The compelling real-life story behind Helen Reddy is set to stream on Stan next month

She was a pioneer behind the women’s rights movement of the 1970s, and now Helen Reddy is finally getting the recognition she deserves.

A new movie about the 78-year-old Australian singer and activist is set to stream on Stan next month, titled I Am Woman.

The film is set in the early days of Helen’s music career, shortly after she moved to America in the 1970s, in the middle of the women’s rights movement.

Her song, I Am Woman, became an anthem for the movement, but it wasn’t without some hardships, with Helen having to convince record executives of its value.

She also had to fight for fair pay, after learning her all-male band was earning more money than she was.

The film stars Australian actress Tilda Cobham-Hervey as Helen, and also features Evan Peters and Danielle Macdonald.

The inspiring story is directed by female filmmaker Unjoo Moon, and is from the producers behind The Sapphires, the 2012 movie starring Deborah Mailman, Jessica Mauboy and Chris O’Dowd.

In an interview with Billboard in September, Tilda, 25, said she opted not to meet Helen before working on the movie.

She said she only met the legendary singer ‘right at the end’ of filming, calling it ‘a creative choice’.

‘Helen is at a very different stage in her life now. We’re obviously talking about her from the age of 24 to 48, and it was really important that I stayed present within that part of her life,’ she explained. 

‘There’s also so much information about her. I read her book, which was really helpful. There’s a million interviews and all her performances, and the director Unjoo had such a close relationship with her and her family that I had all the knowledge and research that I needed.’ 

She added: ‘We’re still making a film and creating characters, and I fell so in love with her that I think I would’ve found it really hard to meet her.’ 

I Am Woman streams on Stan from August 28.