Served Like A Girl

Served Like A Girl provides a look at several American women as they transition from active duty to civilian life after serving tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Ms. Veteran America Pageant
Series
Independent Lens
Premiere Date
May 28, 2018
Length
90 minutes
  • Nominated laurels-r Created with Sketch.
    2017 Critics Choice Documentary Award-Best Song in a Documentary
    • Director

    Lysa Heslov

    Lysa Heslov (Director/Producer), along with her husband, Academy Award-winning producer/writer/director Grant Heslov, founded Children Mending Hearts eight years ago, a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering disadvantaged youth in the U.S. through educational and humanities programs that build empathy and global citizenry. Served Like a Girl,… Show more her directorial debut, premiered at the 2017 SXSW Film Festival and won the Jury Award for Best Documentary at the Bentonville Film Festival in May 2017. Originally from Savannah, Georgia, Heslov has produced such indie favorites as Black Circle Boys, Attention Shoppers, Bug, Mailman, and Hank Azaria’s Nobody’s Perfect.  Black Circle Boys, Mailman, and Nobody’s Perfect all premiered at Sundance. Nobody’s Perfect was awarded best short at the HBO Comedy Film Festival. Bug was awarded Best Feature Film by the Santa Barbara Film Festival. Show less

    We fund untold stories for public media.

    Learn more about funding opportunities with ITVS.

    MORE INFO

    The Film

    Served Like A Girl follows several American women as they transition from active duty to civilian life after serving tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. Struggling with PTSD, homelessness, broken families, illness, physical injuries, and the aftermath of military sexual abuse, these women find ways to adapt and overcome challenges through participation in the “Ms. Veteran America” competition. Guided by event founder and veteran Jas Boothe, the women leverage their experiences gained through competition to recover parts of their personal identities they had lost.

    Topics