15 Movies for Cinema Fanatic: A Year with Women
5. Wadjda
In writer-director Haifaa al-Mansour’s feature length debut we follow a Saudi little girl (Waad Mohammed) who only wishes to buy her dream bike. Yup, simple as that. Breaking down walls and exploring cultural constrains in the first Saudi film by a woman.
4. Take Care of my Cat (고양이를 부탁해)
Before we had a girly get-together with our friends of Sunny, or learned of the difficulties of growing up and growing apart in Alfonso Cuaron’s Y Tu Mama Tambien, there was writer-director Jeong Jae-eun’s Take Care of my Cat about a group of girls who are moving on with their lives and are finding it hard to stay together.
Doona Bae is a double threat in this list! Plus~ more cats for Marya!
3. The Namesake
Marya has already become acquainted with Mira Nair’s work, but I can’t help but suggest The Namesake, a film about family, identity and roots; as it also stars two of my favorite Indian actors — Tabu and Irrfan, if you’ve missed out on my Indian Cinema journey [1][2][3], as well as Kal Penn.
Random fact: Lupita is credited as a post-production intern in the movie.
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 ;)