Why are there so few female film directors?

im doubling-down on cholodenko after the olive kitteridge series fyi

if women are socialized to be looked at, maybe it's unsurprising that they don't choose/aren't chosen to do the looking

― Reggiano Jackson (gabbneb), Tuesday, May 26, 2009 3:26 PM (6 years ago)

sure don't miss this guy

Holofcener is missing too, but the lack of Ackerman is cray-cray

I thought of something that isn't on the list

I thought of another thing.

I thought of Your Mom.

Aren't surprising omissions/inclusions the beginning and end of whatever interest lists like these have? If you're not interested in the lists to begin with, then of course the particulars of what's on there holds no interest. That would seem self-evident.

From the article
After the show came out, a couple listeners had the same question: So, what are some recent female-directed films we should be seeking out? To put together a list of current women-directed films, I turned to Film Fatales, a collective of women film directors who support each other and collaborate on projects. The Film Fatales asked their members in New York and LA for their recent favorite films helmed by a female director and for older films that have inspired their work.

It sounds like the target of the list was not fans of lists, but people looking for recent movies directed by women

Of course--there's always the intent, primary or secondary, explicit or implicit, that, "If you're interested in this, start here." Just responding to the surprise/derision above that people looking at such lists might then discuss what they see as omissions. And, as I posted, discussing them does not mean you view those omissions as a big deal; historical completeness was clearly not the goal here.

Curious omission
Posted by JonTheDad (not verified) on July 9, 2015 - 11:00am
I'm surprised Hurt Locker didn't make this list. Any reason why?

REPLY

Saw Dorothy Arzner's Dance, Girl, Dance sometime in the '80s--first read about it in one of those Danny Peary cult books--and it always stayed in my mind. Looking at it tonight, the first half-hour's a little clunky, but it really picks up once Lucille Ball gets her Tiger Lily engagement. Maureen O'Hara's big speech is pretty great, as is the ending, and a throwaway name-joke that came back to me immediately.

http://moviemezzanine.com/women-directed-films-home-media/

The Lightbox has an Ida Lupino series this summer, including four of the films she directed.

http://www.tiff.net/#series=ida-lupino-independent-woman

A local video store (long-standing, and one of about three left in the city) evidently started a "films for free" series recently, and they've got a long list of female-directed films as a subset of that.

http://www.baystreetvideo.com/films_for_free_list.php

Forgot to acknowledge the centenary of Ida Lupino, born 100 years ago last Sunday. I saw her film Outrage last week; despite the strictures of the Code ("rape" is not uttered, though that's what it's about), it's a solid, haunting psychological drama.

http://sensesofcinema.com/2009/great-directors/ida-lupino/

http://www.syfy.com/syfywire/why-ida-lupino-was-such-a-groundbreaker-for-women-in-sci-fi

good articles

Series of silent films made by women playing this summer in Brooklyn and LA, Kino Lorber box coming in fall.

https://www.bam.org/film/2018/pioneers-first-women-filmmakers

http://americancinemathequecalendar.com/content/pioneers-first-women-filmmakers

https://www.kinolorber.com/film/pioneers-first-women-filmmakers

btw someone on Letterboxd made a list of 3806 female-directed films. I've seen 204 of them.

Barbara Loden’s son Marco Joachim shared this picture from the tour his mother did to screen her 1970 independent film WANDA. She is not only the star, but she also wrote and directed the film. Marco will share stories 8/10 at the WANDA show at Egyptian. Screens August 10-12. pic.twitter.com/QHA9guqvYr

— AmericanCinematheque (@SidGrauman) August 9, 2018

I hear there's talk of a Criterion edition of Wanda coming some time soonish.

huh - never heard of this! sounds interesting

you can bet on it, Ward, per the Janus Films copy re the NY revival.

http://metrograph.com/film/film/790/wanda

Shakey, there's a serviceable print of Wanda on YouTube, last time I looked. It's not a film where visual pleasure is paramount, but it would still be good to have a dece physical copy out there.

I'll rent the criterion when it comes out

The guy who put out a "Directed by Elaine May" T-shirt a couple of years ago has moved on to "Directed by Barbara Loden" T-shirts.

http://phildellio.tripod.com/loden.jpg

been hearing a lot about Wanda in the last month, trailer looked good. "an American Jeanne Dielman" sounds great

it's a lot shorter...

Watched Wanda around the time of the road movie poll, it's fucking great.

Btw Morbs I can't remember which thread you posted it in, but that female cinematographers season looked really good.

Also, Wanda can't stand the heat, so she gets out of the kitchen.

it was NY film snobs! series just ended at Lincoln Center

xp

Caught a screening of Wanda yesterday, preceded by two 1975 shorts which are apparently the only other films directed by Barbara Loden. The Frontier Experience was quite excellent (she also plays the lead in it).

But... The Boy Who Liked Deer, just 18 minutes long, is perhaps the saddest film I've ever seen. If this was actually shown to school kids, that's incredible.

would love to see that, has the recent Wanda restoration gotten a home video release? I saw it about a month ago, really great, a movie made by its final shot.

The Boy Who Liked Deer is on youtube, I see

Wanda is under the Janus Films umbrella, that means a CC eventually

I watched The Boy Who Liked Deer tonight. It would make a good double bill with Cipher in the Snow.

xp crossing fingers for Kanopy access

I'm in no rush to revisit Wanda, but I'd love to see those shorts on a loaded Criterion (or other label) blu-ray disc.

re Wanda, Elia Kazan and...

Mel Brooks LEGEND pic.twitter.com/IZvkI4mvzp

— Peter Labuza (@labuzamovies) January 9, 2019

btw Criterion of Wanda drops March 19

https://www.criterion.com/films/29450-wanda

Olivia Wilde's Booksmart beats you senseless for an hour--appropriate that "You Oughta Know" figures prominently (first time I've ever not hated it)--but I found the last 20 minutes or so (everything post-party) rather sweet, and I'd guardedly recommend it.

I agree it's an often fraught movie but this is a strange thread in which to post the criticism. It would work in the x movie thread.

I liked booksmart enough that I was bummed it didn’t make me laugh much. It was an 11am showing on a Sunday and the rest of the audience weren’t laughing either so the circumstances were tough. idk it was pretty much exactly this tho

these are the only jokes in like 90% of movies now pic.twitter.com/Qap6VJIK6O

— Nicole Silverberg (@nsilverberg) June 16, 2019

(xpost) I sometimes post thoughts in the last-x thread, but I usually try to find something a bit more specific...not that this is all that specific, but it's the best I could do without starting a new thread (which the film may warrant--as much as Eighth Grade, I'd say).

In retrospect, you're right to keep it here; like you, I think it's not as solid as Eighth Grade.

What I liked best: that the film ends up aligning itself with the time-honored tradition of high school movies that argue there's-more-uniting-us-than-separating-us (which, in the here and now, when you're actually in high school, is a complete fantasy; it's only credible with some time and perspective--and maybe not even then, but it's a nice thought).

One thing that leaves me at a complete loss: where the line of acceptability is for over-the-top caricature. The two gay students...If Chris Rock (or fill-in-the-blank) tried something like that, he'd be run out of town. It doesn't outrage me or anything--I basically never get outraged at the movies, just bored--I'm just curious. If there's controversy over these two characters, it hasn't reached me.

You misread that sentence; it's less polished than Eight Grade (in that it's like a bulldozer), but I think it's a more interesting film.

(I'm talking about the two guys--maybe the gay lead is seen as a fair trade-off.)

A rewatch of Wandayesterday, and that educational short by Barbara Loden about the frontier mentioned above. It's halfway into her interview w/ Dick Cavett from 1970 before the other guests chime in with questions -- Jimmy Breslin and Howard Cosell.

The loser thief Wanda hooks up with is treated with surprising depth, I think, w/out letting him off the hook or painting him as anything but damaged and cruel.

I hadn't realized Loden stayed married to Elia Kazan from '67 til her death; I thought they split up at some point.

Also, I've been to the religious theme park that Wanda and Mr Dennis visit. It's in Waterbury CT, and is essentially in ruins as it closed in 1984.