Top 8: Iconic Films of the Legacy of Women in Film Direction and Writing

Published on 16 March 2024

The seventh art has traditionally been dominated by men, both in writing and directing films. Throughout history, however, women have defied these barriers and made a significant mark on the world of film with their unique perspectives and powerful narratives.

The pioneer of cinema, Alice Guy-Blaché, stood out as the first woman to direct a film in the history of cinema. In 1896, Guy-Blaché, a visionary of the cinematic art, produced and directed her first film entitled “La Fée aux Choux” (The Cabbage Patch Fairy), an enchanting, short work that explored children’s fantasy. Her groundbreaking work played a pivotal role in the evolution of cinema, laying the groundwork for future generations of female directors and establishing a lasting legacy in the history of the seventh art.

Since the earliest days of cinema to the present day, women have made a remarkable contribution to the art of filmmaking, tackling a variety of subjects and genres with their creativity and ingenuity.

Top 8 films directed by women.

Aftersun

Sophie, just turned 11, prepares for a vacation with her father, who has recently divorced her mother. Fascinated by the recording of moments, Sophie takes the opportunity to interview her father, asking questions that have lingered in her mind for far too long. However, when questioned about his vision of life at age 11, her father is paralyzed, unable to offer a clear answer due to an internal conflict that this question has resurfaced with painful intensity. This scene represents an enigma that the film develops throughout its plot, inviting the viewer to discover its meaning.

Scottish director Charlotte Wells (born in Edinburgh in 1987) has chosen to explore in her debut feature the complex relationship she had with her father during a vacation, only hinting at part of the motive behind the depth of these memories. This sense of modesty permeates the film’s narrative with a sensitivity and symbolism that reflect the selective memory of adolescents and their ability to reconstruct reality from fleeting recollections.

Real Women Have Curves

Ana is a young woman of Mexican origin who lives in Los Angeles. After graduating from high school, she receives an application for a scholarship to one of the most prestigious universities in the country, Columbia University. Excited by the news, her life becomes complicated when her parents, of traditional ideals, think that it is time for her to start working and help support her family, leaving her studies aside. Caught between the life she has always wanted to have and the ideals of her culture, the young woman will face the most important decision of her life.

Directed by Patricia Cardoso, it is a reminder of how rarely women in movies are real.

Shiva Baby

A comedy of superlative entanglement that portrays the identity issues of upper-middle-class Jewish families. With a brassy and unclassifiable spirit, the young filmmaker also introduces us to one of the most incipient talents of American independent cinema: Rachel Sennott.

A young woman struggles to maintain different versions of herself when she runs into her rich sugar daddy and his ex-girlfriend at a Jewish shiva with her parents.

Polly Draper’s version of a Jewish mother adds luster to Emma Seligman’s debut, which draws dark humor from a wild premise

Anatomy of a fall

Sandra is a German writer living with her French husband, Samuel, and their 11-year-old son Daniel, who for the last while have been living an isolated life in a remote village in the French Alps. Their calm and quiet life crumbles when Samuel is found dead in the snow outside their chalet. The police will start investigating Samuel’s death for which Sandra could be the main suspect. Gradually the trial will become not only an investigation into the circumstances of Samuel’s death, but a disturbing psychological journey into the depths of Sandra and Samuel’s troubled relationship.

A 2023 French thriller and courtroom drama film directed by Justine Triet from a screenplay she co-wrote with Arthur Harari.

Mustang

Summer begins in a village in northern Turkey, where Lale and her sisters enjoy their free time playing innocently with a group of boys after school. But the perceived immorality of their games causes a scandal that triggers unforeseen consequences. As a result, her parents gradually begin to turn their home into a prison of sorts. Domestic responsibilities replace school education, and the older sisters are pushed to look for husbands. Nevertheless, the five girls, driven by a fervent longing for freedom, defy parental restrictions, showcasing remarkable teamwork in overcoming obstacles.

Deniz Gamze Ergüven (Ankara, June 4, 1978) is a Turkish-French film director. This is his most outstanding film, with which he debuted as a filmmaker.

Suicide Virgins

In a quiet, conservative town in the United States during the 1970s, Cecilia Lisbon, a thirteen-year-old teenager, attempts to take her own life. Alongside her, she has her four sisters, all of whom are beautiful teenagers. This incident sheds a new perspective on the Lisbon’s family dynamics. The story, told through the eyes of the neighborhood kids, who are obsessed with the enigmatic sisters, offers a cynical portrait of teenage life. Over time, the family becomes isolated from the outside world and the daughters are forbidden to leave the house. As the situation deteriorates, the boys feel the urgency to intervene and rescue them.

Sofia Coppola, previously known for her performance in “The Godfather III” and her screenplay for “New York Stories”, was always linked to the name of her father, Francis Ford Coppola. However, her true recognition as an independent filmmaker began with “The Virgin Suicides,” an indie film that marked her self-assertion as a creator with a voice of her own. The film, based on the novel by Jeffrey Eugenides, stands out for its generational portrayal of adolescence in the 1970s, capturing the unique atmosphere of the era with an iconic Air soundtrack. Although her style has evolved over time, this film shows the first glimmers of Coppola’s talent as an essential director in the American film landscape of recent decades.

First Cow

Cookie, the cook for trappers crossing the Oregon Territory in 1820, joins Henry Brown, a refugee, on one of the first expeditions from the far West to China. During this period, settled Europeans and Native Americans traded all kinds of goods as foreigners attempted to settle in the region.

Kelly Reichardt directs this film, starring Rene Aubnerjonois, Dylan Smith and Todd A. Robinson.

Titane

Adrien Legrand shows signs of life again since he disappeared ten years ago. The boy, with a bruised face and signs of violence, is mysteriously discovered at an airport. For his father, Vincent, this is the end of a long nightmare from which he has not yet recovered. Together they return home, however, after Adrien’s return, a series of cruel murders begin to take place in the area.

Directed by Julia Ducournau, this is her Palme d’Or winning film. A twisted helix of chrome, flesh and Cronenberg-worthy gothic style that leaves us with our mouths agape. Bold and carefree, Titane is a Molotov cocktail of gender politics, familial compassion and female desire.

Sensorial Sunsets