Liz Garbus’ new documentary, What Happened, Miss Simone?, consists mainly of rousing historical footage of Simone’s concerts and interviews, while paying tribute to Simone’s achievements and illuminating the struggles in her life. Nina Simone wanted to become the first black female classical pianist to perform at Carnegie Hall. She had to settle for becoming a […]
Women Directors
In honour of #52filmsbywomen, we've collected all of our reviews of films directed by women and interviews with female directors all in one place.
Mon Roi: an abusive relationship won’t end
The title of Maïwenn’s messy but compelling Mon Roi, is indicative of the film’s primary problem. When divorcee and criminal lawyer Tony (Emmanuel Bercot) asks her new beau, Georgio (Vincent Cassell), if he’s a jerk, he flirtatiously replies that he’s “The King of Jerks,” and as the film’s title indicates with affection, he becomes her king (of jerks).
Cannes 2015 Review: Iranian film Nahid is a complex portrait of a woman trapped by the patriarchy
Panahandeh crafts a complex portrait of a thirty-year-old woman who became a mother too young and doesn’t quite know how to deal with it. She wants her son to have every opportunity, but her solution is to send him to an expensive private school, which she can’t afford
Director Shira Piven talks Welcome to Me, Chauncey Gardner, and finding comedic rhythms
Kristen Wiig stars, in Shira Piven’s Welcome to Me, as a woman with borderline personality disorder who wins an 86 million dollar lottery and decides to use her winnings to create her own Oprah-like talk show all about her. The Seventh Row sat down with Piven to discuss her aesthetic approach, the influence of Chauncey Gardner, and finding the […]
Female directors tackle motherhood, sexism, and cartoons at SFIFF
This weekend, SFIFF showcased a variety of good films by female directors from around the world, tackling stories as diverse as the inner-workings of The New Yorker cartoon department (Very Semi-Serious), fidelity in romantic relationships (Fidelio: Alice’s Odyssey), and the sometimes fraught relationship between mothers and their children (Goodnight Mommy and The Second Mother).
Advantageous director Jennifer Phang talks bringing feminist sci-fi to the screen
Writer-director Jennifer Phang’s Netflix film Advantageous is a feminist science fiction film for lovers of French New Wave cinema and intimate family dramas. It deals with issues of race, motherhood, and economic hardship.