Tough Old Broads Overview

Follows three women who shook the world when they were young and never once eased up. Their early achievements in sport, climate action, and civil rights opened doors for countless others. The film captures the same wit, grit and unapologetic force that powered them then and still drives them today. They have been shaping history for decades, and they are certainly not done.

Katherine Switzer became the first woman to officially run the Boston Marathon in 1967, a moment that changed the landscape of women’s athletics and ultimately helped bring the women’s marathon into the 1984 Olympics. Her influence continued to grow as she founded 261 Fearless, a global non-profit that empowers women in regions where running is still a political act. At 79, she remains a formidable advocate and mentor, pushing for equality with the same determination that carried her across that finish line.

Siila Watt Cloutier began fighting for environmental protections long before the world understood the depth of the climate crisis. As a key leader with the Inuit Circumpolar Council, she drove international policy to ban toxic pollutants and reframed global thinking on climate justice. Her groundbreaking human rights petition in 2005 set a new precedent in the climate movement, and her nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 underscored her impact. Today she continues to speak around the world, defending Inuit culture and calling for environmental action with clarity and moral force.

Sharon Farmer entered the civil rights movement through the viewfinder of a camera, documenting unrest and social change as a young photographer at Ohio State University in the early 1970s, amid escalating anti-Vietnam War protests following the killings of students at Kent State. Her early vision and relentless commitment eventually led her to become the first woman and the first person of colour to serve as Director of White House Photography. She has spent decades capturing pivotal moments in American history and continues to photograph the realities of injustice, focusing her lens on the stories that demand to be seen.

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