The Honorable Ellie Kinnaird

At 82, rock-star politician Ellie Kinnaird blazed a trail for women in the South. This intimate portrait follows the North Carolina State Senator during her final, tumultuous year in office as she courageously confronts the radical agenda of an ultra-conservative majority.
The film traces Kinnaird’s remarkable journey—from a conventional Midwestern upbringing in the 1930s and life as a 1950s suburban housewife and mother, to becoming one of the South’s most respected progressive political leaders. Empowered by the women’s movement of the 1970s, she emerged as a prominent attorney and a fearless advocate for social justice, environmental protection, education, and campaign finance reform.
Set in 2013, the documentary captures Kinnaird facing an increasingly extreme legislative climate. She makes the extraordinary decision to resign her Senate seat in protest—choosing to fight from outside the system to challenge North Carolina’s Voter ID law and defend democratic access.