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The Secret Life of Words
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The Secret Life of Words

2005
After surviving the war in Yugoslavia, taciturn nurse Hanna heads to Ireland for some relaxation. But when she hears about an oil-rig accident off the coast, she agrees to tend to a heroic burn victim, who changes her life.

Directed by:

  • Isabel Coixet
    • rating:3.6.png 3.6 Average Rating


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    Fire
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    Fire

    1996
    Two Hindu women struggle with loveless, arranged marriages: Sita (Nandita Das), who discovers that her husband (Javed Jaffrey) has a mistress, and her sister-in-law, Radha (Shabana Azmi), who cannot give birth. As the lukewarm coals of their long-term relationships fade, the women ignite passion in their lives by finding comfort in each other. Director Deepa Mehta's drama is supposedly the first Indian film about lesbians.

    Directed by:

  • Deepa Mehta
    • rating:3.6.png 3.6 Average Rating


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    Fest Selects: Best Lesbian Shorts: Vol. 1
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    Fest Selects: Best Lesbian Shorts: Vol. 1

    2008
    From the high price of dildos in Kate Brandt's "Tools 4 Fools" to an apocalyptic break-up rendered hysterically funny in Chris Russo's "25 Random Things I Did During My Big Fat Lesbian Depression," these shorts depict life from a lesbian perspective.

    Directed by:

  • Kate A. Brandt
  • Erik Gernand
  • Gina Hirsch
  • Jenifer Malmqvist
  • Meredith Scott Lynn
  • Gianna Sobol
  • P. David Ebersole
  • Christine J. Russo
    • rating:3.6.png 3.6 Average Rating


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    The High Cost of Living
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    The High Cost of Living

    2010
    Well-to-do housewife Nathalie eagerly awaits the birth of her first child, while elsewhere in Montreal, small-time drug dealer Henry plans his next score. One night, their contrasting lives become intertwined when Henry hits Nathalie with his car.

    Directed by:

  • Deborah Chow
    • rating:3.6.png 3.6 Average Rating


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    I Like It Like That
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    I Like It Like That

    1994
    Lisette (Lauren Velez) and Chino Linares (Jon Seda) live in the Bronx with their three children and are barely scraping by. During a blackout, Chino gets arrested for stealing a stereo. In order to raise the bail money, Lisette lands a job as an assistant to a record executive (Griffin Dunne) who believes he knows everything about Latino music. Lisette proves him wrong, and her career takes off -- much to the chagrin of the jealous Chino.

    Directed by:

  • Darnell Martin
    • rating:3.5.png 3.5 Average Rating


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    The Poker House
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    The Poker House

    2008
    Jennifer Lawrence stars in this gritty, coming-of-age drama as Agnes, the resilient eldest sister of a trio of young siblings forced to grow up in a broken home frequented by drug dealers, criminals, pimps and gamblers. Featuring a host of standout supporting performances, this effort from actress-turned-director Lori Petty also stars Selma Blair, Clarke Peters, David Alan Grier and Bokeem Woodbine.

    Directed by:

  • Lori Petty
    • rating:3.5.png 3.5 Average Rating


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    My Life Without Me
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    My Life Without Me

    2003
    A mother of two stuck in a dead-end job, 23-year-old Anne (Sarah Polley) has received nothing but grief from her troubled parents and her slacker husband (Scott Speedman). But it takes an illness with a bleak prognosis to break open her longing for a better life. When she finds out she's dying, Anne makes a list of important things she wants to accomplish: get acrylic nails, sleep with another man and, most of all, realize her true potential.

    Directed by:

  • Isabel Coixet
    • rating:3.5.png 3.5 Average Rating


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    All Over the Guy
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    All Over the Guy

    2001
    Striking a healthy, loving balance in a relationship is no easy trick, no matter what your sexual orientation. For Eli and Tom, a set-up first date goes horribly awry. But when they meet again later, without any pressure, a connection is made.

    Directed by:

  • Julie Davis
    • rating:3.5.png 3.5 Average Rating


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    Priest
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    Priest

    1994
    Director Antonia Bird's film centers on Father Greg Pilkington (Linus Roache), a devout Catholic priest who struggles with a love for his church and congregation -- and his secret life as a homosexual with a gay lover (Robert Carlyle). After hearing the confession of a young girl in his parish, who tells him her father is sexually abusing her, the priest is torn between the laws of the church and his need to choose one life over the other.

    Directed by:

  • Antonia Bird
    • rating:3.5.png 3.5 Average Rating


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    It's Kind of a Funny Story
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    It's Kind of a Funny Story

    2010
    Being a teenager is too much for 16-year-old Craig (Keir Gilchrist), who shocks his parents (Lauren Graham and Jim Gaffigan) by checking himself into a mental health clinic for a little R & R. But when the youth ward is unexpectedly closed, he's forced to live among the adult patients. Zach Galifianakis, Viola Davis, Emma Roberts and Aasif Mandvi co-star in this quirky drama written and directed by the screenwriters of Half Nelson.

    Directed by:

  • Anna Boden
    • rating:3.5.png 3.5 Average Rating


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    Waitress
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    Waitress

    2007
    Keri Russell stars as Jenna, a waitress whose fabulous pies are about the only sweet ingredient in an otherwise dreary existence. That is, until an unwanted pregnancy breeds unexpected romance between Jenna and an attractive doctor. Written by director and co-star Adrienne Shelly (who was murdered shortly before the film's selection for Sundance), this charmer is a frank and funny examination of the fears brought on by impending motherhood.

    Directed by:

  • Adrienne Shelly
    • rating:3.5.png 3.5 Average Rating


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    Saving Face
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    Saving Face

    2005
    Dutiful daughter Wil (Michelle Krusiec) sidesteps her mother's (Joan Chen) attempts to marry her off in Alice Wu's romantic comedy. At 28, Wil's the old maid of her traditional Chinese family, so there's no way she can tell them about her budding lesbian romance with Vivian (Lynn Chen). But her widowed mom has her own problems, as she learns she's pregnant at 48. Kicked out by her disapproving father, she seeks refuge at Wil's place.

    Directed by:

  • Alice Wu
    • rating:3.5.png 3.5 Average Rating


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    My First Mister
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    My First Mister

    2001
    Against all odds, a 49-year-old store owner and his teenage clerk become close friends. He's neurotic, and she's from a dysfunctional family, but together, they heal emotional wounds and form an unbreakable bond.

    Directed by:

  • Christine Lahti
    • rating:3.5.png 3.5 Average Rating


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    Run Away Home
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    Run Away Home

    2004
    After her family moves to a conservative town, teenager Tamara finds friendship with Brenda and starts dating Rusty. But when her mother contracts tuberculosis and is sent away, Tamara becomes responsible for keeping her family together.

    Directed by:

  • Gail Harvey
    • rating:3.5.png 3.5 Average Rating


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    Away from Her
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    Away from Her

    2006
    Grant (Gordon Pinsent) plunges into an emotional abyss after moving his Alzheimer's-stricken wife (Julie Christie) to a nursing facility and keeping his distance for her benefit. When she turns her affections toward another man, waves of guilt for past behavior pass over Grant. Christie earned an Oscar nomination for portraying the fading yet graceful Fiona in this astute and solemn tale written and directed by Sarah Polley.

    Directed by:

  • Sarah Polley
    • rating:3.5.png 3.5 Average Rating


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    American Splendor
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    American Splendor

    2003
    Paul Giamatti stars as Harvey Pekar, a working-class stiff file clerk who found an outlet for his creativity by chronicling the minutia of his life in Cleveland, Ohio, in a comic-book series called &NFi;American Splendor&NFi_; for more than 20 years. Hope Davis co-stars as Pekar's wife, Joyce Brabner, in this revealing biopic, which tells Pekar's story through a blend of two-dimensional images, archival footage and more.

    Directed by:

  • Shari Springer Berman
    • rating:3.5.png 3.5 Average Rating


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    Now and Then
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    Now and Then

    1995
    Waxing nostalgic about the bittersweet passage from childhood to puberty in this tender coming-of-age tale, four childhood girlfriends -- Teeny, Chrissy, Samantha and Roberta -- recall the magical summer of 1970. During their walk down memory lane, they reconcile experiences with boys, secrets, bullies and more. Lesli Linka Glatter directs; Gaby Hoffmann, Ashleigh Aston Moore, Cloris Leachman, Thora Birch and Christina Ricci co-star.

    Directed by:

  • Lesli Linka Glatter
    • rating:3.8.png 3.8 Average Rating


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    Now and Then (1995)
    A heartwarming movie about four childhood girlfriends who, in adulthood reunion, relive their experience of the life-changing summer of 1970, including a mystery death, divorce, standing up to the boys, first kiss, and the meaning of true friendship. Each explores her unique identity amidst family and friends. Beautifully directed by Lesli Linka Glatter.
    - Frances   
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    frances 'at' femaledirectors.com