Celebrating Two New Malawi-Born Daughters, Madonna Releases 'Her-Story' A 12-Minute Film For International Women's Day

Madonna Says 'Dress Up! Speak Up!' In Luigi & Iango Images For Harper's Bazaar Germany April 2017 (Fashion & Style Editorial)

It's almost 26 years since Madonna released 'Truth or Dare', the pop icon & feminist celebrated International Women's Day with the release of a 12-minute short film 'Her-Story', dedicated "to all women that fight for freedom".

Directed by Luigi & Iango, who lensed her Harper's Bazaar Germany April editorial above, 'Her-Story' opens with audio lifted from Madonna's January 21 Women's March address. “To accept this new age of tyranny where not just women are in danger, but all marginalized people,” Madonna says. “Where being uniquely different might truly be considered a crime. The revolution starts here.”

Short clips of Madonna’s 2012 single “Girl Gone Wild” also play throughout 'Her-Story', which ends as two figures carry a banner reading “We should all be feminists” down a dark alleyway. Madonna’s handwriting ends the film, scrawling the famous Hillary Clinton quote “women’s rights are human rights” in white text.

“Every Woman Has A Story! Don’t be Afraid to Use your Voice! To Help others! celebrate Women around the World!” Madonna wrote on Instagram, where she shared several of 'Her-Story‘s' individual segments. 

A Rockin' New Mom Of Twin Daughters

Madonna kept a low profile during her January 2017 trip to Malawi, where she aggressively put down rumors that she was adopting more children. Indeed, she was in the country to adopt 4-year-old twin girls.

Their mother died of complications in birth, delivering the twins in a Caesarean section.  As is so common in Africa, the father -- who attended the Jan. 25 court hearing attended by Madonna -- had five other children from his first marriage. After remarrying, he said he simply cannot provide for his dependents. 

Judge Fiona Mwale, said she didn't challenge Madonna, 58, on Malawi's residency requirements for adoption, saying the country's Supreme Court of Appeal had addressed the issue in the pop star's previous adoption of two other Malawi children. 

"In determining her motives, I questioned the petitioner at length about the impact of her decision which could be construed as robbing Malawi of its most precious resource, its children," the judge wrote.

Madonna said her daughters will keep their birth names of Esther and Stella to preserve their identity as Malawians, and a Malawian nanny will travel with the children to the United States to ease their transition, according to the ruling. Her son David Banda and daughter Mercy James are now 11.

Mwale noted that the pop star has raised $7.5 million for her latest project in Malawi, the construction of a pediatric surgery ward at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre. The ward is scheduled to open early next year, writes Billboard.

Meet Esther and Stella, Madonna's twin daughters, age 4, from Malawi.

Madonna As 'Statue of Liberty' By Michael Forbes Joins Marilyn Minter At Brooklyn Museum Jan, 19

The black eye is perfect because this is how we feel. Madonna is never one to walk away from controversy, and she was quick to share this new artwork by Scottish artist Michael Forbes. The artist portrays a caricature-like image of the President-elect as 'King Kong Trump' sitting on the head of our beloved Statue of Liberty, personified by Madonna. The human rights icon is holding a sign saying 'Not My President' -- a declaration that Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by nearly 3 million Americans. 

"After Madonna posted it on Instagram my phone has been ringing repeatedly with people telling me about it," Forbes told the BBC. 

Forbes has long been open about his opposition to the actions and policies of America's Twitter President-elect, writes ArtNet.. He is a member of the 'Tripping Up Trump' (TUT) movement protesting Trump's development of a gold course in Aberdeenshire, a council area in Scotland. 

"Donald Trump's track record shows he cannot be trusted to behave reasonably towards his neighbors or act responsibly towards the environment," TUT declares on its website. 

As a Hillary Clinton supporter, Madonna has been a staunch activist against Trump. In sharing the Forbes artwork, Madonna wrote: "Superman (or woman) to the rescue!"

Madonna & Minter Sold Out At Brooklyn Museum

Madonna, Photo by Mert Alas & Marcus Piggot, courtesy of the Brooklyn Museum.

Madonna will join artist Marilyn Minter tonight on the eve of the presidential inauguration at a SOLD OUT event at The Brooklyn Museum. 

The two fearless feminist provocateurs will talk art, culture, feminist, and the current state of affairs in America and around the world. Writes the Brooklyn Museum's website: Connecting Madonna, an artist, activist, and philanthropist, with Minter, whose work explores cultural perceptions of women, this unprecedented conversation will highlight the impact of female artists within broader culture and social change. Moderated by poet, essayist, and playwright Elizabeth Alexander and by Anne Pasternak, Shelby White and Leon Levy Director of the Museum.

Tonight's historic event is part of A Year of Yes: Reimagining Feminism at the Brooklyn Museum, a yearlong series of exhibitions and programs celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Museum's Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art.

Marilyn Minter 'Orange Crust' (2009). Courtesy of the Brooklyn Museum.

Madonna addressed the 'woman problem' in her recent Billboard speech:

Women have been so oppressed for so long they believe what men have to say about them. They believe they have to back a man to get the job done. And there are some very good men worth backing, but not because they’re men—because they’re worthy. As women, we have to start appreciating our own worth, and each other’s worth. Seek out strong women to befriend, to align yourself with, to learn from, to be inspired by, to collaborate with, to support, [and] to be enlightened by.