The documentary Unboxed offers us a clear-eyed view of women from the Skidmore College graduating class of 1969—a colorful and chaotic year remembered for the tumult of the anti-war and women's movements. Through candid interviews deftly woven together, we are presented with the women's hopes and dreams for their future...and sustained glimpses of where they are now, in the fullness of their lives.
By turns touching, humorous, and poignant, the film skillfully explores both the women's past and their present, providing fascinating insights Into the beginning of the Woman's Movement and the ways it affected women's lives back then—as well as its persistent influence into their futures.
The camera lingers on the expressive, idiosyncratic photographs, which were boxed in the highly unusual senior yearbook,giving the film its name. Rather than traditional portraits dressed in sweater sets and pearls, these seniors broke the mold. Each woman chose a location and costume she felt expressed her— and their choices ranged from being naked in a barrel, to being swaddled like a nun, to being garbed in black leather astride a motorcycle. Reflecting the ethos of the time, these photos captured the break-out personality of each young woman--and instead of being bound into a book were presented in a large box.
Unboxed explores in great detail, through the words of these women over forty years later, how their lives proceeded once they were literally unboxed. Peter Barton, the documentary artist who shot and directed the film, plays these photos generously against the present- day faces and words of each woman as he allows us to listen to them explore the meanings of their lives today.
Whether you're male or female or in between; whether you lived those chaotic years or not; if you're interested in women's lives now, don't miss Unboxed: it's not just about them—it's about all of us.