Documentary
The Oath
rating:3.4.png

The Oath

2010
Oscar-nominated director Laura Poitras's documentary tells of two men whose fateful meeting in 1996 led them on a journey that would include Osama bin Laden, the horrific events of 9/11, Guantanamo Bay and a brush with the U.S. Supreme Court.

Directed by:

  • Laura Poitras
    • rating:3.4.png 3.4 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    One Nation Under God
    rating:3.4.png

    One Nation Under God

    1993
    This documentary explores the humorous techniques -- including theory from psychiatry and religion -- proposed to "cure" homosexuals. Through interviews and footage from the annals, the argument is made that homosexuality is nothing short of an affliction that can be treated. "Former" lesbian women are featured getting beauty tips, while "former" gay men take to the football fields to prove their masculinity.

    Directed by:

  • Teodoro Maniaci
  • Francine Rzeznik
    • rating:3.4.png 3.4 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    The Tailenders: POV
    rating:3.4.png

    The Tailenders: POV

    2006
    Like other Christian missionaries, Gospel Recordings blends marketing and emotion to help promote the message of Christian faith to non-Christians around the world. The difference is that this group of evangelists uses technology, specifically, audio recordings in over 5,000 languages, to spread the word. Filmed in Mexico, India, the Solomon Islands and the U.S., this installment of the PBS Series "POV" is a 2007 Independent Spirit Award nominee.

    Directed by:

  • Adele Horne
    • rating:3.4.png 3.4 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    American Experience: The Kennedys
    rating:3.4.png

    American Experience: The Kennedys

    1992
    The cult of Camelot is demystified in this fascinating PBS documentary featuring interviews with Kennedy family members and friends, archival footage, never-before-seen photographs and other documents. What comes across is a detailed portrait of a political dynasty that figured prominently in American history and continues to do so in the new millennium. The documentary ncludes an interview with historian Robert Dallek.

    Directed by:

  • Marilyn H. Mellowes
    • rating:3.4.png 3.4 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    The True Meaning of Pictures: Shelby Lee Adams' Appalachia
    rating:3.4.png

    The True Meaning of Pictures: Shelby Lee Adams' Appalachia

    2002
    Documentarian Jennifer Baichwal tells the true stories behind the faces of the Kentucky Appalachian inhabitants -- once labeled hillbillies -- who were originally captured through the camera lens of photographer Shelby Lee Adams 30 years earlier. Baichwal tracks the lives of two families who have each endured their share of heartache throughout their struggle to resist the influence of American popular culture.

    Directed by:

  • Jennifer Baichwal
    • rating:3.4.png 3.4 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    Luther Vandross: Journeys in Black
    rating:3.4.png

    Luther Vandross: Journeys in Black

    2001
    Black Entertainment Television presents a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the life and work of soul singer Luther Vandross. Born in Harlem, Vandross developed a love for music after seeing performances at the Apollo Theater as a child. It was time well spent, as his inimitable rhythm and blues vocal stylings have become the "sound of love" for more than 20 years.

    Directed by:

  • Stephanie Frederic
    • rating:3.4.png 3.4 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    American Teen
    rating:3.4.png

    American Teen

    2008
    In this slice-of-life documentary, filmmaker Nanette Burstein follows five high school seniors in Warsaw, Ind., and captures their struggles in and out of the classrooms, including their friendships and romantic relationships. Chock full of the drama and emotion that accompany the adolescent experience, the film offers a compelling glimpse into the problems and issues that teenagers confront on a daily basis.

    Directed by:

  • Nanette Burstein
    • rating:3.4.png 3.4 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    Urban Explorers: Into the Darkness
    rating:3.4.png

    Urban Explorers: Into the Darkness

    2007
    Discover the secret world of urban explorers, daring modern archaeologists who seek out the hidden nooks and crannies of cities in abandoned subway stations, long-sealed sewers and condemned buildings, in this captivating documentary. Filmmaker Melody Gilbert joins these thrill seekers as they hunt for the lost trappings of the modern world and, in the process, shines a light on a fascinating subculture that is, quite literally, underground.

    Directed by:

  • Melody Gilbert
    • rating:3.4.png 3.4 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    Pink Saris
    rating:3.4.png

    Pink Saris

    2010
    Documentarian Kim Longinotto relates the powerful story of Sampat Pal Devi, the tough-minded leader of the Gulabi Gang, a group devoted to obtaining equal rights for women in India and ending the violent discrimination that still plagues them. The Gulabi Gang, whose members wear bright pink saris, protest dowry deaths, the marrying off of very young girls, and India's strict caste system, even though their own violent methods raise questions.

    Directed by:

  • Kim Longinotto
    • rating:3.4.png 3.4 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    Picture Me
    rating:3.4.png

    Picture Me

    2009
    Go behind the scenes and experience both the glamour and the darker side of the high fashion industry as filmmaker Ole Schell documents girlfriend Sara Ziff's rise to international model status in this revealing film. Taking place over several years, the documentary features interviews with numerous models in the industry and includes appearances by designers Karl Lagerfeld and Nicole Miller, photographer Gilles Bensimon and others.

    Directed by:

  • Ole Schell
  • Sara Ziff
    • rating:3.4.png 3.4 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    The Education of Shelby Knox
    rating:3.4.png

    The Education of Shelby Knox

    2005
    Small-town Texas teenager Shelby Knox becomes an advocate for sex education (and the local media's so-called "Sex Ed Girl") when she tries to improve the county's sky-high teen pregnancy rate by challenging her high school's policy of teaching abstinence. In this documentary from Marion Lipschutz and Rose Rosenblatt -- which uses footage shot over a three-year period -- the action unfolds almost effortlessly, revealing a stunning transformation.

    Directed by:

  • Marion Lipschutz
    • rating:3.4.png 3.4 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    The Reckoning
    rating:3.4.png

    The Reckoning

    2009
    In this powerful documentary, filmmaker Pamela Yates follows Luis Moreno Ocampo and his team of attorneys from the International Criminal Court (ICC) across four continents, chronicling their attempts to arrest and prosecute war criminals. Created in 2002, the ICC became the first permanent international court to try crimes against humanity. With no police force to back them up, Ocampo and his colleagues face enormous challenges in their quest.

    Directed by:

  • Pamela Yates
    • rating:3.4.png 3.4 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    On Native Soil
    rating:3.4.png

    On Native Soil

    2005
    Focusing on the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, director Linda Ellman's potent film combines hard-hitting reporting, graphic footage and emotional drama to chronicle the efforts of the victims' families to hold the government accountable for the tragedy. Their search for the truth ultimately led to the 9/11 Commission Report, a document that spawned a series of national security reforms. Kevin Costner and Hilary Swank provide the narration.

    Directed by:

  • Linda Ellman
    • rating:3.4.png 3.4 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    Dr. Bronner's Magic Soapbox
    rating:3.4.png

    Dr. Bronner's Magic Soapbox

    2006
    Brilliant chemist, Holocaust survivor and mental hospital escapee, Dr. Emanuel Bronner invented his famous Magic Soap and founded the environmentally concerned company that's just as popular today as it was among the counterculture in the 1970s. This documentary captures the complexity of Bronner's relationship with his son Ralph, who spent years in orphanages and foster homes as his eccentric father sought to unite all mankind.

    Directed by:

  • Sara Lamm
    • rating:3.4.png 3.4 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    Sister Helen
    rating:3.4.png

    Sister Helen

    2002
    This award-winning documentary centers on Sister Helen Travis, an unconventional nun and recovering alcoholic who runs a halfway house in the Bronx, dispensing her unique form of tough love in a tireless effort to help recovering addicts.

    Directed by:

  • Rebecca Cammisa
    • rating:3.4.png 3.4 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    Rent Boys
    rating:3.4.png

    Rent Boys

    2011
    This nonjudgmental and engrossing documentary profiles the lives of five male sex workers in Germany, three of whom are Roma. They tell their stories with candor, revealing how past experiences and societal expectations shaped their current choices.

    Directed by:

  • Rosa von Praunheim
    • rating:3.4.png 3.4 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    Now and Then
    rating:3.8.png

    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


    Find On Amazon
    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