They Almost Had To Abandon Making A Film That Would Be Wonderful For Women's Rights. Almost.

Joseph Lamour

This post serves as a thank you. A big HUGE thank you from the people who are working on the documentary "Equal Means Equal," whose New York shoot was funded thanks to the help of Up worthians like you.

"What I want to know — the central question of this film, in fact — is how much of our stories are shaped by this fundamental, and yet generally invisible, legal bias?

We here at Up worthy are so happy we can help facilitate a positive social change in any way we can. Take a look below at the great video created for the Kickstarter, whose goal was

After the Upworthy post, they met their goal — and then some. The total raised was a whopping $136,933, almost $50,000 more than their goal.

So what have Creator, Producer, and Director Kamala Lopez and the rest of the film crew been up to since their Kickstarter was funded?

Sarah Anderson and Jendra Jarnagin film Jezebel and Salon writer Amanda Marcotte and Kamala Lopez in New York.

Since the Kickstarter wrapped, the "Equal Means Equal" crew was able to film several segments in New York City, including interviews with global women's rights advocates like Lakshmi Puri, an assistant secretary-general of the United Nations, as well as feminist lawyers, authors, reproductive rights activists, and filmmakers — including Helen Benedict, the writer whose work inspired the Film Independent Spirit Award winner "The Invisible War."

Producer and co-writer Gini Sikes

They've also met with domestic violence advocates. Here's a quote from producer and co-writer of "Equal Means Equal" Gini Sikes:

Years ago, after a slew of movies about homicidal women with an axe to grind had just come out, a magazine assigned me to find out whether women were becoming more violent. In a California women's prison I learned that in one irreversible moment many of them had fought back against a vicious partner with fatal consequences. They'd formed the first support group for battered women in the nation and were working to change law. When I reported that female violence wasn't on the rise but women were imprisoned for defending themselves against their abusers, the magazine deemed the story not sexy enough and killed it.

Last week I reunited with several former inmates when Kamala, myself and the "Equal Means Equal" crew filmed three remarkable women in a tiny apartment. [After Battered Woman Syndrome became a legal defense in California], they were paroled, thanks to the tireless efforts of legal advocates. Their stories were hard to hear but they let people know of the injustices still facing women, and that even with new laws, things haven't changed enough.

This time around, I can rest assured their message will get out. And for that, I am deeply grateful to Upworthy for putting Equal Means Equal on the map!

The members of Convicted Women Against Abuse, with Kamala Lopez and Gini Sikes. From left: Crystal Wheeler, Leesha Gooseberry, Lopez, Cheryl Sellers, and Sikes.

So what are they up to now? As of March 2014, they're filming segments in California, and they mentioned an interview with Gloria Steinem is in the works. They still appreciate any assistance, so if you missed their Kickstarter the first time around, they still need money to complete their project! Feel free to make a donation to their project on Fractured Atlas.

Producer Liz Lopez with her daughter Kamala.

About:

Here's the original post if you want to take a gander. Thank you to Kamala Lopez, Gini Sikes, Liz Lopez, and the rest of the "Equal Means Equal" team for making the world a little more Upworthy. To make a tax-deductible donation to the completion of their project, visit Fractured Atlas.

Seventy-two percent of Americans believe that the United States Constitution guarantees equality for both men and women. They are shocked to learn that in 2014, it still doesn’t.

Join filmmaker Kamala Lopez as she journeys across the country talking to women about what life is like for them today and if, and how, they want things to change. Interviews will range in subject from young women being rescued from child sex-trafficking rings in Los Angeles to public figures and experts, such as Phyllis Schlafly, Lakshmi Puri, and Helen Benedict.

The time has come for women to gain full equality under the United States Constitution and this documentary intends to make a strong case to the American public that now is the time to finally do it.