List of female directors TSPDT/S&S?

Hi guys,

I was wondering if there is a list/statistic of the amount of female directors in top lists such as TSP or S&S. If not, I'll have to check it manually but I assume someone has been interested in that before.

Thanks!

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Here's one for the 2015 TSPDT list:
https://letterboxd.com/jakeryan/list...pdts-2015-top/

And the 1001 movies to see before you die:
https://letterboxd.com/annapaquin/li...omen-from-all/

I don't think we should force ourselves to recognize female directors more, or give them more exposure only because they are female. Let's only look at the actual quality of their films. The reason so little female directors are featured on these lists is simple: There are much less female directors than male directors in general. Also quite weird to see The Matrix featured on one of these lists as Wachowski sisters were still brothers back then.

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Look, I'm not judging you - after all, I'm posting here myself, but maybe, just maybe, if you spent less time here and more time watching films, maybe, and I stress, maybe your taste would be of some value. Just a thought, ya know.

Why are you getting so defensive. I am just asking a simple question and you act it's the worst thing in the world to want to give female directors the credit that is often neglected to be given to them.
I do think we should force ourselves to acknowledge them to correct the crazy difference in ratio, even today. Especially as a film lover you should try to understand the entire film world in its context

I think ppl should feel free about that -want to acknowledging female directors, want to see more by femine's lens- as their works did and often overlook in compare the abundant number of male counterpart.
Then again correcting ratio has nothing to do with artistic merit

I plan to see some from Penny Marshall and Kathryn Bigelow, so there's that. We Have To Talk About Kevin looks interesting as well.

I believe female directors can be just as talented as male ones. We just don't give them enough of a chance. Of course the films should be judged by their quality, but surely more people have to recognize the lack of attention given to female directors is a problem? I also dislike the idea of excluding The Wachowskis for The Matrix just because they still were male then. They felt like they didn't belong in a male body back then as well, just hadn't gone through the surgery yet.

Its not so much about watching films directed by females, its more giving females the opportunity to direct. Thats the important thing. Because lack of opportunity is the main reason for the imbalance. And you cant have "quality" if you arent given the tools or the encouragement or the chance to get there. Its a silly notion to insist everything happen organically and we should ONLY judge based on the art when the playing field was so imbalanced for so long.

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Farewell and adieu to you fair Spanish ladies...

Most likely, yes.

If woman is talented she should be able to earn herself a chance.

No, I don't see that as a problem. Recognition should be given based on merit alone. Sex should be irrelevant when it comes to evaluating the final product.

I, on the other hand, dislike the idea of including them at all because biologically they were and are men. Surgery and hormonal therapy doesn't change that.

Your biological sex and the gender you identify yourself as are two different things. I'd rather not get dragged into that discussion.

Amen. Well said.

Give me an example of such neglection, though. For example, Chantal Akerman is as respected and revered as any next arthouse guy director if not more.
You will not correct the difference in ratio by simply creaming over already working female directors. If anything, you should try to encourage new, aspiring female filmmakers not to give up their dreams, and also females who think about becoming directors to pursuit their dreams. You see, a director is one of these professions that have much more males than females, just like a kindergarten teacher or a nurse are professions that mainly have women. No doubt there are more straight filmmakers than gay filmmakers (because there are more straight people than gay people in general). However, I don't think all gay filmmakers should be revered and advertised solely because they belong to a minority. Gay filmmakers, for one (and it also refers to female directors, I believe), can defend themselves just with the quality of their art. Actually, I'm quite amazed by the sheer number of outstanding gay filmmakers. I guess their different perspective can really improve their films, and also that since they had to cope with the problem of homosexuality, they have enough creative fluids, maybe anger (or Agner xD), maybe some kind of long hidden need to express themselves that could ascend their art very high. At the same time, there are some of them that simply make mediocre films, but are mainly championed only because they're gay. I don't think that 's right.
That's what I'm constantly striving to do, but in the end the quality of art is more important than its circumstances. I will not champion a bad gay filmmaker, a bad female filmmaker, or a bad Polish filmmaker only because I should a) and b) respect minorities, and c) support the filmmakers from my own country. In the end it's not important who did something, but what was done.

The Polish director example doesn't work, since different countries make movies differently. I think it can be cool to see movies from other countries since the style of filmmaking is often unique to where it comes from. For instance, a Polish-produced movie won't look or feel the same as a movie produced in Russia.

....

Alice Guy and Lois Weber - yep they were not able to direct films for so long...

Where does this lack of opportunity come from though? I went to film school and there seems to be just as much opportunity out there for female directors as males. At least that is what my film school professors said, in talks about it.

I though the reason why there are a lot more male directors is that males are more interested in that type of job. When I say that, I do not mean that to sound sexist or anything, it's just some jobs more men prefer, and some jobs more women prefer.

For example, in the movies I worked on so far, the make up artists, have always been women. Not that they all are of course, but that is just an example of a job that women seem to want more, compared to men.

So I thought the reason why there are more male directors is cause more men like that job more in comparison, or so I thought. I didn't think it was cause women had less opportunity, I thought most of them didn't want that job.

Really? You thought most women were only interested in playing around with make up? And not those big boy intimidating jobs like running the show and thats why mostly men get the jobs? Because they were more "interested" than the dames? Do you also think women have no interest in being painters, writers, photographers or any other kind of art maker? Or is it only film making where theres a vacuum of interest among the fairer sex? And if so why? Did you think it is cultural or biological? And whats special about film directing that isnt true for any other art form?

Have you considered the fact that men are interested in directing because they tend to get those jobs and women are less interested because they dont? Or do you really truly think the tail is wagging the dog on this one and its all about females innate disinterest in being directors that is the real reason we arent seeing a 50/50 split in the profession? Maybe you didnt see an avalanche of females pursuing the director chair in film school because they dont think its really an option for them and therefore dont even bother. The same reason so many young females dont pursue careers in engineering or astrophysics or, you know, drag racing. Because our culture tells them (no matter what their progressive college professors tell them) 'thats mens work little lady. Stick with make up. Youll go far'.

This is true for most behind-the-camera professions by the way. Not just directing. Producers, editors, sound designers, cinematographers, you name it. Surely women cant be disinterested in ALL these professions?

Your comment reminds me a lot of something I heard Patty Jenkins say just after Wonder Woman came out. That she had been told countless times "women arent interested in doing action films. Only men are. Men have a better eye for it." Because of that she assumed for the longest time that directing an action movie just wasnt in the cards for women and thats just the way it was. It was a small miracle Warner Brothers picked a woman to finally do it and even then it was only for a film that featured a female superhero. So if you are told by the industry you are pursuing and the culture you live in that directing isnt for you, its going to be the rare individual that bucks that trend. Pursuing a make up career just might feel a lot more likely (not to mention acceptable across the board).

And this doesnt even take into account how much more experienced and/or connected and/or persistent a woman has to be to get a shot at a significant directing position, all things being equal, in comparison to men. Men are MUCH more likely to be given a chance with little or no experience while the rare woman who gets that shot needs to be incredibly qualified before theyll take a "chance" on them. And men are more likely to hire other men because they identify with them and can project on them. Hiring a woman to direct a film is more likely to be seen as "taking a chance". Hiring a man to direct the same film tends to be called "a good fit" even if its not.

And the truth is, despite all the obstacles and cultural programming, theres actually a lot of women out there struggling to make a name for themselves as directors. But you would never know they exist because they dont get any exposure and dont get a shot at the big jobs. People have even gone as far as to organize databases of women directors in order to create a resource for folks in positions to hire who just arent aware that they exist. Inevitably these people are shocked that so many women WANT the opportunity to do bigger things. Its time we all stop being shocked (or making assumptions) and reach out to these ladies for the strictly selfish reason of wanting to see more good films by increasing the pool of those who might be able to give it to us.

Bless your lil cotton socks, LilPony. You have some mighty big blinkers you need to take off sooner rather than later. You are in the middle of very exciting times but do you see that? You're in the middle of it and all the changes that are happening so rapidly, so it's a bit sad that you're missing out at the moment. I certainly applaud and encourage you in this time of progression, and you strike me as very intelligent young person who will probably make impacts in film making in the future. The fact that you seem to indicate that you're blind to what previous generations have had to battle is a bit sad, though, but I have no doubt you'll ditch those blinkers and I await your awakening, iron horse. I dont need to repeat what .I Rex has so eloquently contributed. Giddyup.

OP, I dont think Mr Minio is being defensive at all. He's made some really valid points. Many, infact. Thanks, Min! I have recently had the beautiful opportunity to shake up my thinking due to certain events and really open my eyes to what's going on in the world. I'm really thrilled you started this thread, Bihotza. Hopefully it stays on track because this is so important, IMHO. Party on.

I was just musing make up as an example, I am not saying that most women want to do make up. And no, I had no idea that there were so many women that wanted it, yet couldn't get the jobs. Even in my film school class, every student was male.

So that made me think a lot of women just aren't interested. As for men having a better eye for action films, I don't know about that. I think a woman could be as equally talented a director as a man, I just didn't think a lot of them wanted it, since I see so many male directors around. I didn't know it was because women were not being hired, if that's the case.

But I think women have equally talented perspectives to lend to directing.

I've worked under one woman director so far, and I never felt that working with a man is less risky or working with a woman is taking a chance. She seemed just as qualified to me as any male filmmaker I know, and I feel I do NOT have a gender preference to who I hire or work with, directing wise.

This got me thinking about the James Bond movie producer Barbara Broccoli. She's a female producer, but she always hires male directors to do the Bond movies. Would she feel that hiring a female director, would be taking a chance, even though she is female?

What exciting times am I in the middle of, that I am missing out on?

Time of increased awareness of female talent behind cameras.

Oh yeah, we learned that in film school as well. But with all male students, it feels like not a lot of women are applying to get behind it compared to men still. So I thought maybe they were not interested as much.