Wonder Women! The Untold Story of American Superheroines screens on April 18

Wonder Women! The Untold Story of American Superheroines is an award-winning documentary exploring the concept of heroic women, from the birth of the superhero in the 1940s to the TV and big screen action blockbusters of today. In a program for adults and teens, it will screen at the Menlo Park Library on Tuesday, April 18 at 6:00 pm.

After we watch the film, we’ll discuss it with artist and writer Ajuan Mance, Ph.D. (pictured), professor of African American Literature at Mills College in Oakland.

Wonder Women looks at how popular representations of powerful women often reflect society’s anxieties about strong and healthy women. The film goes behind the scenes with actors Lynda Carter (Wonder Woman) and Lindsay Wagner (the Bionic Woman), comic writers and artists, and real-life superheroines such as feminist icon Gloria Steinem, riot girl Kathleen Hanna, and others, who offer an enlightening and entertaining counterpoint to the male-dominated superhero genre.