Tough Old Broads

Katherine Switzer, Siila Watt-Cloutier, and Sharon Farmer – respectively they are the first woman to officially run the Boston Marathon,  the first woman to connect climate change to human rights, and the first woman to act as Chief White House Photographer. These trailblazing women broke barriers in their time and are still pursuing their passions today. They didn’t let gender get in the way of accomplishing their dreams and they don’t let it stop them in their old age.

When Kathrine Switzer became the first woman to officially run the Boston marathon  in 1967, it started a lifelong quest to promote women’s running which culminated in her getting the women’s marathon into the 1984 Olympics.  Now 78,  Kathrine has started 261 Fearless, a global non-profit to empower women through running in countries where women’s rights are denied.

Siila Watt-Cloutier dedicated her life to fighting climate change. As president of the Inuit Circumpolar Council, she was instrumental in getting toxic chemicals regulated through the U.N. Stockholm Convention.  In 2005 she was the first person to launch an international legal action against the US for its role in climate change, which she argued violated the human rights of the Inuit. She was nominated for a Nobel Prize in 2007 for her work framing climate change as a human rights issue. Now 72, Siila continues speaking out to save her people and the planet. 

Sharon Farmer  started taking photos at Ohio State University during the civil rights protests and ended up as the first woman to run the White House Photography Office.  Now 74, Sharon has returned to her roots, using her camera to promote civil rights and social justice. At a time when basic human rights are being challenged, Sharon is  documenting this history by photographing the realities she encounters today as a black woman in America.

Tough Old Broads tells the stories of these women in their own voices.  In a society where older women are often marginalized and invisible – these outspoken, funny, and thoughtful ladies embrace going against convention, speaking their minds, and fighting for what they believe in.  This film will inspire a new generation by showing what it takes to break barriers and how this spirit continues and changes through a lifetime.  It will prove that it is possible to follow your dreams and sometimes even change the world in the process. Tough Old Broads is more than a documentary; it will spark a movement of people, both young and old, to embrace their power, speak out, and demand attention.