A new documentary revisits The Woman’s Building, the Los Angeles feminist art space that became a proving ground for performance artists in the 1970s.

“Acting Like Women,” directed by feminist artist Cheri Gaulke, premieres at DOC NYC on November 18. The film is produced by Iambe Films, with Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner on board as executive producers.

Through interviews, archival footage, and her own story, Gaulke traces how a collective of women turned their bodies and voices into tools for activism. The documentary weaves personal history with the larger movement, following Gaulke’s path from daughter of a Midwestern Lutheran minister through the sexual revolution to her career as a performance artist, lesbian, educator, and mother of twins.

The film argues that California feminist performance art wasn’t a side story but central to the medium’s development. Interviews and footage of performances show what the era meant for women defining themselves then and now.

The premiere takes place November 18 at 6:45 PM at Village East by Angelika, 181-189 2nd Ave, New York.