Browse Films

Raging Grannies is a lively and thought-provoking 30-minute documentary that tells the story of The Action League of the San Francisco Bay Area Peninsula. They are women over 50, some as old as 90, who are enraged by the conditions under which some people are forced to live, by threats to our environment, by war, and by injustice wherever they find it.

The Action League Grannies have been spied on by the California National Guard. They've been written about in Time magazine, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the San Jose Mercury News. They've appeared on Fox News with Bill O'Reilly, Jon Stewart's Comedy Central, and are regulars in Bay Area evening news stories. In public, they've been both booed and cheered, but they continue to protest with a sense of outrage, a sense of humor, and a commitment to non-violence. How do these older women keep doing what they do? As we travel with the Grannies to their many gigs, we see that life isn't over at 50 or 60 or even 90.

This thought-provoking look at the Raging Grannies is funny, inspiring, and surprisingly moving. Viewers can gain valuable insight on the workings of one of the movement's most active chapters, observe a sample of unique Granny protests, and are treated to an incredible series of interviews with individual Grannies. I highly recommend this fascinating documentary for activists and for students at all levels in Sociology, Women's Studies, Community Organizing, and Gerontology.
Dana Sawchuck, PhD, Sociology, Wilfrid Laurier University

This film is fun to watch. It could be used in social studies or political science classes studying protest groups or as a primer on how to get a local group activated.
Educational Media Reviews Online

Terrific! An uplifting film about older women who make a difference for progressive causes and have fun while doing it. Great character portrayals of great women. They inspire my Stanford students.
Carol H. Winograd, MD, Professor of Geriatrics and Human Biology Emerita, Standford Univeristy

"These women provide a model for us all about how to age with energy, compassion, and creativity!"
Margaret Matlin, Distinguished Teaching Professor of Psychology, SUNY, Geneso

A loving and discussion-worthy portrait of liberal women acting on their conscience. Raging Grannies illustrates valuable points about 'social movement repertoires' in the hyper-media age.
David Eller, Denver Community College
Anthropology Review Database

AWARDS & SCREENINGS:

• National Mature Media Association Merit Award

• Honorable Mention, Big Muddy Film Festival

• Cinequest, The San Jose International Film Festival

• Finalist, San Jose's CreaTiVe Awards

• Brussels Women's Film Festival

• Free Speech TV, Cable Television

• Truly CA Shorts, KQED, San Francisco

• Louisville International Festival of Film

• Frameline33, San Francisco

Resource Web Sites

Raging Grannies Action League