One of the highlights of the 2020 Virgin Media Dublin International Film Festival is When Women Won which is showing at Lighthouse 1 on March 5 at 4 pm.

The documentary goes behind the emotional story of the Together for Yes campaign to repeal the eighth amendment and transform Irish society forever. It tells how, following the tragic death of Savita Halappanavar, three Irish feminists set about establishing a grassroots, women-led social movement.

What followed next was one of the most historic and seismic shifts in Irish society in the past 35 years.

Anna Rodgers is an IFTA winning director and producer and a recipient of Best Director at the Irish Film and Television Academy awards 2014 for her documentary Somebody to Love about sexuality and disability.

Rodgers has been across groundbreaking productions from the timely RTE series Growing up Gay to the IFTA nominated documentary The Story of Yes.

Together For Yes was the national civil society campaign to remove the 8th Amendment. This group campaigned for “a more compassionate Ireland that provides abortion care to women who need it.”

Together For Yes is an umbrella group made up of over 70 organisations, groups and communities representing a diverse cross-section of Irish civil society. They are a huge grassroots movement built from the ground up over the last three decades.

The emotional film features many of the people from inside the campaign team who reflect on the fight for bodily autonomy unpacking the ups and downs of the movement. From polarised debates to posters to #HomeToVote, When Women Won takes the audience on the journey to a “once in a generation” referendum.

When Women Won screens as part of the Silver Screen programme at VMDIFF 2020. Tickets are available at diff.ie