[Trailer] POV’s First Miniseries “And She Could Be Next” To Premiere On PBS

The future is female…more specifically, females of color. POV two-part docuseries And She Could Be Next directed by Peabody Award-winner Grace Lee (American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs) and Iranian documentary filmmaker Marjan Safinia (Seeds) has released its first trailer and added Emmy and Peabody winner Ava DuVernay as executive producer. And She Could Be Next will debut on PBS and at pov.org June 29, 2020.

Produced by American Documentary, POV is the longest-running independent documentary showcase on American television. Since 1988, POV has presented films on PBS that capture the full spectrum of the human experience, with a long commitment to centering women and people of color in front of, and behind, the camera.

POV acquired the U.S. broadcast and streaming rights for the docuseries which will be part of PBS’s summer “Trailblazers” initiative celebrating the centennial of the women’s vote and putting a shine on women using their voices to make change.

Originally set to premiere at the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival, And She Could Be Next spotlights the story of the movement of women of color who are transforming American politics.

In a polarized America, where the dual forces of white supremacy and patriarchy threaten to further erode our democracy, women of color are claiming power by running for political office. And She Could Be Next, made by a team of women filmmakers of color, asks whether democracy itself can be preserved—and made stronger—by those most marginalized.

While pundits obsess over the daily twists of an unraveling democracy, a game-changing transformation is happening at the grassroots. In the 2018 midterm elections, the decisive force may be Americans inspired to vote for the first time.

Many of these voters come from communities of color—often poor, and largely immigrant—ignored by politicians and journalists alike. But a defiant group of women who call these districts home is speaking directly to the issues that engage them, rousing the power of the New American majority.

Filmed between March and November 2018, the film embeds inside five candidates’ stories as they interact with voters, conduct embattled campaigns, and balance work and personal lives. These women of color keep pulling off stunning wins against significant odds, and in the process, are re-shaping the political power infrastructure. Women like:

• • Georgia’s Stacey Abrams, former candidate for America’s first black woman Governor.
  • Detroit’s Rashida Tlaib, a Palestinian-American who is the first Muslim woman in Congress.
  • Atlanta’s Lucy McBath, a fearless gun control advocate who lost her son in a racially motivated killing.
  • Albuquerque’s Deb Haaland, likely to be the first Native American woman in Congress.
  • El Paso’s Veronica Escobar, a border-rights activist now in Congress, as migrant families are separated in her district.

Conflicts abound. Stacey Abrams must confront her Trump-endorsed opponent, who, as state elections overseer, purged 600,000 voters from the rolls. Rashida Tlaib juggles being a single mom, a full-time candidate, and fields attacks by Islamophobes and extremist Palestinians alike. Deb Haaland battles big oil and gas while fighting to protect Native lands. As historic “firsts,” they all shoulder the staggering responsibility of representation. But by stepping up to lead, they inspire every American to participate in the contact sport of true democracy, one voter at a time. As the November election results roll in, our cameras will be on hand to witness these dramatic journeys culminate, ushering in a new chapter in American politics.

“If ever there was a moment where we need to be reminded of the leadership of women of color, that time is now,” said Ava DuVernay, one of the film’s executive producers. “If you’re an immigrant, a young person, a person of faith, or simply someone who has felt unseen for too long, you will find yourself reflected in this story.”