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Best Films by Women Directors (Movies)

Check out some of the best films directed by women.

Queen & Slim

While on a forgettable first date together in Ohio, a black man and a black woman, are pulled over for a minor traffic infraction. The situation escalates, with sudden and tragic results, when the man kills the police officer in self-defense. Terrified and in fear for their lives, the man, a retail employee, and the woman, a criminal defense lawyer, are forced to go on the run. But the incident is captured on video and goes viral, and the couple unwittingly becomes a symbol of trauma

The farewell

When a Chinese family finds out that their grandmother has only a short time left to live, they plan a family reunion before she dies without telling her

Cherry blossoms

Only Trudi knows that her husband Rudi is suffering from a terminal illness. She decides not to tell him and convinces him to visit their family in Berlin. When Trudi dies suddenly, Rudi vows to make up for her lost life and takes his last journey to Tokyo in the midst of the cherry blossom festival

The piano

A young mute woman and her child travel to Australia in the 1800s for an arranged marriage to a farmer there. After the marriage she meets another man, and the competition for her love begins. Only one of the men realizes that her affections can only be won through her beloved piano

A league of their own

In 1943, a washed-up ballplayer is hired to coach in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League while the male pros are at war. Reluctant at first, he finds himself drawn back into the game by the heart and heroics of his team. Based on a true story

Lady Bird

The adventures of a young woman living in Northern California for a year

Yentl

A Jewish girl disguises herself as a boy to enter religious training. Features include Streisand introduction, commentary, and deleted scenes. Also includes added scenes from Barbra's Archives, special features with materials from Barbra's Archives and more

Zero dark thirty

Chronicles the decade-long search for Osama bin Laden following the September 2001 attacks, and his death as a result of the Navy S.E.A.L. Team 6

Lost in translation

A middle-aged actor and the wife of a photographer meet while on business in Tokyo. They strike up an unusual friendship in the hotel bar that helps them both overcome boredom and loneliness

Persepolis

In 1970s Iran, Marjane 'Marji' Satrapi watches events through her young eyes and her idealistic family. Their long dream is realized when the hated Shah is defeated in the Iranian Revolution of 1979. Now ruled by Islamic fundamentalists, Marji grows up to witnesses first hand how the new Iran has become a repressive tyranny on its own. With Marji dangerously refusing to remain silent at this injustice, her parents send her abroad to Vienna to study. This change proves an equally difficult trial for Marji and finds herself in a different culture loaded with abrasive characters and profound disappointments that deeply trouble her. Even when she returns home, Marji finds that both she and her homeland have changed too much and the young woman and her loving family must decide where she truly belongs

Desperately seeking Susan

A bored housewife enjoys reading the personals, but after losing her memory, she believes she is the wild-spirited Susan from the ads

Point break

Young FBI agent Johnny Utah goes undercover at the suggestion of his partner to learn if a group of wild surfers is actually a gang of bank robbers. He soon comes under the dangerous spell of the surfers' charismatic leader, Bodhi, a mystical mastermind who'll do absolutely anything for a thrill-- and expects his followers to do the same

The babadook

Amelia is a single mother plagued by the violent death of her husband. When a disturbing storybook called Mister Babadook turns up at her house, she is forced to battle with her son's deep seated fear of a monster. Soon she discovers a sinister presence all around her

Leave no trace

Will and his teenage daughter, Tom, have lived off the grid for years in the forests of Portland, Oregon. When their idyllic life is shattered, both are put into social services. After clashing with their new surroundings, Will and Tom set off on a harrowing journey back to their wild homeland

Monster

Based on the true story of Aileen Wuornos, a prostitute who was executed in 2002 for the brutal murders of at least 6 men in Florida. Homeless most of her life, Wuornos subsisted by working as a prostitute. In Florida, down to her last five dollars and pondering suicide, she stopped into a bar for a beer where she meets Selby. One night, after a john attacks her, Aileen pulls a gun and kills the man. Aileen's loathing for the men who pay her for sex becomes so extreme that she begins killing her customers regardless of their behavior

Selma

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s historical struggle to secure voting rights for all people. A dangerous and terrifying campaign that culminated with an epic march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama in 1964

Whale rider

The Whangara people believe their ancestor Paikea was saved from drowning by riding home on the back of a whale. The tribal group has since granted leadership positions to the first-born males, believing them to be descendants of Paikea. But then a young mother dies in childbirth along with her newborn male son. His twin sister survives and the little girl, Pai, is brought up by her grandparents. Learning the skills of chiefdom from her uncle, Pai shows that she possess a natural leadership ability

The virgin suicides

When school hunk Trip Fontain convinces the beautiful but sheltered Lisbon sisters to go to the prom, the romantic fantasies of a group of neighborhood boys threaten to come true--until all are engulfed in a stunning chain of events that will change their lives forever

The hurt locker

When a new sergeant, James, takes over a highly trained bomb disposal team amid violent conflict, he surprises his two subordinates, Sanborn and Eldridge, by recklessly plunging them into a deadly game of urban combat. As the men struggle to control their wild new leader, the city explodes into chaos, and James' true character reveals itself in a way that will change each man forever

Breathe

Charlie is seventeen and bored. Her estranged parents are too caught up in their own drama to pay her much attention. Enter Sarah, a confident and charismatic new transfer student who brings with her an alluring air of boldness and danger. The two form an instant connection, and through shared secrets, love interests and holiday getaways their relationship deepens to levels of unspoken intimacy

Paris is burning

"Where does voguing come from, and what, exactly, is throwing shade? This landmark documentary provides a vibrant snapshot of the 1980s through the eyes of New York City's African American and Latinx Harlem drag-ball scene. Made over seven years, it offers an intimate portrait of rival fashion 'houses,' from fierce contests for trophies to house mothers offering sustenance in a world rampant with homophobia, transphobia, racism, AIDS, and poverty. Featuring legendary voguers, drag queens, and trans women--including Willi Ninja, Pepper LaBeija, Dorian Corey, and Venus Xtravaganza ..."--Container

Savages

Jon and Wendy Savage are two siblings who have spent their adult years trying to recover from their abusive father, Lenny. Suddenly, a call comes in that Lenny's girlfriend has died and he cannot care for himself. Lenny suffers from dementia and her family dumps Lenny on his children. Despite the fact Jon and Wendy have not spoken to Lenny for twenty years and he is even more loathsome than ever, the Savage siblings feel obliged to take care of him. Now together, brother and sister must come to terms with the new and painful responsibilities with their father. The siblings are forced to face the struggle with their now personal demons

You were never really here

A traumatized veteran, unafraid of violence, tracks down missing girls for a living. When a job spins out of control, Joe's nightmares overtake him as a conspiracy is uncovered leading to what may be his death trip or his awakening

Girlhood

"Fed up with her abusive family situation, lack of school prospects and the 'boys' law' in the neighborhood, Marieme ... starts a new life after meeting a group of three free-spirited girls. She changes her name, her style, drops out of school and starts stealing to be accepted into the group. When her home situation becomes unbearable, Marieme seeks solace in an older man who promises her money and protection."--container

My brilliant career

"Sybylla Melvyn struggles with the conflicts that we all have between ambition, family, love, and guilt in a most remarkable manner. Sybylla grows to understand that life is a series of trade-offs, and that no one can have it all, and that no one can please everyone. Simple yet universal themes told with charm, wit, and a vulnerability that allows us to get right inside of her character and to understand her."--Internet Movie Database

Big . 1-dvd edition

After a twelve-year-old boy's wish comes true when he asks a mechanical carnival genie to make him older, he manages to land a job at a toy company where he experiences the complications of being an adult

Bend it like Beckham

Eighteen year-old Jesminder's parents want her to be a nice, conventional Indian girl. But she just wants to play soccer like her hero, David Beckham. For Jess, that means kicking a ball around the local park with the lads until she's spotted by Jules, who invites her to join the local women's team

Can you ever forgive me?

When a writer's career stalls resulting in financial problems, she starts forging and selling letters of deceased authors

Love and basketball

A couple who have known each other since childhood and who taught each other how to play basketball reach a crossroads in their relationship

Thirteen

Los Angeles teenager and overachiever Tracy is an excellent student in her seventh grade class and gets along well with her mother, Melanie. She fears that she's not cool enough to be friends with Evie, the most popular girl in school. Fueled with genuine adolescent energy, Tracy follows Evie's lead into the harsh realities of sex, drugs, and hard-edged adventure. Consumed with temptations and conflicting desires, Tracy loses her good-girl identity, greatly affecting her relationship with her mom

First cow

A loner and cook has traveled west and joined a group of fur trappers in Oregon Territory, though he only finds a connection with Chinese immigrants. The men collaborate on business, although its longevity is reliant upon the participation of a wealthy landowner's prized milking cow

A beautiful day in the neighborhood

Tom Hanks portrays Mister Rogers in a timely story of kindness triumphing over cynicism, based on the true story of a real-life friendship between Fred Rogers and journalist Tom Junod. After a jaded magazine writer is assigned a profile of Fred Rogers, he overcomes his skepticism, learning about kindness, love, and forgiveness from America's most beloved neighbor

Never rarely sometimes always

Two teenage girls from rural Pennsylvania travel to New York City in search of medical help after an unplanned pregnancy

Clemency

A prison warden sees a series of executions put a strain on her marriage, career, and convictions

Hustlers .

A crew of savvy former employees at a New York City strip club band together to turn the tables on their Wall Street clients

Portrait of a lady on fire

France, 1760. Marianne is commissioned to paint the wedding portrait of Héloïse, a young woman who has just left the convent. Because she is a reluctant bride-to-be, Marianne arrives under the guise of companionship, observing Héloïse by day and secretly painting her by firelight at night. As the two women orbit one another, intimacy and attraction grow as they share Héloïse's first moments of freedom. Héloïse's portrait soon becomes a collaborative act of and a testament to their love

Little women

Chronicles the joys and sorrows of the four March sisters as they grow into young ladies in mid-nineteenth-century New England

American psycho

A young, handsome man with a Harvard education and success on Wall Street has terrible urges that take him in pursuit of women, greed, and murder

I am not a witch

After an incident in her village, Shula, an eight-year-old girl, is accused of witchcraft. After a quick trial, she is found guilty and locked up in a witches' camp

The secret garden

An orphan girl and her invalid cousin bring new life to their home on the moors when they discover the secret garden

Rambling Rose

Rose, an alluring young woman, is hired by a Southern family to care for their children, and changes their lives forever. She is an innocent who relates to everyone she meets in the only way she knows how-- with sexuality she cannot restrain. The mother of the family takes Rose under her wing, offering love and protection, while the teenaged son finds Rose both his fantasy and a profound mystery

Monsoon wedding

When one family reunites for an unexpected wedding, sparks fly as love, lust, and secrets are revealed

The Breadwinner

Parvana is an eleven-year-old girl growing up under the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2001. When her father is wrongfully arrested, Parvana cuts off her hair and dresses like a boy in order to support her family. Working alongside her friend Shauzia, Parvana discovers a new world of freedom, and danger. With undaunted courage, Parvana draws strength from the fantastical stories she invents, as she embarks on a quest to find her father and reunite her family

The souvenir

A shy but ambitious film student begins to find her voice as an artist while navigating a turbulent courtship with a charismatic but untrustworthy man. She defies her protective mother and concerned friends as she slips deeper and deeper into an intense, emotionally fraught relationship that comes dangerously close to destroying her dreams

Something's gotta give

Harry Sanborn is a perennial playboy with the libido of a much younger man. During what was to be a romantic weekend with his current infatuation, Marin, at her mother's Hampton beach house, Harry develops chest pains. He winds up being nursed by Marin's reluctant mother, Erica. When Harry hesitates to act on his feelings for Erica, Harry's thirtysomething doctor steps in and starts to pursue Erica. Harry, who has always had the world on a string, finds his life is now unraveling

Crossing Delancey

A single, independent woman is caught in a romantic quandary when her grandmother hires a Jewish matchmaker to find her a husband

After the wedding

Jacob runs a struggling orphanage in one of India's poorest regions. Desperate to save an orphanage from closing, he returns to Denmark to meet Jorgen, a wealthy businessman and potential benefactor. What appears to be nothing more than a friendly gesture to attend a wedding sets in motion an increasingly devastating series of surprises, revelations, and confessions that will forever change their lives

Enough said

Divorced mom Eva may be falling for Albert, a sweet, funny, like-minded divorce. But as their relationship blossoms, Eva befriends Marianne, who's always complaining about her ex-husband. When Eva realizes that Albert is the target of Marianne's rants, she begins to question her own perceptions about first impressions and second chances

Antonia's line

A remarkable portrait of a family and a community, of mothers and daughters, and of one indomitable woman. Earthy, sexy, romantic, filled with laughter and warmth, it's a joyous celebration of simple pleasures and enduring passions

Recipient of the National Medal, the nation's highest honor for libraries.