Ruth Bader Ginsburg opened up to documentary filmmakers for the 2018 film "RBG."(Photo courtesy Storyville Films)
Journalists and documentary filmmakers Julie Cohen and Betsy West detail Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s storied path from an aspiring lawyer to associate justice of the Supreme Court in their film “RBG.” They detail the hurdles she faced attending Harvard and Columbia law schools, her landmark accomplishments in constitutional law, and how she became an unlikely pop culture icon. Cohen talks about the film and Ginsburg’s life in and out of the Supreme Court.
Richmond magazine: Tell me about "RBG."
Julie Cohen: In the past few years, Justice Ginsburg has gotten a fair amount of attention as the "Notorious RBG." But a lot of people who have heard about, seen the internet memes and the Saturday Night Live skits, and heard about some of her more notable dissents from the past few years really don't know the full story of just how much Ruth Bader Ginsburg, before she came to the Supreme Court, contributed to the development of a whole body of law to make the point that women and men should be treated equally under the U.S. Constitution.
RM: The film centers on Justice Ginsburg's ongoing role as a pillar holding up and strengthening feminism, racial equality and gender equality in the U.S. Why choose that as your primary focus?
Cohen: The reason we wanted to tell Ruth Bader Ginsburg's story was because of how it intersects with the very important issue of women's rights in America, both her professional story and even her personal story being about that. And that kind of includes our pretty heavy focus on her marriage and what a huge role her husband played in supporting her both personally and professionally. We just thought her story has a lot of resonance for a lot of other women, not just her.
RM: In the documentary, you also highlight the things that Justice Ginsburg enjoys outside the courtroom.
Cohen: There is another side to her. She's quite funny. She's deeply moved by arts and music; we wanted to show that. And, in recent years, she's become quite well-known for her exercise routine, so we were very proud to be the first people to get video cameras in there to be able to show what it's like when Justice Ginsburg does her planks and push-ups. It was a pretty fun experience to film that.
RM: Ginsburg has grown into this position as the prominent dissenter on the Supreme Court. Did she talk at all about how she feels about that role?
Cohen: Yeah, her basic answer is it's really not her preferred role. The people that are writing the majority opinions are the ones that are setting out the law of the land. So, kind of by definition, dissent isn't what you want to do. But, if the majority has written an opinion that you strongly disagree with, dissenting is a known and good way to set out an opposing point of view and, sometimes, to lay the groundwork for the court to reverse a decision that you don't like in later years. There have been cases where the court has overturned a previous ruling and has relied heavily on the logic of a dissent that was written years earlier.
RM: What significance does Justice Ginsburg have to the Jewish population?
Cohen: Well, I think, like every super prominent Jewish person, she holds special interest for Jewish Americans. I'm one of those myself, so I know it to be true. I think there's a lot about her background that resonates. She came from an immigrant family. She grew up in very modest circumstances in Brooklyn, New York, and really pushed forward towards succeeding way beyond anything her parents could have imagined with the fairly typical immigrant level of drive and ambition that has applied to so many immigrant groups in our country over so many different generations. Seeing her as part of that sweep of history, I think there's something encouraging about it.
“RBG” screens at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 18, as part of the Jewish Film Festival at the Carole and Marcus Weinstein Jewish Community Center. Director Julie Cohen will participate in a talkback session after the film. $7 to $10. The film festival begins on Nov. 8, with the film “Sammy Davis Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me.”
