Nichelle Nichols documentary Woman in Motion to be released in digital and on demand on February 16th
Woman in Motion: Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek and the Remaking of NASA is out February 16th from Shout! Factory
FEBRUARY 8, 2021 - The Nichelle Nichols documentary Woman in Motion is coming to digital and on-demand, next Tuesday, February 16th.
We first told you about the documentary in 2019, when it started making the rounds of film festivals, and more than a year later, just weeks after premiering in theaters, you’ll finally be able to watch it for yourself on multiple streaming services.
Woman in Motion: Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek and the Remaking of NASA tells the story of how Nichols, in the late 1970s, led recruitment efforts at NASA to bring in more women and people of color. According to the film’s synopsis, “In 1977, with just four months left, NASA struggles to recruit scientists, engineers and astronauts for their new Space Shuttle Program. That is when Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek’s Lt. Uhura, challenges them by asking the question: Where are my people? She embarks on a national blitz, recruiting 8,000 of the nation’s best and brightest, including the trailblazing astronauts who became the first African American, Asian and Latino men and women to fly in space.”
The documentary is directed by filmmaker Todd Thompson and distributed by Shout! Factory, and features interviews with several notable names. The list include fellow Star Trek alumni George Takei, Walter Koenig and Michael Dorn, as well as scientist Neil deGrasse Tyson, performers Pharrell Williams and Vivica A. Fox, and producer and civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump.
You can watch the trailer for the documentary right now on Shout! Factory’s YouTube channel, or with a visit to their website at womaninmotionmovie.com.
And while you’re waiting for February 16th, it’s also worth browsing the website; there’s more information about the cast and crew, and you can also download the fascinating “NASA Files”. “The NASA Files” document is the executive summary of Nichols’ 400-page report that she wrote upon the completion of her work with the Agency. According to the website, it’s “a truly historical time capsule that both enlightens and inspires.”
