Women of Wednesday: Abigail Disney

The name Disney conjures up visions of warm-weather vacations, cartoon characters, and family-friendly movies. For those of us of a certain age, “Disney” also meant visual learning. We marveled at the sights we saw in such documentaries as, The Vanishing Prairie and The Living Desert.

Another member of this media family has returned to the documentary format. She not only teaches us, but urges us to get involved.

Abigail Disney was born in 1960, the granddaughter of Walt Disney’s brother, Roy. She grew up in California and has degrees from Yale, Stanford, and Columbia.

In 2006, Abigail met peace activist Leymah Gbowee of Liberia. Gbowee’s story of how the women of her country helped end years of civil war through non-violent means intrigued Disney. She produced the story of their struggle in Pray the Devil Back to Hell. The documentary, directed by Emmy-winning Gini Reticker, became the third section of a five-part series called Women, War & Peace.

You can watch the PBS presentation here:

http://video.pbs.org/video/2155873888

Abigail Disney was also the executive producer of the five-part series.

In addition to her film-making career, with her husband, Pierre Hauser, she is the creator of the DAPHNE Foundation. This philanthropic organization works with low income communities in New York City’s five boroughs. The group’s philanthropy extends primarily to women who have experienced abuse, are community organizers, and by seeking to discover the root causes of poverty. Read more about her work here:
http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/fivequestions/5q_item.jhtml?id=243700001