Documentary
Homeland
rating:3.9.png

Homeland

2005
Follow the inspiring stories of five courageous Native American activists battling to defend their vulnerable land and people against wildly unsafe environmental hazards, including methane gas wells, oil drilling, uranium mining and industrial waste. Filled with beautifully composed images of spectacular landscapes, this documentary features noted activist Winona LaDuke urging viewers to abandon destruction and embrace respect.

Directed by:

  • Roberta Grossman
    • rating:3.9.png 3.9 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    Titanic: The Complete Story
    rating:3.9.png

    Titanic: The Complete Story

    1994
    Featuring newsreel footage and filmed testimonials of survivors and historians, this award-winning documentary examines one of history's unforgettable tragedies, the sinking of the &NFi;Titanic&NFi_; ocean liner, during which more than 1,500 lives were lost. The most complete chronicle of the &NFi;Titanic&NFi_; disaster ever created, this History Channel special details the origins of the vessel, the ship's doomed voyage and its aftermath.

    Directed by:

  • Edith Becker
    • rating:3.9.png 3.9 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    Wake Up
    rating:3.9.png

    Wake Up

    2010
    As unlikely as it may seem, Jonas Elrod woke up one day with the power to see and hear angels, demons and ghosts. Filmed over the course of three years, this documentary follows Jonas and his girlfriend as they try to understand why this happened. Through the course of their cross-country journey, the couple discovers surprising revelations about the world, the nature of mankind and much more.

    Directed by:

  • Jonas Elrod
  • Chloe Crespi
    • rating:3.9.png 3.9 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    Speaking in Tongues
    rating:3.9.png

    Speaking in Tongues

    2009
    Filmmakers Marcia Jarmel and Ken Schneider follow four public-school children and document their experiences as they learn second languages in this compelling film that puts a human face on the often-fiery debate over bilingual education in America. Two children born outside the United States are placed in immersion programs to learn English, while two native English speakers enroll in classes taught in other languages.

    Directed by:

  • Marcia Jarmel
    • rating:3.9.png 3.9 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    Emmanuel's Gift
    rating:3.9.png

    Emmanuel's Gift

    2005
    Oprah Winfrey narrates this inspirational look at living with a disability in Ghana -- where the physically handicapped are outcast -- as seen through the eyes of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah, who was born with a deformed right leg. While most of the nation's 2 million citizens deemed "disabled" suffer discrimination, abandonment and ridicule, Emmanuel has dedicated his life to traveling the country via bicycle to open people's minds and to transform lives.

    Directed by:

  • Lisa Lax
  • Nancy Stern
    • rating:3.9.png 3.9 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    The Legend of Pancho Barnes and the Happy Bottom Riding Club
    rating:3.9.png

    The Legend of Pancho Barnes and the Happy Bottom Riding Club

    2009
    Vivacious and brilliant, Florence "Pancho" Barnes was an aviation legend whose daring stunt flying set the bar for both male and female pilots. This documentary narrated by Tom Skerritt examines her influence on a generation of flyers.

    Directed by:

  • Amanda Pope
    • rating:3.9.png 3.9 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    Milton Glaser: To Inform and Delight
    rating:3.9.png

    Milton Glaser: To Inform and Delight

    2009
    His name might not be very familiar, but the works of graphic artist Milton Glaser -- whose prolific output includes the "I Love NY" ad campaign, as well as album covers for Townes Van Zandt and Nina Simone -- are recognizable to many. Revisiting the famed paintings, drawings, logos, prints, posters and other works by Glaser, filmmaker Wendy Keys creates a rich and engaging mosaic of a key figure in American iconography.

    Directed by:

  • Wendy Keys
    • rating:3.9.png 3.9 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire
    rating:3.9.png

    Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire

    2004
    As Europeans worked to extend their reach across the globe, the people of Japan were decidedly isolationist. This documentary spotlights 16th- and 17th-century Japan as seen through the eyes of the samurai, the artist, the foreigner and many others.

    Directed by:

  • Lyn Goldfarb
  • Deborah Ann DeSnoo
    • rating:3.9.png 3.9 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    Ulysses S. Grant: Warrior / President: American Experience
    rating:3.9.png

    Ulysses S. Grant: Warrior / President: American Experience

    2002
    Ulysses S. Grant was one of America's most paradoxical leaders. The greatest hero of the Civil War, Grant was a brilliant military strategist who rose from obscurity to George Washington's former rank. Propelled into the White House by his battlefield success, Grant lacked the political skills to deal with reconstructing the South and managing the nation's rapidly expanding economy, and his life after the White House was filled with disaster.

    Directed by:

  • Adriana Bosch
    • rating:3.9.png 3.9 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    The Lottery
    rating:3.9.png

    The Lottery

    2010
    In this penetrating look at public education in America, filmmaker Madeleine Sackler follows four children through the highs and lows of a life-changing lottery, where the prize is a spot in one of New York City's best charter schools. When presented with a chance to pull their youngsters out of a failing system, some parents dare to be cautiously optimistic, knowing full well there are hundreds of thousands of kids in the pool.

    Directed by:

  • Madeleine Sackler
    • rating:3.9.png 3.9 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens
    rating:3.9.png

    Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens

    2008
    This documentary takes an in-depth look at the influential career of iconic photographer Annie Leibovitz, from her earliest artistic efforts to her storied tenure at Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair magazines and beyond. Intimately filmed by Annie's sister Barbara Leibovitz, the program features interviews with the artist as she works at home, along with telling insights from many of the celebrities she has photographed, such as Mick Jagger.

    Directed by:

  • Barbara Leibovitz
    • rating:3.9.png 3.9 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    Can We Make it to Mars?: Nova scienceNOW
    rating:3.9.png

    Can We Make it to Mars?: Nova scienceNOW

    2011
    Host Neil deGrasse Tyson escorts viewers on an examination of the questions surrounding humans' ability to survive a roundtrip journey of up to three years to Mars. Can astronauts survive that long without gravity? How will their food be kept palatable? Scientists and engineers discuss advances in radiation-defying, skin-tight space suits, exercises to keep bones healthy, the preservation of foodstuffs, and plasma-powered, super-fast spaceships.

    Directed by:

  • Sarah Holt
    • rating:3.9.png 3.9 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers
    rating:3.9.png

    The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers

    2009
    Revisiting a pivotal point in American history, this documentary chronicles Pentagon insider Daniel Ellsberg's daring endeavor to leak top-secret government papers that disclosed shocking truths about the Vietnam War and Nixon's presidency.

    Directed by:

  • Judith Ehrlich
    • rating:3.9.png 3.9 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    The Future of Food
    rating:3.9.png

    The Future of Food

    2004
    Before compiling your next grocery list, you might want to watch filmmaker Deborah Koons Garcia's eye-opening documentary, which sheds light on a shadowy relationship between agriculture, big business and government. By examining the effects of biotechnology on the nation's smallest farmers, the film reveals the unappetizing truth about genetically modified foods: You could unknowingly be serving them for dinner.

    Directed by:

  • Deborah Koons
    • rating:3.9.png 3.9 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    Gogol Bordello: Non-Stop
    rating:3.9.png

    Gogol Bordello: Non-Stop

    2008
    Soak up the eclectic sounds of Gogol Bordello -- the New York City-based "gypsy punk" outfit headed by vibrant front man Eugene Hütz -- as filmmaker Margarita Jimeno takes you onstage and behind the scenes with the band from 2001-06. With musical influences running the gamut from klezmer to dub to the works of Hungarian composer Béla Bartók, the band generates a serious buzz as fans flock to their notoriously raucous shows.

    Directed by:

  • Margarita Jimeno
    • rating:3.9.png 3.9 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    Egypt's Golden Empire
    rating:3.9.png

    Egypt's Golden Empire

    2002
    This program tracks the development of Egypt's New Kingdom, a majestic era marked by the rise of powerful rulers, the birth of a sophisticated civilization, and advances in art, culture and politics that would influence the world for years to come.

    Directed by:

  • Richard Bradley
  • James Hawes
  • Ciara Byrne
    • rating:3.9.png 3.9 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