Thirty- five years ago, a life-changing piece of legislation prohibiting sex discrimination in federally funded education, including athletics, was enacted into law. By mandating equal opportunity, Title IX gave legislative muscle to those who were campaigning for more girls' teams, better sports facilities for girls and women, and higher pay for their coaches. It set in motion far-reaching changes that would not only revolutionize America's playing fields, but its political, social and cultural landscape as well. Kartemquin Films is currently developing In the Game, a feature-length documentary that will look at how and why change takes place in a democracy--by not only exploring how Title IX has altered the face of sports, but also by understanding the meaning of sports in the American experience. In the Game will raise questions of inclusion and exclusion, fairness and tradition, principle and compromise... In the film we will come to understand the power of mentors and role models to inspire the acts of courage, sacrifice, and principle upon which our democracy depends. To be sure, this is a film about sports. But it is also a film about how a democracy achieves equality. In our country, who gets to play and who doesn't is the yardstick by which we measure how close we are to achieving the goals of a democracy -a level playing field, be it at home, at work or at play.
In the Game
Through the stories of a Hispanic girls soccer team at Kelly High School in Chicago, IN THE GAME illustrates the enormous challenges facing inner-city girls in their quest for higher education and, most importantly, success in life.
