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Shaking It Up: The Life and Times of Liz Carpenter

Directors

Abby Ginzberg, Christy Carpenter

Producers

Abby Ginzberg, Christy Carpenter

Editors

Eli Olson, Ken Schneider

Cinematographers

Miguel Alvarez, Jason Longo, Michael Moser, Michael Hargett

Shaking It Up: The Life and Times of Liz Carpenter tells the story of an extraordinary woman who experienced and helped shape some of the most vivid moments and movements of the 20th Century. Journalist, vice-presidential advisor, White House official, author, humorist, political activist, and feminist leader, over her 89 years, Liz Carpenter was often front and center where history was unfolding, leaving her indelible mark on events and people. Featuring interviews with Dan Rather, Bill Moyers, Gloria Steinem, Luci Baines Johnson, and Lynda Johnson Robb, the film tells Liz’s inspiring story of blazing professional trails while pushing forward an agenda for women’s rights, political engagement, and the environment, all of which is highly relevant today.

Post-screening discussion with director Abby Ginzberg, moderated by Nell Minow, Contributing Editor and Critic, rogerebert.com

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Christy Carpenter

Co-director, Shaking It Up: The Life and Times of Liz Carpenter

Christy Carpenter, the daughter of Liz Carpenter, is the former EVP & COO of The Paley Center for Media and vice chair of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. After more than three decades as a senior executive in media and related fields, she spent several years reviewing her mother’s extensive papers in preparation for writing a book. Her deep knowledge of her mother’s life, friends, and former colleagues, as well as her media savvy and passion for history, have provided an exceptional resource for this film.

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Abby Ginzberg

Co-director, Shaking It Up: The Life and Times of Liz Carpenter

Abby Ginzberg, a Peabody award-winning director, has produced compelling documentaries about race and social justice for over 35 years. Her latest film, Shaking It Up: The Life and Times of Liz Carpenter (co-directed with Christy Carpenter), premiered at SXSW in March 2024 in the Documentary Spotlight section. Her short film, Judging Juries, premiered at the Pan African Film Festival in February 2024. Barbara Lee: Speaking Truth to Power won the 2022 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Documentary and is available on Amazon Prime and Starz. Abby produced A Double Life, which premiered at the 2023 Mill Valley Film Festival. Her other films include Waging Change, about the challenges faced by tipped servers forced to rely on their tips. And Then They Came for Us (2017) examines the connection between the incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII and the Trump administration’s Muslim travel ban. Soft Vengeance: Albie Sachs and the New South Africa won a 2015 Peabody award and has screened at film festivals around the world, winning four audience awards. These films have all been broadcast on public television. Abby was the Consulting Producer on The Barber of Birmingham, which premiered at Sundance in 2011 and was nominated for an Oscar® in the Short Doc category.