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Women in the Director's Chair

By Sharon Weinberg

Celebrate women directors. Here are some recently released movies directed by women; some are veterans and others are up-and-coming filmmakers.

  • Can You Ever Forgive Me?

    2019

    This biographical dramedy depicts financially desperate author Lee Israel turning to literary forgery to pay the bills. Melissa McCarthy stars as Israel, and Richard E. Grant costars as her partner in crime. McCarthy and Grant received Oscar nominations. The director, Marielle Heller, did not, though she should have. Heller makes the most of her talented cast. It is a touching story of comedic moments with a layer of sadness.

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  • Free Solo

    2019

    Oscar winner for Best Documentary, directed by wife/husband filmmakers Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin (a professional climber as well), this film chronicles rock climber Alex Honnold on his endeavor to free solo climb El Capitan in June 2017. The visuals are stunning, and often heart stopping, as you witness what Honnold does and how he does it.

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  • Half the Picture

    2018

    This documentary about women directors examines why so few women are directing. It looks at hardships women face breaking into the industry, including routine discrimination, unequal opportunities, and gender bias. Amy Adrion interviews several women who relate personal experiences and give ideas on how things should and can change. I would love to see a follow-up documentary on this subject.

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  • I Am Not a Witch

    2018

    Screened at the Directors' Fortnight at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival, written and directed by Zambian-Welsh filmmaker Rungano Nyoni, this won a BAFTA for Outstanding Debut. It was the British entry for Best Foreign Language film for the 91st Oscars. Filmed in Zambia, the narrative spotlights 8-year-old Shula, accused of being a witch. She must confess or become a goat. Exploring and fictionalizing local customs, rules, and stories about women accused of witchcraft as well as the witch camps where they live and work, Nyoni is respectful of her source material, composing a rich, engrossing narrative with gorgeous visuals. She is one to watch.

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  • Leave No Trace

    2018

    This film focuses on a father and daughter living on the fringes of society, their fierce bond and love for each other, and how each copes with an unwanted change. I find this premise fascinating and revealing. Factor in knockout performances from the two lead actors, superb direction, and gorgeous cinematography, and Leave No Trace is one the best reasons to support filmmaking.

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  • Mary Queen of Scots

    2019

    In Josie Rouke's directorial feature debut, this historical drama looks at the complicated relationship between Mary Stuart (Saoirse Ronan) and her cousin Queen Elizabeth I (Margot Robbie). The plot takes an unusual perspective, considering what could have been. It examines two women in powerful positions who must navigate the treacherous political landscapes of their countries, Scotland and England, religious turmoil, and the men who want to control them.

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  • The Miseducation of Cameron Post

    2018

    Iranian-American filmmaker Desiree Akhavan adapted the screenplay from the acclaimed coming-of-age novel by Emily M. Danforth and won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance. Set in the early ‘90s, Cameron, caught making out with another girl by her longtime boyfriend, finds herself enrolled in a gay conversion therapy center. The script is sensitive and witty, the actors top-notch. Kudos to Akhavan for creating a well-timed tale with a just-right ending.

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  • Night Comes On

    2018

    In her debut feature movie, Jordana Spiro wrote the screenplay with Angelica Nwandu. Premiering at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, Spiro won the NEXT Innovator Award. Dominique Fishback (The Deuce, The Hate U Give) gives an excellent performance as Angel, released from juvenile hall on the eve of her 18th birthday. With no home and no job and seeking revenge for her mother's murder, the past and future weigh heavily on Angel as she reconnects with her beloved 10-year-old sister. This movie is compelling from beginning to end. It is a gem.

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  • Oh Lucy!

    IndieWire recently named Atsuko Hirayanagi as one of the “20 Rising Female Filmmakers You Need to Know” and the film got an Independent Spirit nomination for Best First Feature. The story follows Setsuko, a lonely office worker in Tokyo, who enrolls in an English language class with an instructor using an unorthodox teaching method that encourages each student to wear a wig and take on a new persona. Thus, Setsuko becomes Lucy, and her life turns upside down.

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  • RBG

    2018

    This movie about Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg got an Oscar nomination for Best Documentary. Directors Julie Cohen and Betsy West present a lot of interesting information, both professional and personal. RBG might become your new hero, if she is not already. Also recommended: On the Basis of Sex, a biographical drama concentrating on the early career of RBG, directed by Mimi Leder.

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  • The Rider

    2018

    Based on a true story and filmed on the Pine Ridge Reservation, using nonprofessional actors playing characters close to themselves, this film explores what happens when a Lakota cowboy suffers a traumatic head injury that completely derails his life. Brady Landreau delivers a breakout performance, while filmmaker Chloe Zhao keeps everything beautiful and pure. Unique and universal at once, here is storytelling at its cinematic best that reminds me why I love movies.

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  • What They Had

    2019

    A drama filmed in Chicago and written and directed by Elizabeth Chomko, it is her feature film debut. It centers on a family coping with the mother’s (Blythe Danner) battle with Alzheimer’s disease. The father (Robert Forster) is in denial, desperately wanting to care for his wife; their adult children (Hilary Swank and Michael Shannon) are at odds concerning the best course of action. Chomko based the story on her grandmother. It is a heartbreaking theme, with wonderful performances.

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  • You Were Never Really Here

    2018

    An intense psychological thriller from Scottish filmmaker Lynne Ramsay, the story line unfolds around Joe, ex-military and ex-FBI, a damaged individual who now rescues trafficked girls. This film premiered at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival and received a seven-minute standing ovation. Ramsay won for Best Screenplay and Phoenix won for Best Actor. Call this a modern noir with beautifully composed shots woven into a compelling, mesmerizing narrative. Phoenix is amazing and Ramsay deserved some Oscar love.

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