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Edie & Thea: A Very Long Engagement
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Edie & Thea: A Very Long Engagement

2009
Forty-two years of romance, struggle and shared adventures finally culminate in marriage for lifelong lesbian couple Edie and Thea, who met in the 1960s and stayed together through the turbulent decades of activism and social change that followed. Looking at pictures from their past, the women marvel at simple triumphs -- buying their first house together -- and reminisce about the constant fear of exposure they once felt.

Directed by:

  • Susan Muska
    • rating:3.7.png 3.7 Average Rating


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    High Lonesome: The Story of Bluegrass Music
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    High Lonesome: The Story of Bluegrass Music

    1994
    Longtime fans of bluegrass music and those only recently discovering it will appreciate this documentary on the genre, which was born of a combination of African and Celtic sounds and is the base of American country music. This film traces the musical form from its Appalachian roots to the present and features more than 100 songs performed by legends such as Bill Monroe, the Stanley Brothers, Mac Wiseman, Jimmy Martin, Flatt & Scruggs and others.

    Directed by:

  • Rachel Liebling
    • rating:3.7.png 3.7 Average Rating


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    Freakonomics
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    Freakonomics

    2010
    Freakonomics explains different elements of popular culture through economic theory and statistics. Issues include everything from cheating sumo wrestlers to whether Roe v. Wade produced a drop in crime.

    Directed by:

  • Heidi Ewing
    • rating:3.7.png 3.7 Average Rating


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    Deconstructing Supper
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    Deconstructing Supper

    2002
    On a personal quest to understand our food choices, acclaimed chef John Bishop travels around the world exploring where genetically modified crops come from, whether they may be harmful and what alternative options currently exist. Through interviews with farmers, scientists and activists, this thought-provoking documentary offers substantial insight into the nuts and bolts of global food production.

    Directed by:

  • Marianne Kaplan
    • rating:3.7.png 3.7 Average Rating


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    Carmen & Geoffrey
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    Carmen & Geoffrey

    2009
    Filmmaker Linda Atkinson profiles an uncommon husband-and-wife team in this biographical portrait of dancer-choreographer Carmen De Lavallade and her husband, Geoffrey Holder, a choreographer, painter and set and costume designer. Highlights include candid interviews and performance footage that capture dance greats such as Judith Jamison, Gus Solomons Jr., Dudley Williams, Ulysses Dove and Alvin Ailey in action.

    Directed by:

  • Linda Atkinson
    • rating:3.7.png 3.7 Average Rating


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    Time of Fear
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    Time of Fear

    2004
    One of the most heroic times in American history is also the darkest; while World War II raged on and U.S. soldiers fought for freedom and democracy elsewhere, Japanese-Americans were removed from their homes and communities and interned in camps situated in the farthest recesses of Arkansas. Footage of teachers and internees makes time stand still as the subjects relive their most poignant experiences from that dark era.

    Directed by:

  • Sue Williams
    • rating:3.7.png 3.7 Average Rating


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    Before Stonewall
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    Before Stonewall

    1984
    Life was very different before the 1969 Stonewall riots put the issue of gay rights front and center in America. Using archival films and interviews with gays and lesbians who were forced to hide their sexuality for fear of reprisals, this documentary by Robert Rosenberg, Greta Schiller and John Scagliotti sheds light on American gay life from the 1920s to the 1960s and the sociopolitical climate that finally led to profound change.

    Directed by:

  • Greta Schiller
    • rating:3.7.png 3.7 Average Rating


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    Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel
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    Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel

    2009
    Through interviews and rare footage, this documentary chronicles Hefner's journey, from the founding of Playboy magazine -- and the launch of the sexual revolution -- to his support for a wide range of progressive causes.

    Directed by:

  • Brigitte Berman
    • rating:3.7.png 3.7 Average Rating


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    Stonewall Jackson
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    Stonewall Jackson

    1995
    An outstanding commander and brilliant tactician, Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson led some of the most stunning campaigns of the Civil War, earning a storied place in military history. In this installment of A&E's popular "Biography" series, renowned Civil War historians and military experts examine period accounts and the general's battleground strategies, producing a revealing portrait of an impressive career.

    Directed by:

  • Donna E. Lusitana
    • rating:3.7.png 3.7 Average Rating


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    Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work
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    Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work

    2010
    Documentarians Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg provide an uncompromising glimpse into the personal and professional life of comedian and red-carpet mainstay Joan Rivers, a woman clinging stubbornly and steadfastly to the pop-culture bandwagon.

    Directed by:

  • Ricki Stern
    • rating:3.6.png 3.6 Average Rating


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    Crips and Bloods: Made in America
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    Crips and Bloods: Made in America

    2008
    Through archival footage and first-person accounts from members of both factions, filmmaker Stacy Peralta's riveting documentary examines the culture of the infamous Los Angeles street gangs known as the Crips and the Bloods. Probing the deadly rivalry's genesis, Peralta explores the late 1960s conditions that have given rise to decades of bloodshed and heartache for generations of black Angelenos.

    Directed by:

  • Stacy Peralta
    • rating:3.6.png 3.6 Average Rating


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    Forgiving Dr. Mengele
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    Forgiving Dr. Mengele

    2006
    During the Holocaust, Eva Mozes Kor and her twin sister, Miriam, were selected for a series of horrifying genetic experiments at the hands of the infamous Dr. Josef Mengele. Ironically, because of these experiments, the girls were able to survive Auschwitz; much of their family did not. In this documentary, Kor returns to Auschwitz on a quest to heal her wounds with an astonishing and controversial act of forgiveness.

    Directed by:

  • Bob Hercules
  • Cheri Pugh
    • rating:3.6.png 3.6 Average Rating


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    America: The Story of Us
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    America: The Story of Us

    2010
    Experience American history like never before with this television miniseries, narrated by Liev Schreiber, that highlights such momentous events as the arrival of the Pilgrims, the American Revolution, the Civil War and the incredible lunar landing.

    Directed by:

  • Nick Green
  • Marion Milne
  • Andrew Chater
  • Jenny Ash
  • Clare Beavan
  • Renny Bartlett
    • rating:3.6.png 3.6 Average Rating


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    The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill
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    The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill

    2005
    This poignant documentary chronicles the true story of a modern-day St. Francis of Assisi, a homeless San Francisco street musician by the name of Mark Bittner who adopts a flock of wild parrots as he searches for meaning in his life. With a surprise ending that left festival audiences cheering, director Judy Irving's film celebrates urban wildness -- human and avian -- and links parrot antics to human behavior.

    Directed by:

  • Judy Irving
    • rating:3.6.png 3.6 Average Rating


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    NOW on PBS: Fixing the Future
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    NOW on PBS: Fixing the Future

    2010
    Actor David Brancaccio leads an exploration of new opportunities in the wake of 2008's financial meltdown. From Maine to Washington State, Brancaccio shares stories of regular Americans reinventing their way out of the Great Recession, including leaders of cooperatives, entrepreneurs, and activists committed to buying and hiring locally. Nobel Prize winners and economists also offer reflections on this new era's challenges.

    Directed by:

  • Ellen Spiro
    • rating:3.6.png 3.6 Average Rating


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    The Ground Truth
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    The Ground Truth

    2006
    Director Patricia Foulkrod's powerful documentary spotlights American soldiers sharing -- with aching honesty -- their experiences on the battlefield in Iraq and back home as they try to reassemble their lives. These men and women discuss the anguish of war, the difficulties of readjusting to life after their tours of duty and the often callous treatment returning troops receive from the military and the Veterans Administration.

    Directed by:

  • Patricia Foulkrod
    • rating:3.6.png 3.6 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   
    We periodically update our movie database by adding new female directors and their movies. If you would like to receive notice of these new additions when they happen, please email us at:
    frances 'at' femaledirectors.com