Girl from God's Country

Overview

Documentary about Nell Shipman, first female independent film maker to pioneer the nude scene and animal advocate. In 1921, Shipman refused a contract with Sam Goldfish (later Goldwyn) and moved to the Idaho wilderness with a zoo of 70 wild animals to write, direct, produce and act in movies portraying women as self-reliant heroines who rescued their male leads. Shipman performed her own stunts and developed an uncanny rapport with her animal actors. The film reveals the forgotten legacy of Shipman and a generation of female silent film pioneers. The documentary includes rare footage of these artists, including minority filmmakers, Zora Neale Hurston and Miriam Wong. Geena Davis and women directors discuss gender-inequities Nell and her counterparts faced that perpetuate in today's film industry.