15 Movies for Cinema Fanatic: A Year with Women

Our dear Marya Gates is embarking on an outstanding journey that many of us thought could be impossible- spending 2015 JUST watching films directed, written, co-directed or co-written by women. Marya’s done the math- IT IS POSSIBLE! At least where she’s living now.

So I took the chance to make a list — because I LUVVVV lists — of the female filmmakers I had been watching inadvertently from my Top Flicks About Chicks list [MUBI][Letterboxd]. I also tried to make sure Marya hadn’t watched any of these titles yet~

cinema-fanatic-a-year-with-women-yammag

Interesting observations~ I didn’t know I had seen so many films from Indian female filmmakers. I obviously have an issue with figuring out gender from Indian names- you can’t imagine how much I freak out when writing/replying emails. The same, of course, can be said from the romanization of Chinese names, Japanese… and especially Korean. I need to know Chinese characters to figure out gender in those instances.

So without further ado~ these are my 15 picks that I hope Marya gets to watch :)

15. A Girl at my Door (도희야)

This is actually a blind pick… BUT! It’s got Doona Bae in it, so that’s enough for me. Written and directed by July Jung (#9, next to Mira Nair), A Girl at my Door was screened at Cannes where it received a positive reaction. I’m still waiting to watch it!

amy

YAM Magazine editor, photographer, blogger, translator and part-time web designer. Film junkie, music junkie… and lately series (a.k.a. TV) junkie.

6 Responses

  1. Rodrigo says:

    Lucia Puenzo and Celine Sciamma from the top of my head. From the latter, I do want to see Girlhood.

  2. hmm, more to add…I know these titles are at least on DVD or legal streaming services in the US. Excellent: The Night of Truth 2004, Fanta Régina Nacro). Solid: Ratcatcher (1999, Lynne Ramsay), The Apple (1998, Samira Makhmalbaf- her At Five in the Afternoon is ok but not as contained imo), La ciénaga (2001, Lucrecia Martel), Loving Couples (1964) & The Girls (1968, by Mai Zetterling. Also check her 1962 short “The War Game”), Rachida (2002, Yamina Bachir). Pretty good: Sambizanga (Sarah Maldoror, 1972), Death is a Caress (1949, Edith Carlmar, dunno if on DVD but it’s been in film noir festivals), Hollow City (2004, Maria João Ganga), Something Necessary (Judy Kibinge, 2013). Interesting with some qualms: ’49-’17 (1917, Ruth Ann Baldwin), My Dog Killer (Mira Fornay, 2013), Sleepwalking Land (2007, Teresa Prata), In My Skin (2002, Marina de Van, very gory movie), Honeymoon (2014, Leigh Janiak). Claire Denis’ films are probably not too hard to find as well.

  3. reel411 says:

    I’ve gotta put some of these on my to-watch list! And i loooove Wadjda

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