5 Films Directed By Women That Deserve To Be On Your Radar
All through film history, female directors have been maligned, forced to take a backseat role, or their work has been purposely forgotten. With their work badly saved or forgotten, a misconception grows. It's easy to think that maybe there haven't been any good female directors. Perhaps, women just aren't as good as men. But actually, female directors have been making films since the very early days of cinema. To celebrate their achievements this women's history month, here are five of my favourite films directed by women, with movies for every mood!
1) Daisies (Sedmikrásky) directed by Věra Chytilová
If one thing's for sure, you probably haven't seen a film quite like Věra Chytilová's Daisies. Possibly one of the most famous films to come out of the 1960s Czech New Wave, Daisies follows two girls - both named Marie - as they prank strangers. They're bored with society's sexism and gleefully mess with men at every chance they get. The film joyfully doesn't conform to anything like a three-act structure. The plot is episodic rather than a traditional cause and effect narrative. The girls will start cutting up sausages and gherkins in their bedroom, and they'll finish by getting outrageously drunk in public. Food fights galore, Daisies is wildly fun, and it's the film for you if you've ever felt like smashing the patriarchy.
Available on YouTube.
2) Germany Pale Mother (Deutschland Bleiche Mutter) directed by Helma Sanders-Brahms
If you're in the mood for something heart-breaking and authentic, Helma Sanders-Brahms' Germany Pale Mother is one of the most quietly devastating films out there. Despite this accolade, it is a masterpiece that is rarely talked about. The film follows Lene (Eva Mattes), who marries Hans (Ernst Jacobi) before World War Two – only because he is not in the Nazi Party. While he is away fighting in Poland, she gives birth to their child, Anna. This is a powerful film about grief, trauma and the catastrophic consequences of war. Yet, uniquely Germany Pale Mother is wholly grounded in the female experience of war. Lene is never just an accessory to a man. Women's experience of warfare is often left out of the conversation, or female characters are fetishised and victimised. If you're ready to learn more about this period of history, Germany Pale Mother might be for you.
Available to rent on BFI Player
3) Crossing Delancey directed by Joan Micklin Silver
A romantic comedy that's been cruelly forgotten by time, Crossing Delancey is a gem. Directed by Joan Micklin Silver, who passed away earlier this year, this is a warm film in the vein of When Harry Met Sally. Isabelle (Amy Irving) is living her best life. She works at an independent bookshop, has lots of great friends, and a lovely apartment in New York. But her Jewish grandmother (Reizl Bozyk) has other ideas for her and sets her up with a matchmaker to find her a husband. Crossing Delancey has been called the "ultimate Jewish rom-com", but it also sensitively explores Isabelle's womanhood and her culture between these two worlds, the Jewish Delancey neighbourhood and cool and intellectual Brooklyn. A must-see for any rom-com fans.
Available on a variety of platforms
4) The Watermelon Woman directed by Cheryl Dunye
The Watermelon Woman might not be very well known, but it is probably one of the most important films made in the last thirty years. It was the first film ever directed by a black lesbian woman. Dunye presents a comedic faux-documentary accompanied by a searing social critique. Director Cheryl Dunye stars as herself, and she documents her journey to find out the identity of a black actress from the 1930s and 1940s. The black actress she's trying to find doesn't really exist in real life, and Cheryl's quest is an act of fiction. This is a brilliant reclamation of a forgotten history. Like the actress Cheryl attempts to find, The Watermelon Woman had been long forgotten too. Thanks to recent efforts putting this film back in the limelight, this impactful yet comedic film can be now found to watch on various sites.
Available on a variety of platforms
5) The Souvenir directed by Joanna Hogg
Women's history isn't just relegated to filmmakers from the 20th century, but exploring history can also cause us to look at our own past. A list such as this would be incomplete without mentioning Joanna Hogg's semi-autobiographical film, The Souvenir. In a fantastic performance by Honor Swinton Byrne, Julie is a 25-year-old film student. She's a privileged young woman, but she is determined to film a work of fiction in Liverpool's docks. She's terribly naïve and unconfident. In comes Anthony (Tom Burke), who charms her immediately. However, Anthony keeps secrets from Julie. She only finds out the extent of his lies in a trickle-down fashion. In a brilliant directorial decision from Hogg, the audience only ever sees the fallout from their fights, creating a unique dynamic. A brave and bold work, The Souvenir causes us to think about our own youth and our own histories.
Available on a variety of platforms
Women directors have been around for as long as the moving picture was invented. Maybe this March, it's time to explore their long-forgotten works. Have fun discovering female directors, new and old!
Written by Lucy Clarke
Lucy Clarke is studying her Masters at Edinburgh University, and an avid film lover and writer. When she’s not watching or writing about film, you can find her attempting to become Nigella Lawson by baking another banana bread or singing Eurovision classics.
You can also find out what she’s up to on her twitter.