Foreign
Vagabond
rating:3.4.png

Vagabond

1985
In the south of France one winter, a young woman, Mona (Sandrine Bonnaire), is found frozen to death in a ditch. Through flashbacks and interviews, writer-director Agnes Varda paints a fractured portrait of Mona's final weeks as she camps alone and falls in with various men and women, many of whom try to give her life direction. Others do not have her best interests at heart, as they project their own needs and problems onto her.

Directed by:

  • rating:3.4.png 3.4 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    Encounter Point
    rating:3.4.png

    Encounter Point

    2006
    As violence continues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, some of those touched by the bloodshed become advocates for peace. This documentary introduces citizens on both sides for whom an end to conflict has become a personal crusade. Family members of slain Palestinians and Israelis, both military and civilian, share their stories and how they've turned their grief into a force for change in the region.

    Directed by:

  • Ronit Avni
  • Julia Bacha
  • rating:3.4.png 3.4 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    Unveiled
    rating:3.4.png

    Unveiled

    2005
    After the Iranian authorities threaten to prosecute her for loving a woman, Fariba (Jasmin Tabatabai) assumes a dead man's identity in order to survive. Denied asylum in Germany, Fariba is locked in a detainment center, where her male cellmate commits suicide -- and she spies a window of opportunity. Assuming his identity, she takes a job in a small country village, where she struggles to keep her secret from a well-meaning female friend.

    Directed by:

  • Angelina Maccarone
  • rating:3.4.png 3.4 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    Black Butterflies
    rating:3.4.png

    Black Butterflies

    2011
    This passionate biopic profiles South African poet Ingrid Jonker, whose exuberant nature is destroyed by her repeated betrayals of her supportive lover and her complex relationship with her disapproving father, the minister of censorship.

    Directed by:

  • Paula van der Oest
  • rating:3.4.png 3.4 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    Le Bonheur
    rating:3.4.png

    Le Bonheur

    1965
    When François (Jean-Claude Drouot) falls for a beautiful young telephone operator (Marie-France Boyer) despite remaining deeply in love with his wife, Therese (Claire Drouot), he attempts to buck convention by openly committing to both women. Directed by cinematic pioneer Agnès Varda, this thought-provoking film challenges the nature of monogamy and examines the limits of love and commitment.

    Directed by:

  • rating:3.4.png 3.4 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    Caramel
    rating:3.4.png

    Caramel

    2007
    A Lebanese beauty salon is the setting for this romantic comedy about five women and the various troubles they face, with director Nadine Labaki leading the cast as the shop's owner, Layale, who's heartbroken from a foundering affair.

    Directed by:

  • Nadine Labaki
  • rating:3.4.png 3.4 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    Avenue Montaigne
    rating:3.4.png

    Avenue Montaigne

    2007
    Spirited young Jessica (Cécile De France), newly arrived in Paris from the provinces, lands a job as a waitress at a café, where the eccentric customers need her for counsel more than coffee in this charming French comedy. Among the regulars, art collector Jacques (Claude Brasseur) anguishes over his collection; TV star Catherine (Valérie Lemercier) longs to be in movies; and pianist Jean François (Albert Dupontel) wants to be left alone.

    Directed by:

  • Danielle Thompson
  • rating:3.4.png 3.4 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    In the Mirror of Maya Deren
    rating:3.4.png

    In the Mirror of Maya Deren

    2002
    Director Martina Kudlacek gives motion picture pioneer Maya Deren her just due in this fascinating documentary, establishing her superlative contributions to film editing, cinematography and art. In the 1940s, dancer-writer Deren made her mark in the film world with her groundbreaking avant-garde movies. This biographical portrait is a must-see for film buffs looking to expand their cinematic knowledge.

    Directed by:

  • Martina Kudlacek
  • rating:3.4.png 3.4 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    Olympia
    rating:3.4.png

    Olympia

    1938
    On the heels of her propaganda film, Triumph of the Will, German filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl chronicled the 1936 Olympics with this stellar, poetic sports documentary which captures the games in Berlin, including Jesse Owens's history-making victory. The thrill of the games, the beauty and power of the athletes, Riefenstahl's groundbreaking camera techniques and an evocative soundtrack make this one of the best sports documentaries ever made.

    Directed by:

  • Leni Riefenstahl
  • rating:3.4.png 3.4 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    The Ascent
    rating:3.4.png

    The Ascent

    1977
    Acclaimed Soviet film director Larisa Shepitko offers the rigorous and surprisingly spiritual story of two Russian World War II partisans isolated from their comrades deep in the woods, trying desperately to avoid capture by Nazi forces. The tense drama also explores the landscape of the human soul and its capacity for loyalty and betrayal, themes masterfully culminated in the film's final scenes. Boris Plotnikov and Vladimir Gostyukhin star.

    Directed by:

  • Larisa Shepitko
  • rating:3.4.png 3.4 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    Of Love and Other Demons
    rating:3.4.png

    Of Love and Other Demons

    2009
    Sierva María (Eliza Triana), the 13-year old daughter of nobles, finds her life turned upside down when she's bitten by a rabid dog, and afterward is believed to be under the spell of demons, in this tale of forbidden love during the Spanish Inquisition. When it's decided that Sierva must submit to an exorcism, young priest Cayetano Delaura (Pablo Derqui) is assigned the task, but ultimately he finds himself possessed by Sierva's stirring sexuality.

    Directed by:

  • Hilda Hidalgo
  • rating:3.4.png 3.4 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    Peepli Live
    rating:3.4.png

    Peepli Live

    2010
    When indigent farmers Natha (Omkar Das) and Budhia (Raghuvir Yadav) stand to lose their land over a loan they can't repay, a government official comes up with a modest proposal: Commit suicide and collect a subsidy that's paid to the relatives of deceased farmers. As Natha weighs his options, a journalist learns of his predicament and the media circus begins. Anusha Rizvi directs this satirical take on a real-life crisis afflicting India's underclass.

    Directed by:

  • Anusha Rizvi
  • rating:3.4.png 3.4 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    Night and Fog
    rating:3.3.png

    Night and Fog

    2009
    In the wake of a brutal murder-suicide of a family in the projects of outer Hong Kong, police interviews gradually reveal the story of battered wife Wong Hiu-ling (Jingchu Zhang) and her explosive but charismatic husband, Lee Sam (Simon Yam). The accounts of a shy neighbor, a women's shelter resident and others paint a gripping portrait of the abusive relationship in director Ann Hui's low-budget social drama.

    Directed by:

  • Ann Hui
  • rating:3.3.png 3.3 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    María la del Barrio
    rating:3.3.png

    María la del Barrio

    1995
    Mexican-American singing and acting sensation Thalía stars in this popular telenovela as the titular María, a 15-year-old orphan whose luck is forever changed when she's taken in by the wealthy Don Fernando de la Vega (Ricardo Blume). But her journey from rags to riches is hardly an easy ride given the icy reception she receives from Don Fernando's wife (Irán Eory) and jealous niece (Itatí Cantoral).

    Directed by:

  • Beatriz Sheridan
  • rating:3.3.png 3.3 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    The Anarchist's Wife
    rating:3.3.png

    The Anarchist's Wife

    2008
    With her young anarchist husband, Justo Calderón (Juan Diego Botto), gone for long stretches of time, first resisting the fascists in the Spanish Civil War and then in a concentration camp during World War II, devoted wife Manuela (María Valverde) struggles to keep their love alive. Her determined efforts to reunite with her husband give Manuela purpose, but their long-distance love comes at a price. Marie Noelle and Peter Sehr direct this drama.

    Directed by:

  • Marie Noelle
  • rating:3.3.png 3.3 Average Rating


    Find On Amazon
    The Betrayal
    rating:3.3.png

    The Betrayal

    2008
    During the Vietnam War, the United States performed secret operations in Laos, which led to much destruction in that country. After the war, the fallout of U.S. foreign policy remained, forcing Thavisouk Phrasavath and his family to flee the country. This documentary -- more than 20 years in the making -- follows Phrasavath's journey from war-torn Laos to his painful reunion with his family in Brooklyn years later, and netted an Oscar nomination for Best Documentary.

    Directed by:

  • Ellen Kuras
  • rating:3.3.png 3.3 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