The MVLA Parent Teacher Association Council, the MVLA High School Foundation and Partners for New Generations organized a screening of the documentary “Miss Representation” in the Mountain View High School Spartan Theater yesterday, March 28.

The film, which premiered at Sundance Film Festival last year, focuses on the portrayal of women in mainstream media. It discusses the amount of sexism in the United States, the way society degrades women for being professional or intelligent and how the often stereotypical and singular way in which women are presented is damaging to young girls.

“It was an amazing documentary and such an accurate portrayal of what’s going on in society today,” sophomore Ariel Machell said. “It made me think about how girls and women are so focused on how they look and their bodies. [The documentary said that] you don’t need to worry about that, [and] instead, worry about your education and your future.”

The documentary used interviews with famous women such as Rachel Maddow and Katie Couric to show how society cared more about the women’s bodies than the work they were doing. The film also showed examples of models and movie stars who were so photoshopped that they were no longer an accurate portrayal of the female body. These cases served to prove that what many women consider ideal is not actually realistic.

The screening was a part of a series of lectures and movies sponsored by the MVLA Parent Teacher Association at MVHS.