International Women’s Day is a time to honour the achievements, stories, and contributions of women across the globe, and whether you’re looking to discover inspiring documentaries or dive into powerful dramas and cracking comedy, BBC iPlayer has something for everyone. So here are our top five picks for International Women’s Day.
1.
I MAY DESTROY YOU
Written by and starring Michaela Coel and set in London, I May Destroy You centres on Arabella (Coel), a care-free, self-assured Londoner with a group of great friends, a holiday fling-turned aspirational boyfriend in Italy, and a burgeoning writing career. But when she is spiked with a date rape drug, she must question and rebuild every element of her life.
As she struggles to come to terms with what has happened, she begins a journey of self-discovery. Often painful, sometimes funny, it leads her to some surprising places – and controversial conclusions. Fearless, frank and provocative, I May Destroy You explores the question of sexual consent in contemporary life and how, in our modern landscape of dating and relationships, we make the distinction between liberation and exploitation.
International Women’s Day on BBC iPlayer
2.
BECOMING FRIDA KAHLO
In a striking three-part series, Becoming Frida Kahlo strips away the myths to reveal the real Frida – a passionate and brilliant artist living through extraordinary times. Episode one tells the story of the young Frida growing up in a time of revolution, from her rebellious school days to an encounter with the man who would change her life – Diego Rivera, then one of the world’s most famous artists.
In 1925, a tragic accident thwarts Frida’s ambition of becoming a doctor when a tram crashes into the bus she is travelling on, gravely injuring the teenage Kahlo. Miraculously, she survives but is confined to many lonely months recuperating. There she finds a new passion: painting. When she finally ventures out, Mexico City has become a thriving hub for artists and intellectuals from all over the world. The ambitious young Frida seeks out Rivera and asks for his opinion on her artistic potential, whose words set her on a new path as an artist.
Fiercely independent, Frida is entranced by photographer and former Hollywood actress Tina Modotti, who lives in Mexico. A politically radical and sexually liberated woman, she is a role model for the young artist. At one of Tina’s infamously raucous parties, Frida sees Diego Rivera again – and this time, it’s love.
Just six months later, 22-year-old Frida Kahlo marries Diego Rivera, 20 years her senior. Although very much in love, she soon discovers that life with Diego isn’t all wedded bliss; there are other women, and his work always comes first. This riveting and fascinating three-part series is a beautiful, if too short, exploration of art, life, love and loss that is essential viewing.
International Women’s Day on BBC iPlayer
3.
I AM GRETA
The story of teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg is told through compelling, never-before-seen footage in this intimate documentary about a young girl who has become the voice of a generation.
Starting with her one-person school strike for climate justice outside the Swedish Parliament, the film follows Greta – a shy student- as she rises to prominence and her galvanising global impact as she sparks school strikes worldwide. The film culminates with her gruelling wind-powered voyage across the Atlantic Ocean to speak at the UN Climate Action Summit in New York City. En route, in an intensely emotional moment, Greta reflects on the enormous toll her mission has exacted.
International Women’s Day on BBC iPlayer
4.
COPA 71
In August 1971, football teams from England, Argentina, Mexico, France, Denmark and Italy gathered in Mexico City for a watershed tournament. Media outlets treated the players like rock stars with lavish sponsorship, extensive TV coverage, merchandise on every street corner, and over 100,000 roaring fans at the historic Azteca Stadium. However, despite being one of the most groundbreaking moments in football history, most people have never heard of it because the players were all women.
COPA ’71: The Lost Lionesses is the extraordinary story of an extraordinary tournament – told through the fearless voices of the women who took part, including recently uncovered, never-before-seen archive footage. The tournament was the flame that lit the touchpaper for the explosion of women’s football around the globe and in the UK, and it was one of the catalysts that led to the 2022 UEFA Women’s European Cup final, where England beat Germany 2:1.
International Women’s Day on BBC iPlayer
5.
CAROLINE AHERNE: QUEEN OF COMEDY
The unique life and talent of Caroline Aherne is celebrated in this heartfelt, funny and beautiful Arena film, featuring unseen photographs and contributions from a cast of her lifelong friends, including Steve Coogan, John Thomson, Craig Cash, and producer Andy Harries. Aherne’s pioneering representation of working-class family life in The Royle Family won her three BAFTAs and changed comedy writing forever, while her alter-ego Mrs Merton’s question to stage performer Debbie McGee – “So what first attracted you to the millionaire Paul Daniels?” – is considered one of the greatest comic one-liners in British TV history.
The film traces Aherne’s life from childhood in Wythenshawe, Manchester, through her early adventures as a (rare) woman on Manchester’s alternative stand-up scene and the breakthrough moment when the BBC commissioned The Mrs Merton Show, where she quickly became a national icon and surreptitious satirist-in-chief of mid-90s’ celebrity culture.
As the 90s entered their final years, Aherne, with Craig Cash, conceived, wrote and starred in The Royle Family. Co-writers Henry Normal and Phil Mealy and fellow cast members Sue Johnston, Ricky Tomlinson and Ralf Little recall the remarkable writing and acting talent at the heart of the series – a sitcom playing out in near-real time, devoid of studio laughter, punchlines, or anything much happening at all – but that built huge audiences and garnered multiple awards.
As her star rose, the realities of living with her own fame came to define Aherne’s life, as she became a fixture of tabloid speculation about her personal life, something she would struggle with throughout her career. Here, Arena celebrates her lasting cultural and creative legacy, the joy she found in human life, and her inimitable sense of mischief and happiness.
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