The Heretics

The term feminist makes a lot of modern, ostensibly strong women bristle, but the activists at the center of Joan Braderman’s extremely personal doc embrace and embody the word. A chronicle of the indie arts-and-politics journal Heresies, which was published from 1977 to 1992 in NYC, the film profiles the collective of “womyn” behind it, including the director. It’s an unnecessarily quirky affair, with collages, archival footage and interviews in extreme close-up, which—perhaps intentionally—make it seem like an experimental ’70s throwback. Still, considering we have yet to see a female President or pass the ERA, its message feels crucial—even if we gals would like to think we’ve bridged the gender gap.