Melissa Berton (social activist)
Melissa Berton | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 3, 1967 San Diego, California |
| Citizenship | American |
| Alma mater | UCLA (Bachelors) Warren Wilson College (Masters) |
| Occupation(s) | Educator, producer, social activist, speaker |
| Known for | The Pad Project Period. End of Sentence. |
| Website | melissaberton |
Melissa Berton (born July 3, 1967) is an American educator, producer, speaker, and social activist. She is known for her work as a co-producer of Period. End of Sentence., which won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Film in 2019.[1][2]
Early life and education
[edit]Berton was born on July 3, 1967, in San Diego, California. She received a bachelor of arts in Theater from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She later completed a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at Warren Wilson College.[3][4]
Career
[edit]Berton has had a multifaceted career as an educator, producer, speaker, and activist.[5][6] She is a Los Angeles-based high school teacher, and her passion for social justice and education led her to work with her students on various global issues, including menstrual equity.[7]
In addition to her work as a producer and educator, Berton has written articles for various media outlets. In 2021, she wrote an opinion piece for Variety discussing the impact of the Oscar win and its role in highlighting menstrual health issues. In addition, she has also written a screenplay in which Jack Black portrays the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, an adaptation covered by Dylan Thomas News.[1]
The Pad Project
[edit]In 2013, Berton and her students at Oakwood School in Los Angeles created The Pad Project, a nonprofit organization that aims to promote menstrual equity and provide access to affordable menstrual products in underserved communities. In 2016, the club raised money to send a low-tech pad-making machine to Kathikhera, a rural village near Delhi, India. Later in 2018, they raised more money to bring on a director and make a short documentary about what happened when the machine arrived in Kathikhera.[8] Their efforts led to co-produce Period. End of Sentence., a documentary short film directed by Rayka Zehtabchi about Indian women leading a quiet sexual revolution.[9] The film was critically acclaimed and won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Film at 91st Academy Awards.[10][11][12]
References
[edit]- ^ a b amdally (2016-06-15). "Jack Black on stage as Dylan Thomas". Dylan Thomas News. Retrieved 2024-10-18.
- ^ Bhushan, Nyay (2019-02-24). "Oscars: India-Set 'Period. End of Sentence' Tackles Taboos Around Menstruation". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-10-23.
- ^ "Bruin to Bruin: Melissa Berton". Daily Bruin. Retrieved 2024-10-21.
- ^ "Woman behind Oscar-nominated film is from San Diego". ABC 10 News San Diego KGTV. 2019-02-22. Retrieved 2024-10-23.
- ^ Bhushan, Nyay (2019-02-24). "Oscars: India-Set 'Period. End of Sentence' Tackles Taboos Around Menstruation". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-10-21.
- ^ "Oscars 2019: 'Period. End Of Sentence.', created in part by SoCal students, teacher, wins best short documentary". ABC7 Los Angeles. Retrieved 2024-10-21.
- ^ Ayyar, Kamakshi (2019-02-13). "Oscar-Winning Short Film Challenges India's Period Taboos". TIME. Retrieved 2024-10-21.
- ^ Goodyear, Dana (2019-02-11). "The Oscar-Nominated Doc About a Pad Machine". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 2024-10-21.
- ^ Busch, Anita (2019-01-22). "How An English Teacher, High Schoolers & A Hollywood Publicist Found Oscar With 'Period. End Of Sentence.'". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-10-21.
- ^ America, Good Morning. "A documentary about menstruation won an Oscar. Here's what the director of 'Period. End of Sentence.' wants to happen next". Good Morning America. Retrieved 2024-10-21.
- ^ "Oscar Nominated Documentary Period. End of Sentence. Wants to End the Stigma Around Menstruation". People.com. Retrieved 2024-10-21.
- ^ Valdivia • •, Marcela (2019-02-25). "An Awesome Win, Period: North Hollywood Teacher, School Celebrate Scoring an Oscar". NBC Los Angeles. Retrieved 2024-10-21.
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