Ukraine
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3351/3179053307_bacc4606f8_o.jpg

16.Zinaida Greceanii, Communist Prime Minister of Moldova
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3653/3549471482_09141fe5bc_o.jpg