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Under the Same Moon
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Under the Same Moon

2007
In this tale illuminating the plight of illegal aliens, Kate del Castillo plays Rosario, a woman working illegally in the United States to provide a better life for her son Carlitos (Adrian Alonso), who remains at home in Mexico. Longing for his mother, Carlitos stows away on a van that's headed for the border. But an already treacherous journey becomes even more so when Carlitos is separated from his smugglers (Jesse Garcia and America Ferrera).

Directed by:

  • Patricia Riggen
    • rating:4.0.png 4.0 Average Rating


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    Even the Rain
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    Even the Rain

    2010
    In this provocative film-within-a-film, a director heads to Cochabamba, Bolivia, to shoot a movie about the trespasses of Christopher Columbus in the New World, only to find the locals protesting present-day exploitation of the poor.

    Directed by:

  • rating:4.0.png 4.0 Average Rating


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    Waste Land
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    Waste Land

    2010
    Renowned artist Vik Muniz embarks on one of the most inspired collaborations of his career, joining creative forces with Brazilian garbage pickers who mine treasure from the trash heaps of Rio de Janeiro's Jardim Gramacho landfill.

    Directed by:

  • Lucy Walker
    • rating:4.0.png 4.0 Average Rating


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    After the Wedding
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    After the Wedding

    2006
    To save the failing orphanage he runs in India, Danish transplant Jacob Petersen (Mads Mikkelsen) returns to his homeland to meet a self-indulgent businessman named Jørgen who's offered a generous donation -- and represents everything the noble-minded Jacob abhors. Complicating matters further are the unusual strings Jørgen has attached to his so-called gift. Rolf Lassgård co-stars in this Oscar-nominated emotional powerhouse of a drama.

    Directed by:

  • Susanne Bier
    • rating:3.8.png 3.8 Average Rating


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    Salaam Bombay!
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    Salaam Bombay!

    1988
    This wrenching story concerns a 10-year-old boy who's tossed out onto the streets of Bombay to find work. As he tries to earn enough money to return home, he finds it's hard enough just trying to stay alive in a lawless world.

    Directed by:

  • Mira Nair
    • rating:3.7.png 3.7 Average Rating


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    Chevolution
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    Chevolution

    2008
    This intriguing documentary charts the history of photographer Alberto Korda's iconic portrait of Argentinean revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara, from the moment the picture was taken to its spread as an international symbol of rebellion. Using archival footage, filmmakers Trisha Ziff and Luis Lopez take a fascinating look at how a single image helped galvanize a generation of counterculturists.

    Directed by:

  • Trisha Ziff
    • rating:3.7.png 3.7 Average Rating


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    Cherry Blossoms
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    Cherry Blossoms

    2008
    After finding out that her husband, Rudi (Elmar Wepper), has a fatal illness, Trudi Angermeier (Hannelore Elsner) arranges a trip to Berlin so they can see their children (Maximilian Brückner and Nadja Uhl). Of course, the kids don't know the real reason they're visiting -- and the catch is, neither does Rudi. Complications ensue after a tragic, unexpected turn of events that leads Rudi to learn unsettling secrets about his wife.

    Directed by:

  • rating:3.7.png 3.7 Average Rating


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    Monsoon Wedding
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    Monsoon Wedding

    2001
    As the monsoon rains loom in director Mira Nair's romantic drama, Lalit Verma (Naseeruddin Shah) and his extended family reunite for the last-minute arranged marriage of his daughter Aiditi (Vasundhara Das) in New Delhi. But long-guarded secrets threaten to tear the family apart. As wedding preparations proceed, five stories intersect, highlighting different aspects of love and crossing boundaries of class and continent.

    Directed by:

  • Mira Nair
    • rating:3.7.png 3.7 Average Rating


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    Queen to Play
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    Queen to Play

    2009
    Intrigued by a pair of vacationing lovers playing chess, hotel maid Hélène sets her sights on mastering the game. With some coaching from a doctor who employs her services, Hélène hones her chess skills and begins to notice big changes in her life.

    Directed by:

  • Caroline Bottaro
    • rating:3.7.png 3.7 Average Rating


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    Blame It on Fidel
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    Blame It on Fidel

    2006
    Nina Kervel-Bey stars as 9-year-old Anna, a privileged young Parisian girl whose orderly, structured life is thrown into turmoil when her parents are drawn into Paris's turbulent and radical 1970s political scene. Julie Gavras (daughter of famed French filmmaker Costa-Gavras) directs this 2007 Sundance Film Festival competition entry.

    Directed by:

  • Julie Gavras
    • rating:3.6.png 3.6 Average Rating


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    Nowhere in Africa
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    Nowhere in Africa

    2001
    Shortly before the outbreak of World War II, a Jewish couple and their young daughter emigrate from Germany to Kenya to escape the Nazis, and are forced to come to terms with a new life on an unfamiliar continent. Not all members of the family are happy with this drastic change -- but going home isn't an option. Based on Stefanie Zweig's autobiographical novel, director Caroline Link's epic drama won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.

    Directed by:

  • Caroline Link
    • rating:3.6.png 3.6 Average Rating


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    Beyond Silence
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    Beyond Silence

    1996
    Laura (Tatjana Trieb) is a dutiful daughter to her hearing-impaired parents, Martin (Howie Seago) and Kai (Emmanuelle Laborit) -- sometimes to the detriment of her own needs. When an aunt (Sibylle Canonica) gives the young girl a clarinet, Laura discovers a hidden talent. As a teen (Sylvie Testud), she attends a Berlin music school on scholarship against Martin's wishes and falls in love. But tragedy calls her back home.

    Directed by:

  • Caroline Link
    • rating:3.6.png 3.6 Average Rating


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    The Cave of the Yellow Dog
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    The Cave of the Yellow Dog

    2005
    Academy Award nominee Byambasuren Davaa (The Story of the Weeping Camel) wrote and directed this docudrama about the disappearing ways of nomadic life in her home country of Mongolia. Young Nansal, the oldest daughter of an actual nomad family, finds a stray dog that quickly becomes her close companion, despite her parents' disapproval. The film depicts the herdspeople's everyday tasks for livelihood and survival, while the city beckons from afar.

    Directed by:

  • Byambasuren Davaa
    • rating:3.6.png 3.6 Average Rating


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    The Gleaners and I
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    The Gleaners and I

    2000
    Inspired by Jean-François Millet's famous painting "Les Glaneuses," filmmaker Agnes Varda strikes out with just a hand-held digital camera in search of the modern equivalent of Millet's grain field gleaners. She finds her quarry at dumpsters, outdoor markets and roadsides across France. Varda's no-holds-barred documentary about scavengers and recyclers is an insouciant treat from beginning to end, with an unexpectedly obtuse perspective.

    Directed by:

  • rating:3.6.png 3.6 Average Rating


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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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    Triumph of the Will
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    Triumph of the Will

    1934
    Leni Riefenstahl's infamous propaganda film documenting the Third Reich's 1934 Nuremberg Party Rally features a cast of thousands -- including Adolf Hitler, Heinrich Himmler, Joseph Goebbels, Rudolf Hess, Hermann Goering and other top officials. Images of cheering crowds, precision marching, military bands, banners lining Nuremberg's streets and Hitler's climactic speech illustrate with chilling clarity how Germany fell under his spell.

    Directed by:

  • Leni Riefenstahl
    • 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   
    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:
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