Grrrl on Film: Women Directors – A Group Effort Resource List!

In Monday’s post I asked if you could name five women directors off the top of your head and encouraged you to share some favorite females behind the lens. And WOW, between us we came up with nearly 70!

Since there are few things I enjoy more than compiling research and sharing information (Heck, it’s one of the reasons why I’m a writer) I’ve put together a list of all the women directors you posted in the comments section, along with the title of one or two of their movies. I hope it will serve as a good reference resource for sister (and fellow) feminist film geeks. 

I also wanted to re-raise a question I asked in that post that wasn’t addressed: Do you think women directors (and by extension women screenwriters) reflect women’s lives and handle women’s issues more authentically than men? More responsibly?

Also, in a different post (concerning the replacement of a lead female character with a male one in the adaptation of Whiteout) I’d asked “As consumers, and feminist consumers of popular culture at that, what can we do to make sure we are better represented in movies?”

One would hope that getting behind the camera would help. In fact, Reel Grrls, a nonprofit organization in Seattle, WA, teaches teen girls how to make their own media, in the effort to get more women's voices out there, especially in the film industry. You can watch some of their work here. (Thanks to Maile for alerting me to the organization!)

Commenter Alexis observed, that the majority of the women on our list are “indie/arthouse/experimental filmmakers, which is awesome, but may be a product of female filmmakers being denied access to major studio backing. . . . It seems to me that this question last surfaced in the early 1990s, when there seemed to be more women directors. I hope it doesn't sound to despairing to say I fear we have gone backward in the past decade in terms of supporting women, the arts, and women in the arts.”

What do y’all think about this? Have we gone backwards? Why is it easier to find women directors making documentaries rather than studio pictures? What can we do to change this (if you think it’s something worth changing)?

It’s true that even if 70 is an impressive number, our list would be relatively small if we compared it to a list of male directors – and their names would be much more recognizable too because they are making more studio films. It also seems that many of the women on our list have found more directing work in television – perhaps another indicator that the medium is more friendly to women than film.

Check out our list  – it includes a few producers, one cinematographer, and one video artist – and be sure to mark your calendars for the releases of Mira Nair’s forthcoming Amelia (10/29/09).

Jane Campion’s Bright Star is coming soon too.

And Karyn Kusama and Diablo Cody’s, Jennifer’s Body, opens on September 18th.

Anymore releases we should know about?

 ****Updated!!!

1. Ahwesh, Peggy: The Scary Movie (1993)

2. Akerman, Chantal: Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975)

3. Anders, Allison: Gas, Food, Lodging (1992), Grace of My Heart (1996)

4. Arnold, Andrea: Fish Tank (2009)

5. Arzner, Dorothy: The Wild Party (1929), The Bride Wore Red (1937)

6. Babbit, Jamie: But I’m a Cheerleader (1999), The Quiet (2005)

7. Barrymore, Drew: Whip It (2009)

8. Barthes, Sophie: Cold Souls (2009)

9. Berinstein, Dori: Gotta Dance (2008)

10. Bigelow, Kathryn: Near Dark (1987), The Weight of Water (2000), The Hurt Locker (2009)

11. Biller, Anna: Viva (2007)

12. Borden, Lizzie: Working Girls (1986)

13. Bogert, Virginia: Tootie Pie (2006)

14. Breillat, Catherine: 36 Fillette (1988)

15. Brougher, Hilary: The Sticky Fingers of Time (1997)

16. Campion, Jane: An Angel at My Table (1990), The Piano (1993)

17. Caro, Niki: Whale Rider (2002), North Country (2005)

18. Chadha, Gurinder: Bhaji on the Beach (1993), Bend it Like Beckham (2002)

19. Cholodenko, Lisa: High Art (1998)

20. Cockburn, Leslie: American Casino (2009)

21. Coolidge, Martha: Valley Girl (1983), Real Genius (1985)

22. Coppola, Sofia: The Virgin Suicides (1999), Lost in Translation (2003)

23. Dash, Julie: Daughters of the Dust (1991)

24. Davis, Tamra: Billy Madison (1995)

25. Denis, Claire: Chocolat (1988)

26. de Marcken, Anne: Group (2002)

27. Deren, Maya: Witch’s Cradle (1944)

28. de Van, Marina: Dans ma peau (In my skin) (2002), Ne te retourne pas (Don't look back) (2009)

29. Dieckmann, Katherine: Motherhood (2009)

30. Dörrie, Doris: Men . . . (1985)

31. Dulac, Germaine: Je n'ai plus rien (1934)

32. Dunye, Cheryl: The Watermelon Woman (1996)

33. Ephron, Nora: Julie & Julia (2009), Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

34. Ewing, Heidi: The Boys of Baraka (2005)

35. Export, Valie: Die Praxis der Liebe (1985)

36. Fanta-Nacro, Regina: La nuit de la vérité (2004)

37. Faye, Safi: Fad'jal (1979)

38. Fletcher, Anne: Step Up (2006), 27 Dresses (2008), The Proposal (2009)

39. Fontaine, Anne: Coco Before Chanel (2009)

40. Foster, Jodi: Little Man Tate (1991)

41. Freeman, Marylin: Group (2002)

42. Gabbert, Laura: No Impact Man (2009)

43. Gorris, Marleen: Antonia’s Line (1995)

44. Grady, Rachel: Jesus Camp (2006)

45. Guevara-Flanagan, Kristy: Going on 13 (2008)

46. Guy-Blache, Alice: When You and I Were Young (1917)

47. Hadzihalilovic, Lucile: Innocence (2004)

48. Hardwicke, Catherine: Twilight (2008), Thirteen (2003), and Lords of Dogtown (2005)

49. Harron, Mary: American Pyscho (2000)

50. Heckerling, Amy: Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), Clueless (1995)

51. Hines, Cheryl: Serious Moonlight (2009)

52. Hunt, Courtney: Frozen River (2008)

53. Hurd, Gale Anne: (Producer)

54. Jenkins, Patty: Monster (2003)

55. Jenson, Vicky: Post Grad (2009)

56. July, Miranda: Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005)

57. Kawase, Naomi: The Mourning Forest (2007)

58. Khan, Farah: Om Shanti Om (2007), Main Hoon Na (2004)

59. Kuras, Ellen: (Cinematographer)

60. Kusama, Karyn: Girlfight (2000), Jennifer’s Body (2009)

61. Labaki, Nadine: Caramel (2007)

62. Lemmons, Kasi: Eve's Bayou (1997)

63. Loden, Barbara: Wanda (1970), The Frontier Experience (1975)

64. Lopez, Issa: Casi Divas (2008)

65. Lupino, Ida: The Hitch-Hiker (1953)

66. Lynch, Jennifer: Boxing Helena (1993), Surveillance (2008)

67. Maggenti, Maria: The Incredibly True Adventures of Two Girls in Love

68. Makhmalbaf, Samira: 11'09''01 - September 11 (2002)

69. Marking, Havana: Cold Souls (2009)

70. Marshall, Penny: Big (1988), A League of Their Own (1992), Riding in Cars with Boys (2001)

71. Martel, Lucretia: The Headless Woman (2008)

72. Mehta, Deepa: Earth (1998), Water (2005)

73. Meyers, Nancy: Something's Gotta Give (2003), The Holiday (2006)

74. Miller, Rebecca: The Private Lives of Pippa Lee (2009)

75. Minh-Ha, Trinh T.: Shoot for the Contents (1992)

76. Moffatt, Tracey: Night Cries: A Rural Tragedy (1989)

77. Nair, Mira: Salaam Bombay! (1988), Mississippi Masala (1991), Amelia (2009)

78. Neshat, Shirin: (Video Artist)

79. Obomsawin, Alanis: Is the Crown at War with Us? (2002)

80. Ottinger, Ulrike: Prater (2007)

81. Owens, Phoebe: Tammytown (2007)

82. Parmar, Pratibha: Warrior Marks (1993), Nina’s Heavenly Delights (2006)

83. Peters, Barbara: Bury Me an Angel (1972)

84. Polley, Sarah: Away From Her (2006)

85. Potter, Sally: Orlando (1992), The Tango Lesson (1997)

86. Prince-Bythewood, Gina: Love & Basketball (2000), The Secret Life of Bees (2008)

87. Ramsay, Lynne: Ratcatcher (1999)

88. Reichardt, Kelly: Wendy and Lucy (2008)

89. Riefenstahl, Leni: Triumph of the Will (1935)

90. Reiniger, Lotte: Sleeping Beauty (1922), Snow White and Rose Red (1954)

91. Rice, Amy: By the People: The Election of Barack Obama (2009)

92. Robinson, Angela: D.E.B.S (2004)

93. Rothman, Stephanie: The Student Nurses (1970), Terminal Island (1973), The Velvet Vampire (1971)

94. Rozema, Patricia: Mansfield Park (1999), Kitt Kittredge: An American Girl (2008)

95. Sams, Alicia: By the People: The Election of Barack Obama (2009)

96. Sander, Helke: Mitten im Malestream (2005)

97. Sanders-Brahms, Helma: Die Berührte (1981)

98. Sasaki, Megumi: Herb & Dorothy (2008)

56. Satrapi, Marjane: Persepolis (2007)

99. Scherfig, Lone: An Education (2009)

100. Schneeemann, Carolee: Fuses (1967)

101. Seidelman, Susan: Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), Making Mr. Right (1987)

102. Sen, Aparna: Mr. and Mrs. Iyer (2002)

103. Shelton, Lynn: Humpday (2009)

104. Sherr Klein, Bonnie: Not a Love Story: A Film About Pornography (1981)

105. Shum, Mina: Double Happiness (1994)

106. Skogland, Kari: 50 Dead Men Walking (2008)

107. Sperling, Andrea: (Producer)

108. Spheeris, Penelope: Wayne’s World (1992)

109. Streisand, Barbara: Yentl (1983), The Prince of Tides (1991)

110. Tandan, Loveleen: Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

111. Taymor, Julie: Titus (1999), Frida (2002)

112. Thomas, Betty: Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel (2009)

113. Timoner, Ondi: Dig! (2004), We Live in Public (2009)

114. Todd, Loretta: The Learning Path (1991)

115. Troche, Rose: Go Fish (1994), The Safety of Objects (2001)


116. Varda, Agnès: Vagabond (1985)

117. Vardalos, Nia: I Hate Valentine's Day (2009)

118. Vasarhelyi, Elizabeth Chai: Youssou N'Dour: I Bring What I Love (2008)

119. Von Trotta, Margarethe: Marianne & Julianne (1981)

120. Weiland, Joyce: Reason Over Passion (1969), Birds at Sunrise (1986)

121. Wheeler, Anne: A War Story (1981), Better Than Chocolate (1999)

122. Wishman, Doris: Hideout in the Sun (1960), Nude on the Moon (1961)

123. Yedaya, Keren: Or (My treasure) (2004)

124. Yu, Jessica: Ping Pong Playa (2007)