The film, a full-length documentary, is about the fight for women’s equality in the U.S. workplace. It premiered in Dayton in October to a packed audience at Dixie Twin Drive-In.
“Last night far exceeded our hopes for what could happen during this pandemic,” said “9 To 5” directors Reichert and Bognar in a joint statement, following the local premiere. “Hundreds of people socially distanced on a warm summer-like night in late October, with a wonderful energy in the air. It was so much fun, kind of goofy to do it in the drive-in but also there was a magic to seeing that projector beam under the night sky and the stars. We are so grateful to everyone who came.”
Tonight, the film’s audience will be far broader.
The “9 To 5” team spent nearly a decade following up on tips about people they should interview and stories they should explore, as well as digging through archives across the country and ultimately fine-tuning every last detail of the project.
“In the early 1970s, a group of secretaries in Boston decided that they had suffered in silence long enough,” wrote FilmDayton ahead of the local screening. “They started fighting back, creating a movement to force changes in their workplaces. This movement became national, and is a largely forgotten story of U.S. 20th-century history. It encapsulates a unique intersection of the women’s movement with the labor movement. The awareness these secretaries brought to bear on women’s work reverberates even today.”
"
About the Author
