Documentary
So
rating:2.9.png

So

2006
Unattached filmmaker Aimee Jennings steps in as the subject of her own documentary -- a film inspired by Chris Marker's Sans Soleil -- in this Tribeca Film Festival selection tracing her one-woman road trip through the wilds of Australia. An intriguing combination of pixilated moving images, still photographs and reflective voice-overs, the film touches on several themes, including loneliness, mediocrity, love and the search for happiness.

Directed by:

  • Aimee Jennings
  • rating:2.9.png 2.9 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    Whale Mission
    rating:2.9.png

    Whale Mission

    2005
    Join the hardy crew of the Sedna IV on a research mission to study the Atlantic whale population in its native environment. Driven to near-extinction by the world's hunger for blubber, these massive marine mammals are finally starting to recover. Narrator David Suzuki explains how scientists are trying to preserve and protect the world's whales, how close whales came to dying out and the dangers that still threaten them.

    Directed by:

  • Jean Lemire
  • Caroline Underwood
  • rating:2.9.png 2.9 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    Nico Icon
    rating:2.9.png

    Nico Icon

    1995
    Director Susanne Ofteringer explores the self-destructive world of pop culture, celebrity and drugs through the life of German-born model-artist Nico, who found fame in Federico Fellini's La Dolce Vita and later as a member of Andy Warhol's Factory.

    Directed by:

  • Susanne Ofteringer
  • rating:2.9.png 2.9 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    The Alchemical Dream: Rebirth of the Great Work
    rating:2.9.png

    The Alchemical Dream: Rebirth of the Great Work

    2008
    Mystical, ephemeral and nearly lost to time, alchemy was a "magical theory of nature" widely held in pre-Enlightenment Europe. Author Terence McKenna portrays John Dee, court magician to Queen Elizabeth I, in this history of the discipline. McKenna discusses the role of the science as he travels to key sites in alchemic lore throughout Eastern Europe, including Heidelberg, home to the world's only contemporary alchemy lab.

    Directed by:

  • Sheldon Rocklin
  • Morgan Harris
  • Maxine Rocklin
  • rating:2.9.png 2.9 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    Ten9Eight: Shoot for the Moon
    rating:2.9.png

    Ten9Eight: Shoot for the Moon

    2009
    In filmmaker Mary Mazzio's inspiring documentary, young inner-city students -- entrepreneurs -- discuss their harrowing lives and the numerous obstacles they've overcome as they compete to take home a $10,000 grant to start a business. The diverse group of creative, enthusiastic and determined teens is followed closely as they participate in a prestigious competition hosted by the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship.

    Directed by:

  • Mary Mazzio
  • rating:2.9.png 2.9 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    Mystical Brain
    rating:2.9.png

    Mystical Brain

    2007
    Documentary filmmaker Isabelle Raynauld profiles a groundbreaking study carried out by researchers from the University of Montreal on the potential links between mystical or spiritual states of grace and human health. Enlisting the aid of Carmelite nuns and Buddhist monks, the team of scholars attempts to learn more about how patients can use meditation -- and similar "states of grace" -- to help improve the body's ability to heal.

    Directed by:

  • Isabelle Raynauld
  • rating:2.9.png 2.9 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    Requiem for Billy the Kid
    rating:2.9.png

    Requiem for Billy the Kid

    2006
    French filmmaker Anne Feinsilber revisits the Wild West to investigate the untimely death of famed outlaw William Bonney, known to history as Billy the Kid. Did Sheriff Pat Garrett really kill Billy, or does another man inhabit that New Mexico grave? Amid gorgeous scenic shots and vintage photographs, Feinsilber also explores parallels between the Kid and the short-lived French poet Arthur Rimbaud, whose words are read here by Kris Kristofferson.

    Directed by:

  • Anne Feinsilber
  • rating:2.9.png 2.9 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    The Little Travelers: British Isles
    rating:2.9.png

    The Little Travelers: British Isles

    2008
    See the magic of the British Isles through the eyes of two little girls in this volume of the award-winning travel series. Chantelle Hart and Nakia Hart visit England, Scotland, Ireland and Northern Ireland, with stops at world-renowned attractions. The girls kiss the Blarney Stone, explore the mystery of the Loch Ness Monster, visit the castle that doubles as Hogwart's in the Harry Potter films, discover the world of Beatrix Potter and more.

    Directed by:

  • Angelina Hart
  • rating:2.9.png 2.9 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    Plaster Caster
    rating:2.9.png

    Plaster Caster

    2001
    Chicago artist and groupie Cynthia Plaster Caster -- who preserved rock-and-roll history in her own unique way by casting in plaster (hence her name) the private parts of the famous musicians she slept with -- dishes about her wild past with the help of Camille Paglia, artist Ed Pashke and some of the men she may (or may not) have memorialized: Jello Biafra of the Dead Kennedys, Paul Barker of Ministry and Jeff Tweedy of Wilco.

    Directed by:

  • Jessica Villines
  • rating:2.9.png 2.9 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    Western Towns
    rating:2.9.png

    Western Towns

    2004
    Actor Keith Carradine hosts this fascinating History Channel program examining the role that sound engineering played in the success of some of the most notorious Old West towns, such as Dodge City, Tombstone and Deadwood. According to historians and scholars, part of the reason we still talk about these towns is the fact that they were designed remarkably well -- even though they sprouted up in desolate areas that were once nearly uninhabitable.

    Directed by:

  • Laura Verklan
  • rating:2.9.png 2.9 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    The Church on Dauphine Street
    rating:2.9.png

    The Church on Dauphine Street

    2008
    In the dismal wake of Hurricane Katrina, a band of distinct personalities form a kinship to rebuild a destroyed church in New Orleans and reunite the diverse congregation, including many deaf parishioners, who worshipped there before the disaster. The church's head priest, Father Joseph Benson, gets help from an ex-Marine proficient in sign language and an inspired team of volunteers, some of whom who lost their own homes to the storm.

    Directed by:

  • Ann Hedreen
  • rating:2.9.png 2.9 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    Junior
    rating:2.9.png

    Junior

    2007
    Grab a front-row bench for this riveting portrait of Canada's highly competitive junior hockey division, featuring a season in the life of Baie-Comeau players as they struggle to turn around a losing season under enormous pressure. These young adult men must contend with many elements of a professional sports career, such as appeasing handlers, dealing with fans and being traded -- all while struggling to grow up just like everyone else.

    Directed by:

  • Isabelle Lavigne
  • rating:2.9.png 2.9 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    Savage Planet: Storms of the Century
    rating:2.9.png

    Savage Planet: Storms of the Century

    2000
    If you thought hurricanes were the worst Mother Nature had to offer, think again: Bigger, badder and far bloodier are extratropical cyclones -- several of which are documented in this hair-raising PBS presentation. Through on-site footage, survivor interviews and expert commentary, this documentary brings to life two of the 20th century's worst storms: the 1993 Gulf Coast disaster and the Great Storm of 1953, which ravaged Northern Europe.

    Directed by:

  • Emma Hawley
  • rating:2.9.png 2.9 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    Walk Like a Man
    rating:2.9.png

    Walk Like a Man

    2008
    Former Australian rugby champion Ian Roberts narrates this absorbing documentary chronicling the journeys of two homosexual rugby teams in pursuit of the Bingham Cup, a top honor considered the "World Cup of gay rugby." Filmmakers Patricia Zagarella and Jim Morgison also focus on the trophy's namesake, gay rugby player Mark Bingham, who lost his life Sept. 11, 2001, after storming the cockpit of United Flight 93.

    Directed by:

  • Patricia Zagarella
  • rating:2.9.png 2.9 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    Quest for Honor
    rating:2.9.png

    Quest for Honor

    2008
    Photographer, author and activist Mary Ann Bruni exposes the brutal epidemic of "honor killings" in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, where more than 12,000 teenage girls accused of damaging their families' reputations have been murdered by relatives. Working with the Women's Media and Education Center, a local humanitarian organization, Bruni interviews men involved in the killings, many of whom demonstrate nothing but contempt for the victims.

    Directed by:

  • Mary Ann Bruni
  • rating:2.9.png 2.9 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    Whole
    rating:2.9.png

    Whole

    2003
    Many of us dream of being more than we are -- but the subjects of this offbeat documentary actually want less. Following a mixed group of people who yearn to be amputees, filmmaker Melody Gilbert takes a hard look at a hard-to-believe subculture. Some folks live as "pretenders" and others have shed limbs on purpose. But the psychological disorder that drives their lives may end up destroying their relationships.

    Directed by:

  • Melody Gilbert
  • rating:2.9.png 2.9 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