A female directors thread, because why not.

Also, I seem to remember someone bringing up Godzilla and making the silly suggestion that he was more important than the thread topic, so there's that...

Yeah, but simply stating something like 3% of all films I've seen were directed by a female means nothing.
To be fair, Godzilla is more important than most topics.

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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.

Yes and Godzilla has never even directed a movie! Honestly, I am bored of Godzilla as a character. I would rather watch a Doris Wishman film than a Godzilla movie.

I think it clearly does mean something if someone has seen significantly less films directed by women than by men. And Godzilla is overrated. Women are better than Godzilla.

I do think it's an interesting question. Even though I pick films either based on how interesting they look or which actors/directors are involved, female-directed ones only pop up once in a while. I think it has less to do with not specifically seeking out works directed by women and more so the fact that nowhere near as many films made by them exist.

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Godzilla is an inherently boring character. He's a one-trick pony. All he ever does is show up, stomp about the place, destroy a few buildings, and then gets bored and leaves.

Someone should make a body swapping Godzilla movie, where Godzilla switches bodies with a teenage girl and has to go to high school, while the teen girl stomps around the city angrily. That would be a fresh twist on Godzilla!

Yeah it means that literally everybody's seen more films directed by men because the majority of movies was directed by men.

Sorry but find me a woman who can beat the hell out of Ghidorah. You can't, eh?

Let’s go with some foreign female directors.

Marta Meszaros
Never gets mentioned. I just started her films, so holding off any judgement until I get through a few more

Kinuyo Tanaka was already mentioned, but it should also be mentioned Criterion is bringing all 6 of her films she directed next month.

Marguirite Duras

Agnes Varda

Larisa Shepitko

Lotte Reiniger
Her early silhouette animation are really nice to watch.

Mai Zetterling never gets mentioned, either. Liek Meszaros above, I just started her films so I’ll get back to you on how her films are.

Oh geez. How could I forget…Chantal Akerman!

2 others that I haven’t gotten around to quite yet:

Olga Preobrazhenskaya
And
Margarethe von Trotta

Very good picks, @Wyldesyde19. Maybe you amount to something after all.

I forgot about Věra Chytilova, Although, Daisies is all I’ve seen from her so far. I have Wolf’s Hole next up, though.

Two others came to mind, but I haven’t seen any of their films yet either:
Agnieszka Holland And Caroline Link

Unacceptable. Watch Fruit of Paradise NOW!!! Something Different is superb, too.

Also, Tang Shu Shuen is superior to 99% of other female filmmakers.

I’ll get to more of her films eventually.

At first I didn’t recognize Tang Shu Shuen. Then I looked her up and recognized The Arch and realized I assumed it was a male director. Oops. My mistake. She’ll have to go on the list regardless.

Speaking of Hong Kong female directors, there’s also Ann Hui. Love Hui’s The Stunt Woman. Not so much Boat People.

Boat People is incredible, easily her best from what I've seen, but I need to watch more of hers.

Stunt Woman is far better.

I doubt it. But I'll watch it... One day.

All my friends who watched it thought it mediocre at best.

Marleen Gorris just had 3 of her films released on Criterion Channel. I’m not familiar with her works, although I have heard of Antonia’s Line (which isn’t included)

Here are some more of my favorite female directors


Diana Ringo (2021's Quarantine and 2023's adaptation of Orwell's 1984)


Danishka Esterhazy (2019's The Banana Splits Movie and the 2021 remake of Slumber Party Massacre)


Lexi Alexander (2003's Green Street Hooligans and 2008's Punisher: War Zone)


Dana Kippel (2024's Reflect, her directorial debut)


Devanny Pinn (2023's The Black Mass, her directorial debut)


Jen and Sylvia Soska (2012's American Mary, 2013's Vendetta, and the 2019 remake of David Cronenberg's Rabid)

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