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Wendy Sachs

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Wendy Sachs is an American filmmaker and author who is known for her books Fearless and Free and How She Really Does It, and for directing Surge (2020)[1][2] and October H8TE – The Fight for the Soul of America (2025).[3][4]

Career

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Sachs obtained her B.A. in journalism from Northwestern University.[5] She worked as a Capitol Hill press secretary after college.[2] While working as an associate producer at Dateline NBC, Sachs was mentored by Soraya Gage, whose part-time schedule was "revolutionary in the late 90s/early 2000s” for a senior producer.[6] For her book How She Really Does It, Sachs interviewed over 100 women about balancing career and motherhood.[7] She found that employers' flexibility towards working mothers' schedules was typically rewarded with the employees' loyalty.[8] She noted the importance of reliable child care, a supportive spouse, and an ability to let go of perfectionism.[9] The book's title was inspired by Allison Pearson's novel I Don't Know How She Does It.[10]

Sachs's book Fearless and Free: How Smart Women Pivot and Relaunch Their Careers discussed "failing fast and learning from your failures".[11] In order to bounce back from career setbacks and re-invent themselves, Sachs advised women to network, use any volunteer experience as a strengh, and develop their brand.[12] She stressed the importance of confidence, which may require a fake-it-till-you-make-it approach.[12] Her own job loss and change in career direction after age 40 inspired her to write the book.[2]

Her 2020 film Surge followed the campaigns of three female Congressional candidates, from Texas, Illinois, and Indiana. Of the three, Lauren Underwood won, becoming the youngest Black woman elected to Congress.[13] The film.was "literally shot through a female lens", using only female cinematographers.[2] Sachs hoped to support women attempting to flip Republican-held seats in 2018 elections.[14] Her motivation to make the film began after her profound dismay at the 2016 presidential election results, when Sachs joined women's protests, and then was heartened when numerous women declared they were running for political office.[15]

Her 2025 film October H8TE – The Fight for the Soul of America was inspired by her reaction to campus protests after the October 7 Hamas-led attacks on Israel, as she observed her daughter's experience at college.[16] Sachs was surprised at the response of her fellow progressives to the attacks, including feminists who seemed to endorse “Me Too Unless You’re a Jew.”[17] Co-produced with Debra Messing, the film includes interviews with Michael Rapaport, Noa Tishby, U.S. Representative Ritchie Torres, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Sheryl Sandberg, Dan Senor, Scott Galloway, and Mosab Yousef.[16] She explored how Students for Justice in Palestine was organized in order to understand how it was promoting anti-Zionism, and ultimately antisemitism on campus.[3] The film also covers the role of social media in stoking antisemitism among young people.[4]

Works

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  • Surge (2020 documentary)[13][18][15]
  • Fearless and Free: How Smart Women Pivot and Relaunch Their Careers (AMACOM, 2017) ISBN 978-0814437698[19]
  • How She Really Does It: The Secrets of Successful Stay-at-Work Moms (Da Capo Press, 2005) ISBN 978-0738210629[7][20][21][22]
  • October H8TE – The Fight for the Soul of America (2025 documentary)

Awards

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References

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  1. ^ "Surging Forward Documentary follows three female candidates during the 2018 midterm election". Northwestern Magazine.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ^ a b c d "Q&A with Wendy Sachs (BSJ93), Co-Director and Producer of SURGE". Northwestern Medill. August 20, 2020. Retrieved January 20, 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ^ a b Steinberg, Jessica (2024-11-05). "'October H8te' documentary aims to understand US college alignment with Hamas". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 2025-01-20.
  4. ^ a b Cashman, Greer Fay (2024-11-07). "'On October 8, American Jews woke up': New documentary 'October H8TE' explains what's at stake". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2025-01-20.
  5. ^ a b "Wendy Sachs". Forty Over 40 – Forty Women to Watch Over 40. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
  6. ^ Vuleta, Christina (2018-01-31). "Eight Women Leaders On Their Mentor's Best Advice". Forbes. Retrieved 2025-01-20.
  7. ^ a b "Secrets of successful 'Stay-At-Work Moms'". TODAY.com. 2005-06-01. Retrieved 2025-01-20.
  8. ^ Goodman, Cindy (June 2, 2005). "It's never easy to find time for the kids". Miami Herald. p. 761.
  9. ^ Jacobs, Barbara (May 15, 2005). "Review: How She Really Does It by Wendy Sachs". Booklist. 101 (18): 1621. ISSN 0006-7385.
  10. ^ Lilley, Pam (May 18, 2005). "How She Really Does It". The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, OH). p. 47.
  11. ^ Nguyen, Stacey (August 2, 2018). "20 Things Women Should Never Feel Guilty About". Popsugar. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
  12. ^ a b White, Sarah (May 2017). "Fearless and Free". Foreword Reviews. 20 (3). ISSN 1099-2642.
  13. ^ a b Zebrak, Julie (March 5, 2020). "Extending the Female Political Pipeline Through Film". [Washington Monthly]. Retrieved January 20, 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. ^ Bowman, Bridget; Ackley, Kate (2020-09-03). "Behind the scenes of the 2018 wave of women candidates for Congress". Roll Call. Retrieved 2025-01-21.
  15. ^ a b Montpelier, Rachel (September 15, 2020). "Hannah Rosenzweig & Wendy Sachs on "Surge" & Why We Should Tell (Many) Stories About Women in Politics". Women and Hollywood. Retrieved January 20, 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  16. ^ a b The Village Green (2024-11-27). "South Orange Filmmaker Takes a Hard Look at Rise in Antisemitism in U.S. Since Oct. 7 Terror Attacks". The Village Green. Retrieved 2025-01-20.
  17. ^ Brownstein, Bill (2025-01-07). "Brownstein: Documentary on spiralling antisemitism makes its Canadian debut in Montreal". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved 2025-01-21.
  18. ^ ZURAWIK, DAVID (September 11, 2020). "Showtime's 'Surge' - How good documentaries explain the world to us in this revolutionary moment". Baltimore Sun.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  19. ^ Reviews of Fearless and Free:
    • Sachs, Wendy (2017-02-07). "Fearless and Free: How Smart Women Pivot". Goodreads. Retrieved 2025-01-20.
    • White, Sarah (May 2017). "Fearless and Free". Foreword Reviews. 20 (3). ISSN 1099-2642.
    • Myers, M.S. (August 2017). "Fearless and Free". Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries. 54 (12): 1844.
    • H.C. (March 2017). "Fearless and Free". O, The Oprah Magazine: 105.
  20. ^ "Moms Debate: To Stay Home or Work?". ABC News. March 31, 2006.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  21. ^ Franklin, Ruth (July 3, 2005). "The Missing Joy: Why are American mothers driving themselves crazy?". New Republic.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  22. ^ Reviews of How She Really Does It:
  23. ^ Johnson, Whitney (October 10, 2017). "40 Women To Watch Over 40 Celebrates Possibilities Ahead For Women". Forbes. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
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