Flying: Confessions of a Free Woman

A six-hour documentary about one New York woman's sex life and associated neuroses? What is this, Seinfeld on estrogen? Maybe, if Seinfeld had ever dared to be about something. Filmmaker Jennifer Fox (An American Love Story) turns her camera on herself, re-examining where her resolutely independent life has taken her: unmarried and childless by choice in her 40s. In this shockingly personal TV miniseries, Fox discusses her affair with a married man; her deep desire not to turn into the angry women who raised her; the constant pressure from all sides to become various ideals of womanhood; and other issues that modern women cope with on a daily basis. Traveling to 17 countries over five years, Fox meets with a global network of friends who help expand the conversation, as women in places such as Pakistan and Cambodia reveal their most private thoughts on sex and love in cultures where they have far less autonomy than the filmmaker. Surprisingly, not once over the course of six hours does the film seem self-indulgent: Fox's soul-baring honesty feels both profound and universal. This “special educational package” features all six hours of Flying on two discs, plus two bonus DVDs with film excerpts organized by topic—marriage, abortion, sex trafficking, motherhood, etc.—as well as a print discussion guide. [Note: a lower-priced two-disc home video version is tentatively slated for release in April.] Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (M. Johanson)