Saturday, May 28, 2005

DOUBLE DARE
USA, 2003, Video, 81 min
Director: Amanda Micheli | Producers: Karen Johnson, Danielle Renfrew

Jeannie Epper and Zoë Bell have been set on fire, thrown off buildings, dragged by wild horses and hit by cars. As Hollywood stuntwomen, they are the anonymous, blue-collar heroines of film and television, taking the hits that make actors into stars.

Double Dare explores the lives of Jeannie and Zoë, the stunt doubles for Wonder Woman and Xena: Warrior Princess respectively, as they face the challenges of a dangerous and male-dominated profession. The real women behind these two world-famous icons are at drastically different crossroads in their lives. One, a grandmother, struggles with the aging process and Hollywood’s dearth of older female roles; the other, a young woman, is brash and unaware of the history that has preceded her in this notoriously macho field. When Jeannie becomes a mentor for Zoë, these two women, from opposite sides of the world and opposite ends of their careers, find a way to survive in the industry together.

The film follows Jeannie and Zoë’s daily struggles to stay employed and stay sane – against the backdrops of Xena, Wonder Woman, 6 Feet Under, and Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill. Featuring interviews with Tarantino, Steven Spielberg, Lucy Lawless and Lynda Carter, this action-packed documentary is a must-see for fans of filmmaking and bold, ass-kicking women.

Winner – Audience Award, San Francisco International Film Festival
Winner – Audience Award, AFI Film Festival