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Since the American Civil Liberties Union launched a petition against discriminatory labor practices toward women in Hollywood, discussion about female presence in film, or the lack thereof, has shed light on where marginalization occurs: direction. Outlined in the preliminary accusations against Hollywood studios, the ACLU mentioned that in 2013-2014 alone only 1.9% of the 100 top-grossing films were directed by women.
Though this ongoing trend has become more like a sad fact, female actresses and filmmakers have ventured into other realms of movie-making, including documentaries. A few of the most talked about, award-winning documentaries in recent years have been directed by women, and, in some cases, could only come to their most honest fruition because of the female filmmakers behind the camera. This isn’t to say that male documentarians couldn’t have taken on daunting subjects of, say, the amateur porn stars of Hot Girls Wanted, but for such gender-focused subject matter, shooting from the female gaze was arguably necessary. Below are ten intense documentaries shot by women who have boldly gone where no one else dared.
'Jesus Camp' (2006)
Directed by: Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady
Ewing’s and Grady’s Academy award-nominated film has become a staple documentary about religion and, specifically, the dire consequences that come along with the propaganda of faith. The filmmaking duo spent time at a children’s summer camp where the goal was to become as close to God as notorious Christian Evangelist, Billy Graham. [Where to stream Jesus Camp]
'Sexy Baby' (2012)
Directed by: Jill Bauer, Ronna Gradus
Before Netflix phenomenon Hot Girls Wanted, filmmakers Bauer and Gradus began their exploration of sexuality in the digital age with Sexy Baby, a film that explains what “sexy” entails through the eyes of three very different women: a twelve-year-old, a 22-year-old, and a former porn star. By examining how sex-obsessed our culture has become with the rise of the Internet, Sexy Baby leaves us to answer the question, what does female empowerment actually look like? [Where to stream Sexy Baby]
'Stories We Tell' (2012)
Directed by: Sarah Polley
Desperate to get to know her family better, actress Sarah Polley documented her uncovering of family secrets, only to find out, in real time, that she may have gotten too close to the truth. A fascinating look at the proverbial game of telephone relayed to us from childhood about our bloodline histories, Stories We Tell is as universally relatable as it is deeply personal. [Where to stream Stories We Tell]
'Blackfish' (2013)
Directed by: Gabriela Cowperthwaite
In an effort to uncover the truth behind multiple fatalities at SeaWorld, Cowperthwaite took her cameras straight to the tank of Tilikum, a killer whale responsible for three brutal human deaths during his time in captivity. The film painted a different picture than that of the highly-publicized newscasts about the dangerous animal and brought to light the inhumane practices toward wildlife who are kept confined to constrictive, unnatural habitats. [Where to stream Blackfish]
'The Punk Singer' (2013)
Directed by: Sini Anderson
An intense, stylish ride into the life of riot grrrl feminist and Bikini Kill frontwoman, Kathleen Hanna. Between archive footage, talking heads with the riot grrrl herself, and intimate interviews with those in Hanna’s life, director Sini Anderson offers an untold portrait of one of the most groundbreaking personalities to shake up the boys club of rock n’ roll. [Where to stream The Punk Singer]
'Running from Crazy' (2013)
Directed by: Barbara Kopple
Academy award-winning director Barabara Kopple unveils the mystery behind the Hemmingways, whose famous bloodline is cursed with addiction, alcoholism, mental illness, and suicide. Told through the eyes of actress Mariel Hemmingway (Ernest’s granddaughter), the film follows her incredibly personal journey in figuring out how she can avoid the same tragic fate as those who came before her. [Where to stream Running from Crazy]
'After Tiller' (2013)
Directed by: Martha Shane, Lana Wilson
Due to increasingly strict abortion laws implemented across the United States, there are just four doctors in the country who are legally able to perform late-term abortions, making them prime targets for pro-life movements. Shane and Wilson’s non-invasive, fly-on-the-wall approach allows After Tiller to stand as a must-see account of one of the most polarizing political topics that’s nearly forgotten as a women’s health issue. No matter what side of the debate you’re on, the duo’s filmmaking allows both to be heard loud and clear. [Where to stream After Tiller]
'Citizenfour' (2014)
Directed by: Laura Poitras
A cinematic voice of the post-9/11 documentary movement, Laura Poitras took home the Oscar for Best Documentary feature at the Academy Awards last year for her demythologizing of NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden. A dense doc that dissects issues surrounding cyber-security and privacy, Poitras leaves it up to her audience to decide what it actually means to be a patriot and a traitor. [Where to stream Citizenfour]
'Thought Crimes' (2015)
Directed by: Erin Lee Carr
Thought Crimes examines the notorious case of the “Cannibal Cop” Gilberto Valle, who was tried and imprisoned for his sexual fantasies regarding the torturing, killing, and cooking of women. The even more shocking part? Valle didn’t actually act on any of his thoughts. Carr took on the daunting subject of high-profile tabloid perversion and turned it into an exploration that affects us all as Internet users. One aspect that stood out in particular was the inclusion of the female point of view from Valle’s victims, including his wife, whose pictures he posted in fetish chat rooms. [Where to stream Thought Crimes]
'Hot Girls Wanted' (2015)
Directed by: Jill Bauer, Ronna Gradus
The Sundance hit-turned Netflix Original documentary explores the lives of five amateur porn stars who are brand new to the thriving industry that bankrolls thousands of productions based on trendy fetishization of the “girl next door.” What’s discovered, however, isn’t necessarily a tale of female empowerment that mainstream porn stars like Belle Knox endlessly tout about on talk shows, but rather, an all-too-real telling of what’s lost along the way. Filmed intimately, but never exploitatively, Bauer and Gradus are careful to let their subjects tell their own stories about the highest highs and lowest lows of aspiring to porn stardom. [Where to stream Hot Girls Wanted]
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