30 April 2021
Gal Gadot is using her Hollywood power to examine the lives of special women from around the world.
The "Wonder Woman" actor is host and executive producer of a new documentary television show. It follows six women who improved their communities while dealing with poverty, violence, discrimination and natural disasters.
The 35-year-old Gadot said National Geographic Presents IMPACT with Gal Gadot grew from her need to "do something good with my fame and my social media."
She and her husband Yaron Varsano are both executive producers of the show. They got the idea after watching a short documentary from a music video director Ryan Pallotta about a dancer from a very poor neighborhood in Brazil.
"We completely fell in love with the story, and we decided that we're going to build a concept around the story," Gadot said.
The first episode follows a young Black figure skating coach in Detroit who has decided to spend her life coaching young girls of color to give them more power.
"...She's giving them a skill...that is familiar or familiar with white people doing it, which is ice skating," Gadot said.
Another episode tells the story of Kayla. She helps create a safe community for homeless transgender women of color in Memphis, Tennessee, by building homes.
Gadot said she is pleased that this year the Academy has included Nomadland director Chloé Zhao and Promising Young Woman director Emerald Fennell. Zhao won the Academy Award for Best Director on Sunday for her film.
"Women that are used to be only in front of the camera are now going to the other side of the camera and developing stories that they're passionate about and that they care about and that now it's becoming a norm, almost. You know, you see it with the Oscars," she said.
"There's a great change. But at the same time, I got to say that the change can only happen when we include the men. It's never like you can just empower the women and not educate the men."
She said that is what her part as Wonder Woman was able to do for a new generation of both boys and girls.
"It gives them a role model for boys to admire as well and to understand that women can be strong and great and just like men," she said. "So, for me, it's educating both women and men in order to reach this place that we always talk about gender and equality and all of that. We have to do this together."
I'm Susan Shand.
The Associated Press reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor.
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Words in This Story
host – n. a person who talks to guests on a television show
documentary – n. a movie or television program that tells about actual people and events
concept – n. an idea
episode – n. a television, radio or other show that is part of a series
figure skating – n. ice-skating in which the skaters perform various jumps in a competition
passionate – adj. having, showing or expressing strong emotions or beliefs
role –n. the part someone plays in a performance or in an activity
gender – n. the state of being male or female
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