15 Movies for Cinema Fanatic: A Year with Women
14. Talaash
Most of the times, when we think of female filmmakers, we think many of them focus or should focus their storytelling on women-centric films. Many can be baffled at how gender-less (or not focused on womanly features) Kathryn Bigelow’s filmography can be, and so is the case with Reema Kagti’s Talaash (pictured with the Superman tee).
Co-written with fellow female filmmaker Zoya Akhtar (listed below) and dialogues by bro Farhan and Anurag Kashyap, the film is one interesting piece of storytelling that combines mystery and drama quite expertly.
Credits in Indian films are a complicated affair. Screenplay and dialogues are supposedly different things.
13. Bangalore Days
Though Haider threatens to take my #1 of 2014 films, for quite a long time Anjali Menon’s Bangalore Days sat quite comfortably with little competition. It’s got the best ironic wedding song ever, and the ups and downs of three cousins.
12. Luck by Chance
In year 2011, director Zoya Akthar (last pictured) released the boy’s club movie Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (haven’t seen it yet, so… sorry if it’s a misconception). Two years later, in the yearly Rajeev Masand Actress Roundtable [27:15], actress Vidya Balan (backed by Kangana, Nimrat Kaur and Deepika Padukone) asked excitedly why that film couldn’t have been made with a group of women. Point taken.
Vidya Balan is my life.
In favor of Zoya, Luck by Chance has Konkona Sen Sharma in a complex role of a struggling actor within the Hindi film industry, and her Bombay Talkies segment is probably close to my favorites in the film.
Plus, she gave us this sequence with Hrithik Roshan. You are welcome.
Lucia Puenzo and Celine Sciamma from the top of my head. From the latter, I do want to see Girlhood.
I’d totally forgotten XXY. Mainly coz I wasn’t a fan of The Fish Child, but yeah~ Sciamma gets a special mention at the end.
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.
Can always count on you to throw titles and names I’ve never heard of. xD
I’ve gotta put some of these on my to-watch list! And i loooove Wadjda
You can watch Amu right away in the YT link ;)