Life of the Party
LIFE OF THE PARTY tells the stories of three female Texas Republican politicians – an outlier, an outsider, and an old-guard – as they grapple with race, gender, and decorum amid a climate of intense partisan acrimony.
LIFE OF THE PARTY tells the stories of three female Texas Republican politicians – an outlier, an outsider, and an old-guard – as they grapple with race, gender, and decorum amid a climate of intense partisan acrimony.
LIFE OF THE PARTY centers the stories of three Republican women at various points on the political spectrum and in various stages of their political careers. Former Representative Sarah Davis reflects on her decade in the Texas House as a pro-choice moderate increasingly at odds with her party’s extremism, navigating life post-politics after losing her seat in 2020. Congressional hopeful Mayra Flores campaigns energetically in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley, inspired by Trump’s populist vision, though her efforts to recapture a seat lost to redistricting face mixed results. Representative Geanie Morrison, the longest-serving Republican woman in the Texas House, concludes her career after 25 years, lamenting the growing acrimony in modern politics while embodying a bygone era of bipartisan respect. Through their stories, along with insights from political strategist Jen Sarver and cultural critic Mimi Swartz, LIFE OF THE PARTY makes an attempt to understand where this Republican Party has been, what lies in its future, and what role women can play at a moment when reaching across the aisle to reclaim common ground feels like a national imperative.
Meg Griffiths began her career as a photo and video journalist at the Houston Chronicle and then held a leadership role at Teach For America where she built the nonprofit’s first video studio. After overseeing content development and digital strategy at an LA-based agency, Meg co-founded Universe Creative, a documentary production company that collaborates with foundations, nonprofits, and socially conscious brands. Meg’s work has been nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and is supported by the International Documentary Association and the Redford Center. She holds a MA in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin. Her debut feature film, IMPOSSIBLE TOWN, premiered at Mountainfilm in Telluride, CO, and Meg is a co-chair of the Documentary Producers Alliance.