admittedly i just stumbled across this thread and haven’t been on the auteurs much, but i am really surprised that in 2009 there’s still such vast ignorance to women filmmakers. ok, i am risking to sound like a broken record, but seems that not much changed since that record first broke! so, where is denis? where are holland, arnold, longinotto, ramsay, hadzihalilovic, breillat etc etc etc – where are the women critics and the auteuresses? i’m not sure whether to be bored, or whether somebody actually cares to nurture and talk about films from women in the same breath as men? not one female director in your top ten lists? c’mon, if you really know your film, sure you could do better.
thanks for your replies. in this day and age, i don’t think it’s a solution to have my own female director list here on the auteurs, in any film mag or anywhere else. it needs to be mixed, because films by female directors are of equal quality. i think the lack of their presence is pure frame of mind. had ‘35 rum’ been made by rohmer, resnais or any other male director, it would have had a bigger presence in the critical realm. i think it’s one of the most rounded, perfectly composed films to come out of france in a long time.
about the list by annette smelik: so when she lists female directors rather than males, it’s to boost their profile – does that mean, when you list only male directors, you do it to boost their profile? i think this is exactly the ‘frame of mind’ i am talking about.
it is important to pause a sec and look at a list to check it’s well balanced (as you presumably do anyway to avoid making a selection from one country only) – if there are only crap films by female directors then of course tough, then they shouldn’t be on the list. but the truth is, there are plenty of great, amazing films by female directors.
i’m not intending to start a heated male / female debate here, but i wanted to hear what you all think of this and appreciate your comments.
i agree with what you say, apart from the germaine greer comment. women, in a not too distant past, had to pretend to be men to be able to follow their professional persuasion, and to this date, women often have to act like men in order to push their way to where they want to be. other directors, like alison anders (gas, food, lodging), quickly reverted back to tv because their time was wasted on trying to push their way past chauvinistic producers and they preferred to spend their time producing work. i don’t know why lynne ramsay was replaced by peter jackson for the lovely bones, but it’s not a conspiracy theory to consider there was some gender problem going on (aside other issues, of course this is simple speculation) . yet, there is still a great, respectable body of work by female directors ranging through the canon of cinema history- ok, switching the violins off now.
my point is, that i think there are great masterpieces made by female directors (and painters), but in a sector where most professionals are men (including critics, journalists), they are being overlooked. a lot of my favourite films are made by women, because i associate with the topics and their treatment of them.
equally, there is no doubt whatsoever that more good films (and paintings) have been produced by men, especially in the past. i don’t think that’s because they are better at making quality work, it’s to do with the ever so slow development of equal rights (on paper it’s been there a while, but not so much in the heads). so when i see a list like that, my conclusion is that there isn’t enough inclusiveness of female directors in the holy ‘canon’, and that change can start here, by adapting a list that does justice to their work. but of course, if i’m the only female in this thread, then it would also explain (not excuse) why no women director was mentioned (and that’s a whole other problem).
i think the starting point of this topic is slightly wrong, it’s like asking if there are any good male directors – there are so many it’s strange to be trying to narrow them down to their gender, although it’s certainly interesting to see your lists. directors should be acknowledged for their talent, and nothing else. and this is where the problem really lies, female directors are, in my opinion, more often overlooked. we’ve been talking about it here, if it interests you http://www.theauteurs.com/topics/1634/comments?page=4
yes, i agree on the omissions on countries, too, one thing at a time is my motto though. thanks for the comments, also to col..
and: away from her was a great film, polley is definitely one to look out for. so is joanna hogg btw, british director made one feature called ‘unrelated’ – only released in the uk thus far, but great cinema a la rohmer.
author elfriede jelinek (who’s been adapted by haneke) is the most apt person to write anything about this matter, in my opinion. and i agree, there’s no need to make this into a film. it’s bad enough to be exposed to another atrocity that no one could imagine possible until it appeared in the news. it would be tasteless to make a film about it. but jelinek should be the starting point to any artistic engagement with this issue.
there is a wealth of different lists that could be done, although the answer isn’t to have a list separating male and female directors – but one that is comprehensive and includes both genders (all the posts here listing great films by female directors are proof that there’s valuable work, which should form part of the canon).
i’ve not read the ‘what are female filmmakers doing to advance…" thread so will catch up. although it’s here, where ‘generic’ lists are made, that this debate belongs to.
Can you think of diary films, and films that use ‘the diary’ as a narrative device. What comes to mind?
I could start with:
Shirley Clarke – Portrait of Jason
Jim McBride – David Holzman’s Diary
Daniel Myrick & Eduardo Sánchez – The Blair Witch Project
Jonas Mekas – Walden (and everything else he does)
Ian Breakwell – his video diaries
John Smith – Hotel Diaries
William Wyler (and subsequent directors) – Wuthering Heights
Carol Morley – The Alcohol Years
yes, that would count.
i’m not sure why this is in ‘garage’ though – it’s simply another topic / call for film lists…
the diary format is used so extensively that it’d be interesting to explore it by picking out a good few. it’s interesting from a structural view point, historically and also simply because some of the most beautiful stories have been told through this device.
yes, david holzman’s diary was well ahead of its time in a way – it kind of predicted how we’d take portable cameras to the extreme. would be great to do a remake, and adapt it to today’s times… he’d be posting all the clips of his girlfriend on youtube, for sure.
other diary films – badlands is told through an invisible diary, right?
Le Dernier des Fous (The Last of the Crazy People) by Laurent Achard – 9/10
The decline of a dysfunctional family in rural France, told through the eyes of a ten year old boy – a brilliant, unforgiving, inquisitive and finally brutal view point only a child can have.
Syndromes and a Century – by Apichatpong Weerasethakul – 7.5/10
Hugely enjoyable in the first half, funny and beautiful but ultimately disappointed me with its formulaic structure. The theme of reincarnation was overwhelming the story, leaving thin ground for any other developments. Still, the director needs to be given credit for merging narrative structures in a novel way and letting one theme breathe through the entire length of his film.
Lucile Hadzihalilovic (as far as I see she only made one film so far, but it was “Innocence”, no less)
Zelimir Zilnik (generally, a few Eastern Europeans are missing on the list)
Andrea Arnold
Alison Anders
There are bound to be lots more missing, how about linking this up to an existing database?
When I first saw Carlos Reygadas’ STELLET LICHT (Silent Light) I hadn’t seen C. T. Dreyer’s ORDET, and somehow I’m glad I saw it only later, because it might have spoiled the magic of Stellet Light. Then, having seen Ordet, rather than making Reygadas’ film less good, it moved it to another dimension: one where we see how great auteurs influence future generations, making it possible for today’s filmmakers to use similar themes in new centuries, be inspired by the past. In this case it shifts the story from a Danish 19th century christian village to the vast Mexican landscape, amidst a forgotten Mennonite community in the early 2000’s that’s untouched by time and troubled by the same eternal story of forbidden love. I really recommend this as a double bill. In my eyes, the true master is Dreyer, but I’m glad he influenced Reygadas.
The Auteurs Poll Results about 3 years ago
admittedly i just stumbled across this thread and haven’t been on the auteurs much, but i am really surprised that in 2009 there’s still such vast ignorance to women filmmakers. ok, i am risking to sound like a broken record, but seems that not much changed since that record first broke! so, where is denis? where are holland, arnold, longinotto, ramsay, hadzihalilovic, breillat etc etc etc – where are the women critics and the auteuresses? i’m not sure whether to be bored, or whether somebody actually cares to nurture and talk about films from women in the same breath as men? not one female director in your top ten lists? c’mon, if you really know your film, sure you could do better.
Go to Comment
The Auteurs Poll Results about 3 years ago
thanks for your replies. in this day and age, i don’t think it’s a solution to have my own female director list here on the auteurs, in any film mag or anywhere else. it needs to be mixed, because films by female directors are of equal quality. i think the lack of their presence is pure frame of mind. had ‘35 rum’ been made by rohmer, resnais or any other male director, it would have had a bigger presence in the critical realm. i think it’s one of the most rounded, perfectly composed films to come out of france in a long time.
about the list by annette smelik: so when she lists female directors rather than males, it’s to boost their profile – does that mean, when you list only male directors, you do it to boost their profile? i think this is exactly the ‘frame of mind’ i am talking about.
it is important to pause a sec and look at a list to check it’s well balanced (as you presumably do anyway to avoid making a selection from one country only) – if there are only crap films by female directors then of course tough, then they shouldn’t be on the list. but the truth is, there are plenty of great, amazing films by female directors.
i’m not intending to start a heated male / female debate here, but i wanted to hear what you all think of this and appreciate your comments.
Go to Comment
The Auteurs Poll Results about 3 years ago
i agree with what you say, apart from the germaine greer comment. women, in a not too distant past, had to pretend to be men to be able to follow their professional persuasion, and to this date, women often have to act like men in order to push their way to where they want to be. other directors, like alison anders (gas, food, lodging), quickly reverted back to tv because their time was wasted on trying to push their way past chauvinistic producers and they preferred to spend their time producing work. i don’t know why lynne ramsay was replaced by peter jackson for the lovely bones, but it’s not a conspiracy theory to consider there was some gender problem going on (aside other issues, of course this is simple speculation) . yet, there is still a great, respectable body of work by female directors ranging through the canon of cinema history- ok, switching the violins off now.
my point is, that i think there are great masterpieces made by female directors (and painters), but in a sector where most professionals are men (including critics, journalists), they are being overlooked. a lot of my favourite films are made by women, because i associate with the topics and their treatment of them.
equally, there is no doubt whatsoever that more good films (and paintings) have been produced by men, especially in the past. i don’t think that’s because they are better at making quality work, it’s to do with the ever so slow development of equal rights (on paper it’s been there a while, but not so much in the heads). so when i see a list like that, my conclusion is that there isn’t enough inclusiveness of female directors in the holy ‘canon’, and that change can start here, by adapting a list that does justice to their work. but of course, if i’m the only female in this thread, then it would also explain (not excuse) why no women director was mentioned (and that’s a whole other problem).
Go to Comment
FEMALE DIRECTORS about 3 years ago
i think the starting point of this topic is slightly wrong, it’s like asking if there are any good male directors – there are so many it’s strange to be trying to narrow them down to their gender, although it’s certainly interesting to see your lists. directors should be acknowledged for their talent, and nothing else. and this is where the problem really lies, female directors are, in my opinion, more often overlooked. we’ve been talking about it here, if it interests you http://www.theauteurs.com/topics/1634/comments?page=4
Go to Comment
The Auteurs Poll Results about 3 years ago
yes, i agree on the omissions on countries, too, one thing at a time is my motto though. thanks for the comments, also to col..
and: away from her was a great film, polley is definitely one to look out for. so is joanna hogg btw, british director made one feature called ‘unrelated’ – only released in the uk thus far, but great cinema a la rohmer.
Go to Comment
Josef Fritzl about 3 years ago
author elfriede jelinek (who’s been adapted by haneke) is the most apt person to write anything about this matter, in my opinion. and i agree, there’s no need to make this into a film. it’s bad enough to be exposed to another atrocity that no one could imagine possible until it appeared in the news. it would be tasteless to make a film about it. but jelinek should be the starting point to any artistic engagement with this issue.
Go to Comment
The Auteurs Poll Results about 3 years ago
there is a wealth of different lists that could be done, although the answer isn’t to have a list separating male and female directors – but one that is comprehensive and includes both genders (all the posts here listing great films by female directors are proof that there’s valuable work, which should form part of the canon).
i’ve not read the ‘what are female filmmakers doing to advance…" thread so will catch up. although it’s here, where ‘generic’ lists are made, that this debate belongs to.
Go to Comment
Diary films, diaries in films. about 3 years ago
Can you think of diary films, and films that use ‘the diary’ as a narrative device. What comes to mind?
I could start with:
Shirley Clarke – Portrait of Jason
Jim McBride – David Holzman’s Diary
Daniel Myrick & Eduardo Sánchez – The Blair Witch Project
Jonas Mekas – Walden (and everything else he does)
Ian Breakwell – his video diaries
John Smith – Hotel Diaries
William Wyler (and subsequent directors) – Wuthering Heights
Carol Morley – The Alcohol Years
Go to Comment
Diary films, diaries in films. about 3 years ago
yes, that would count.
i’m not sure why this is in ‘garage’ though – it’s simply another topic / call for film lists…
the diary format is used so extensively that it’d be interesting to explore it by picking out a good few. it’s interesting from a structural view point, historically and also simply because some of the most beautiful stories have been told through this device.
Go to Comment
Diary films, diaries in films. about 3 years ago
yes, david holzman’s diary was well ahead of its time in a way – it kind of predicted how we’d take portable cameras to the extreme. would be great to do a remake, and adapt it to today’s times… he’d be posting all the clips of his girlfriend on youtube, for sure.
other diary films – badlands is told through an invisible diary, right?
Go to Comment
Last movie you saw and rate it about 3 years ago
Le Dernier des Fous (The Last of the Crazy People) by Laurent Achard – 9/10
The decline of a dysfunctional family in rural France, told through the eyes of a ten year old boy – a brilliant, unforgiving, inquisitive and finally brutal view point only a child can have.
Syndromes and a Century – by Apichatpong Weerasethakul – 7.5/10
Hugely enjoyable in the first half, funny and beautiful but ultimately disappointed me with its formulaic structure. The theme of reincarnation was overwhelming the story, leaving thin ground for any other developments. Still, the director needs to be given credit for merging narrative structures in a novel way and letting one theme breathe through the entire length of his film.
Go to Comment
Favorite auteurs missing from the profile selection box. about 3 years ago
Lucile Hadzihalilovic (as far as I see she only made one film so far, but it was “Innocence”, no less)
Zelimir Zilnik (generally, a few Eastern Europeans are missing on the list)
Andrea Arnold
Alison Anders
There are bound to be lots more missing, how about linking this up to an existing database?
Go to Comment
Films you likes until you realized how similar they were to other films about 3 years ago
When I first saw Carlos Reygadas’ STELLET LICHT (Silent Light) I hadn’t seen C. T. Dreyer’s ORDET, and somehow I’m glad I saw it only later, because it might have spoiled the magic of Stellet Light. Then, having seen Ordet, rather than making Reygadas’ film less good, it moved it to another dimension: one where we see how great auteurs influence future generations, making it possible for today’s filmmakers to use similar themes in new centuries, be inspired by the past. In this case it shifts the story from a Danish 19th century christian village to the vast Mexican landscape, amidst a forgotten Mennonite community in the early 2000’s that’s untouched by time and troubled by the same eternal story of forbidden love. I really recommend this as a double bill. In my eyes, the true master is Dreyer, but I’m glad he influenced Reygadas.
Go to Comment
Favorite auteurs missing from the profile selection box. about 3 years ago
Shirley Clarke
Go to Comment