By Stela Jelincic
A widely circulated study estimated that six percent of the 250 highest-grossing movies released in America in 2013 were directed by women. Whether the percentage of all films released everywhere might be higher or lower, and whatever the factors contributing to such tragically low representation, I feel it’s safe to say we could use some more girls behind the camera! With that in mind I’ve made this list to celebrate some remarkable filmmakers who’ve defied the odds and given us some amazing movies. The depth and variety of these artist’s work should be a challenge to the depressingly anachronistic patriarchy that persists in our world of cinema, and hopefully an inspiration to the next wave of women who aspire to sing their songs in celluloid or tell their tales in pixels. Although I confined this list to directors who have at least some work available to stream on Fandor, they would all be on my list of favorite women filmmakers, regardless.
‘The Hitch-hiker’
Ida Lupino
A unique figure in the history of cinema, Lupino was a pioneer as a woman filmmaker, and as an independent filmmaker, writing, directing and producing her own films at the height of Hollywood’s studio era. An actress with a studio contract, first at Paramount, then Warner Brothers, then Columbia, then Warner again, she is perhaps best known for her starring role, opposite Humphrey Bogart, in Raul Walsh’s iconic gangster heist/modern western, High Sierra, from 1941. Lupino was a talented and successful actress, but she often ran afoul with her studio bosses, turning down roles she wasn’t interested in. She formed an independent production company with her second husband, Collier Young, and when the director Elmer Clifton fell ill before the completion of 1949’s Not Wanted, Lupino completed the film. She went on to direct several low-budget dramas including Never Fearin 1949, and Outrage in 1950, about the aftermath of a rape. The Hitch-hiker, from 1953, is a remarkable film, wherein Lupino, the first, and perhaps only, woman to have directed a film noir in the genre’s classic heyday, subverts the traditional male stereotypes of the noir, as well as setting the film in daylight, in the desert, as opposed to the claustrophobic urban nightscapes associated with these movies. A singularly defiant woman who rose to a position of power in the male-dominated world of America in the 1950’s, Lupino’s work is now celebrated not only for the miracle of its existence, but for the example of resourceful independent artistry within a commodity-driven film industry.
A unique figure in the history of cinema, Lupino was a pioneer as a woman filmmaker, and as an independent filmmaker, writing, directing and producing her own films at the height of Hollywood’s studio era. An actress with a studio contract, first at Paramount, then Warner Brothers, then Columbia, then Warner again, she is perhaps best known for her starring role, opposite Humphrey Bogart, in Raul Walsh’s iconic gangster heist/modern western, High Sierra, from 1941. Lupino was a talented and successful actress, but she often ran afoul with her studio bosses, turning down roles she wasn’t interested in. She formed an independent production company with her second husband, Collier Young, and when the director Elmer Clifton fell ill before the completion of 1949’s Not Wanted, Lupino completed the film. She went on to direct several low-budget dramas including Never Fearin 1949, and Outrage in 1950, about the aftermath of a rape. The Hitch-hiker, from 1953, is a remarkable film, wherein Lupino, the first, and perhaps only, woman to have directed a film noir in the genre’s classic heyday, subverts the traditional male stereotypes of the noir, as well as setting the film in daylight, in the desert, as opposed to the claustrophobic urban nightscapes associated with these movies. A singularly defiant woman who rose to a position of power in the male-dominated world of America in the 1950’s, Lupino’s work is now celebrated not only for the miracle of its existence, but for the example of resourceful independent artistry within a commodity-driven film industry.
‘Phantom Love’
Nina Menkes
Though far from a household name, Nina Menkes is among the most visionary artists in contemporary film. She was one of the first women to present a feature film at Sundance, and has worked for three decades in a curious no-man’s land of avant-garde narrative features, which defy easy classification. Her work is refined, mesmerizing and visceral, an intricate universe that is at once unmistakably magical and undeniably rooted in reality. Of the process, she says, “I like the idea of conjuring films as opposed to writing and directing them.” Her films are void of cartoonish fantasy, and they will literally haunt you. Her early work is characterized by the partnership with her sister, Tinka, as actress and creative collaborator. The height of this collaboration is perhaps A Bloody Child, from 1996. Inspired by a U.S. marine found digging a grave for his murdered wife in the Mojave Desert after returning from the first Gulf War, Menkes creates a surreal meditation on violence that was chosen as one of the five most important films of the past fifty years by the Viennale International Film Festival. Of her more recent films, Phantom Love, from 2007, is a nuanced work of virtuoso filmmaking about a woman’s journey toward spiritual and sexual transcendence that indelibly realizes Menkes’ aspiration for cinematic sorcery.
Though far from a household name, Nina Menkes is among the most visionary artists in contemporary film. She was one of the first women to present a feature film at Sundance, and has worked for three decades in a curious no-man’s land of avant-garde narrative features, which defy easy classification. Her work is refined, mesmerizing and visceral, an intricate universe that is at once unmistakably magical and undeniably rooted in reality. Of the process, she says, “I like the idea of conjuring films as opposed to writing and directing them.” Her films are void of cartoonish fantasy, and they will literally haunt you. Her early work is characterized by the partnership with her sister, Tinka, as actress and creative collaborator. The height of this collaboration is perhaps A Bloody Child, from 1996. Inspired by a U.S. marine found digging a grave for his murdered wife in the Mojave Desert after returning from the first Gulf War, Menkes creates a surreal meditation on violence that was chosen as one of the five most important films of the past fifty years by the Viennale International Film Festival. Of her more recent films, Phantom Love, from 2007, is a nuanced work of virtuoso filmmaking about a woman’s journey toward spiritual and sexual transcendence that indelibly realizes Menkes’ aspiration for cinematic sorcery.
‘My Country, My Country’
Laura Poitras
It’s hard to imagine another filmmaker who has won an Oscar, received a Pulitzer Prize,and been placed on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s watch list, informed by airport security that her “threat rating” was the highest assigned to an individual. Before she took the stage this past week with Citizenfour, Laura Poitras’ made a 2006 documentary about Iraqis living under US occupation, My Country, My Country, that received its own Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary, and was the first installment in what became a trilogy about life in the post 9/11 universe. The second film in this trilogy, The Oath, focuses on two Yemeni men who’d been caught up, in different ways, in the U.S. War on Terror. She was already working on the third film, when in 2013, she began receiving anonymous e-mails from a man who would become the subject of this film. Edward Snowden, who made headlines for leaking information about the National Security Agency’s controversial surveillance techniques, contacted Laura Poitras before he went public. Poitras filmed her interviews with Snowden and the resulting film made history. Poitras felt she had to relocate to Berlin to finish the film, feeling that her footage was unsafe as she traveled to and from the U.S. Needless to say, few filmmakers are this brave; few would be so dedicated to their work to uproot their home and life, and few filmmakers find themselves so close to global events as to become a part of the events they are documenting.
It’s hard to imagine another filmmaker who has won an Oscar, received a Pulitzer Prize,and been placed on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s watch list, informed by airport security that her “threat rating” was the highest assigned to an individual. Before she took the stage this past week with Citizenfour, Laura Poitras’ made a 2006 documentary about Iraqis living under US occupation, My Country, My Country, that received its own Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary, and was the first installment in what became a trilogy about life in the post 9/11 universe. The second film in this trilogy, The Oath, focuses on two Yemeni men who’d been caught up, in different ways, in the U.S. War on Terror. She was already working on the third film, when in 2013, she began receiving anonymous e-mails from a man who would become the subject of this film. Edward Snowden, who made headlines for leaking information about the National Security Agency’s controversial surveillance techniques, contacted Laura Poitras before he went public. Poitras filmed her interviews with Snowden and the resulting film made history. Poitras felt she had to relocate to Berlin to finish the film, feeling that her footage was unsafe as she traveled to and from the U.S. Needless to say, few filmmakers are this brave; few would be so dedicated to their work to uproot their home and life, and few filmmakers find themselves so close to global events as to become a part of the events they are documenting.
‘Trouble Every Day’
Claire Denis
Denis’ first feature, Chocolat, arrived at a prodigious moment for independent, alternative cinema. 1988 can retroactively be seen as near the beginning of an era when mainstream distributors were willing to invest in films that were artistically outside the Hollywood standard. Denis and her film about life in French colonial Africa were received enthusiastically. Although Denis has continued to explore the complicated landscapes of modern Africa, her work has developed in remarkable ways that have not always been immediately palatable to the admirers of her debut. Her style, although certainly rooted in French cinematic traditions, is clearly her own, characterized by long takes that tend to eschew close-ups of her actors. Denis’ collaboration with the English band Tinderstickshas proven as rich as any of the classic director/composer relationships since Hitchcock and Bernard Herrmann. Their delicate, soulful orchestrated pop music has graced five of Denis’ films. One of her most misunderstood (at least upon its initial release) movies, may also be her most distinctive. Trouble Every Day, her erotic horror film from 2001 is an explosion of color and provocative sexuality starring Vincent Gallo and Béatrice Dalle. The film’s unique take on the horror genre is also fascinating in its playful subversion of gender roles in cinema, sex, and violence. It must be seen to be believed.
Denis’ first feature, Chocolat, arrived at a prodigious moment for independent, alternative cinema. 1988 can retroactively be seen as near the beginning of an era when mainstream distributors were willing to invest in films that were artistically outside the Hollywood standard. Denis and her film about life in French colonial Africa were received enthusiastically. Although Denis has continued to explore the complicated landscapes of modern Africa, her work has developed in remarkable ways that have not always been immediately palatable to the admirers of her debut. Her style, although certainly rooted in French cinematic traditions, is clearly her own, characterized by long takes that tend to eschew close-ups of her actors. Denis’ collaboration with the English band Tinderstickshas proven as rich as any of the classic director/composer relationships since Hitchcock and Bernard Herrmann. Their delicate, soulful orchestrated pop music has graced five of Denis’ films. One of her most misunderstood (at least upon its initial release) movies, may also be her most distinctive. Trouble Every Day, her erotic horror film from 2001 is an explosion of color and provocative sexuality starring Vincent Gallo and Béatrice Dalle. The film’s unique take on the horror genre is also fascinating in its playful subversion of gender roles in cinema, sex, and violence. It must be seen to be believed.
‘Wendy and Lucy’
Kelly Reichardt
Operating on the fringe, and decidedly outside the box of current American movie-making, Kelly Reichardt has managed to infiltrate her own way and has received rich praise from film critics and the earned the favor even distributors. Her first feature, 1994’s River of Grass, was nominated for the Grand jury Prize at Sundance, but funding for subsequent movies proved difficult, a fact Reichardt directly attributes to her gender. She responded, defiantly, by creating a series of Super 8 shorts admired by, among others, Todd Haynes, who would serve as executive producer on Reichardt’s next three features. Old Joy, Wendy and Lucy, and Meek’s Cutoff have established Reichardt as one of 21st century American independent cinema’s defining artists. Her nuanced, deliberately paced approach to storytelling is justly being celebrated by mainstream movie critics who routinely place her films on end-of-year best lists. Her most recent feature, Night Moves, featured a cast of Hollywood’s brightest young stars, actors eager to work with an accomplished director with such a singular vision.
Operating on the fringe, and decidedly outside the box of current American movie-making, Kelly Reichardt has managed to infiltrate her own way and has received rich praise from film critics and the earned the favor even distributors. Her first feature, 1994’s River of Grass, was nominated for the Grand jury Prize at Sundance, but funding for subsequent movies proved difficult, a fact Reichardt directly attributes to her gender. She responded, defiantly, by creating a series of Super 8 shorts admired by, among others, Todd Haynes, who would serve as executive producer on Reichardt’s next three features. Old Joy, Wendy and Lucy, and Meek’s Cutoff have established Reichardt as one of 21st century American independent cinema’s defining artists. Her nuanced, deliberately paced approach to storytelling is justly being celebrated by mainstream movie critics who routinely place her films on end-of-year best lists. Her most recent feature, Night Moves, featured a cast of Hollywood’s brightest young stars, actors eager to work with an accomplished director with such a singular vision.
‘Clip’
Maja Miloš
The youngest of the women on this list, Maja Miloš is a Serbian filmmaker in her early thirties. Her 2012 film Clip is a controversial, uncompromising drama about the adolescent, post-Facebook generation in the decaying city of Belgrade. Their parents are obsessed with their own misery and disease, and have no idea what their children are doing, day or night, sitting helplessly in front of TV screens. This post-war, transitional society where macho culture and misogyny result in teenage nihilism is succinctly captured in Milos’ bold portrait. A brave filmmaker who grew up in the fertile soil of Serbian cinema, Miloš is a talented director with a promising future.
The youngest of the women on this list, Maja Miloš is a Serbian filmmaker in her early thirties. Her 2012 film Clip is a controversial, uncompromising drama about the adolescent, post-Facebook generation in the decaying city of Belgrade. Their parents are obsessed with their own misery and disease, and have no idea what their children are doing, day or night, sitting helplessly in front of TV screens. This post-war, transitional society where macho culture and misogyny result in teenage nihilism is succinctly captured in Milos’ bold portrait. A brave filmmaker who grew up in the fertile soil of Serbian cinema, Miloš is a talented director with a promising future.
‘The Beaches of Agnes’
Anges Varda
Varda’s first film, 1954’s La Pointe Courte, is credited by some as being the first, unofficial work in what became La Nouvelle Vague of French Cinema. Along with Chris Marker, Alain Resnais, her husband Jacques Demy and others, Varda was part of the Left Bank of the French New Wave. Her 1962 feature, Cleo from 5 to 7, is real-time vérité portrait of a pop singer in Paris awaiting the results of a biopsy. The film challenges the way most narratives deal with the passage of time, and deconstructs the objectified glamour of its female protagonist. Transcending the movement she helped define, Varda has made many films throughout the decades, oscillating between fictional narratives, and autobiographical documentaries, such as 2000’s The Gleaners and I, and 2005’s The Beaches of Agnes. Her personality is embedded in her work as she reveals herself, and her life in ways few filmmakers are willing to. With more that fifty years in the world of cinema, Agnes Varda is nothing less than a force of nature.
Varda’s first film, 1954’s La Pointe Courte, is credited by some as being the first, unofficial work in what became La Nouvelle Vague of French Cinema. Along with Chris Marker, Alain Resnais, her husband Jacques Demy and others, Varda was part of the Left Bank of the French New Wave. Her 1962 feature, Cleo from 5 to 7, is real-time vérité portrait of a pop singer in Paris awaiting the results of a biopsy. The film challenges the way most narratives deal with the passage of time, and deconstructs the objectified glamour of its female protagonist. Transcending the movement she helped define, Varda has made many films throughout the decades, oscillating between fictional narratives, and autobiographical documentaries, such as 2000’s The Gleaners and I, and 2005’s The Beaches of Agnes. Her personality is embedded in her work as she reveals herself, and her life in ways few filmmakers are willing to. With more that fifty years in the world of cinema, Agnes Varda is nothing less than a force of nature.
‘Breathe Deep’
MM Serra
In addition to her role as Executive Director of the Filmmakers’ Cooperative, the world’s oldest and largest archive of independent and avant-garde films, MM Serra is one of America’s foremost provocateurs behind the camera. Her experimental short films confront issues that are feared, censored or taboo in our culture. Bitch Beauty, her intense portrait of Anne Hanavan, a New York artist and former heroin addict, and Chop Off, about a man who practices self-mutilation as performance art, exemplify her way of presenting people outside the mainstream with humanity and dignity. Serra’s films often focus on transformation, whether it’s an addict who rebuilds her life, a man who cuts off parts of his body or an artist (Katherine Bauer) who crystallizes dead animals in Breathe Deep, another of Serra’s mind-bending shorts. Curator, author, and filmmaker, MM Serra is one of American cinema’s unique, vital voices.
In addition to her role as Executive Director of the Filmmakers’ Cooperative, the world’s oldest and largest archive of independent and avant-garde films, MM Serra is one of America’s foremost provocateurs behind the camera. Her experimental short films confront issues that are feared, censored or taboo in our culture. Bitch Beauty, her intense portrait of Anne Hanavan, a New York artist and former heroin addict, and Chop Off, about a man who practices self-mutilation as performance art, exemplify her way of presenting people outside the mainstream with humanity and dignity. Serra’s films often focus on transformation, whether it’s an addict who rebuilds her life, a man who cuts off parts of his body or an artist (Katherine Bauer) who crystallizes dead animals in Breathe Deep, another of Serra’s mind-bending shorts. Curator, author, and filmmaker, MM Serra is one of American cinema’s unique, vital voices.
‘Love and Anarchy’
Lina Wertmüller
Wertmüller was the first woman, one of only four ever, nominated for an Academy Award for Directing (for Seven Beauties in 1976). An Italian, she worked as an Assistant Director on Fellini’s 8 1/2 before directing her first film, The Lizards in 1963. Her work is characterized by humor, sexuality, and politics, often exploring the issues of class and gender in post-war Italy. The Seduction of Mimi tells the tale of a woman who escapes the Sicilian mob and falls in love with a hippie radical. Love and Anarchy is about two prostitutes in an upscale brothel in pre-war fascist Rome. Swept Away is her oddball updating of The Taming of the Shrew. A prolific filmmaker, Wertmüller’s oeuvre is as entertaining as it is provocative.
Wertmüller was the first woman, one of only four ever, nominated for an Academy Award for Directing (for Seven Beauties in 1976). An Italian, she worked as an Assistant Director on Fellini’s 8 1/2 before directing her first film, The Lizards in 1963. Her work is characterized by humor, sexuality, and politics, often exploring the issues of class and gender in post-war Italy. The Seduction of Mimi tells the tale of a woman who escapes the Sicilian mob and falls in love with a hippie radical. Love and Anarchy is about two prostitutes in an upscale brothel in pre-war fascist Rome. Swept Away is her oddball updating of The Taming of the Shrew. A prolific filmmaker, Wertmüller’s oeuvre is as entertaining as it is provocative.
‘This Won’t Hurt a Bit’
Mary Harron
A Canadian filmmaker who attended Oxford before arriving in New York in the 1970’s, Mary Harron was part of the city’s early punk scene. As a music writer, she helped start Punk magazine, interviewed The Sex Pistols, and later wrote for The Guardian, and the New Statesmen. She worked in television during the 1990s before directing her first feature in 1996. I Shot Andy Warhol, about Valerie Solanas, a figure on the fringe of the famed pop artists Factory scene who, attempted to kill him in 1968. Her next film was the audacious adaptation of Brett Easton Ellis’ infamous 1991 novel, American Psycho. This remarkable film, with Christian Bale in one of his first starring roles, premiered at Sundance in 2000, and earned the initial ire of illustrious movie critic Roger Ebert, who later warmed to the film. American Psycho is shocking, powerfully funny, and perfectly captures Ellis’ squawked take on pop culture. Harron then directed The Notorious Bettie Page, about the iconic 1950’s model, and The Moth Diaries, a gothic vampire film about a group of girls at a boarding school.
A Canadian filmmaker who attended Oxford before arriving in New York in the 1970’s, Mary Harron was part of the city’s early punk scene. As a music writer, she helped start Punk magazine, interviewed The Sex Pistols, and later wrote for The Guardian, and the New Statesmen. She worked in television during the 1990s before directing her first feature in 1996. I Shot Andy Warhol, about Valerie Solanas, a figure on the fringe of the famed pop artists Factory scene who, attempted to kill him in 1968. Her next film was the audacious adaptation of Brett Easton Ellis’ infamous 1991 novel, American Psycho. This remarkable film, with Christian Bale in one of his first starring roles, premiered at Sundance in 2000, and earned the initial ire of illustrious movie critic Roger Ebert, who later warmed to the film. American Psycho is shocking, powerfully funny, and perfectly captures Ellis’ squawked take on pop culture. Harron then directed The Notorious Bettie Page, about the iconic 1950’s model, and The Moth Diaries, a gothic vampire film about a group of girls at a boarding school.
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