Women and Hollywood’s top documentaries of 2018 feature a Nobel-winning activist, a filmmaker investigating her stolen project, and a world-renowned pop singer. Inspiring, heartbreaking, and surprising, these docs are real-life stories that are at once universal and highly specific — and they demand to be seen. Whether they’re serving an unjust prison sentence or tracing a group of kids’ creative process, the women — on-screen and off — of these documentaries are well worth getting to know.
“On Her Shoulders” – Directed by Alexandria Bombach
If you find yourself feeling crushed by the never-ending tide of bad news, this documentary will give you your fight back. “On Her Shoulders” centers on Nobel Peace Prize-winning activist Nadia Murad, a young Yazidi woman who survived rape and enslavement at the hands of ISIS. The terrorist group killed her older brothers and mother during their 2014 genocide of the Yazidi people.
While contending with this unimaginable grief and trauma, Nadia became the voice of the Yazidi people and a symbol of the world’s refugee crisis, addressing the UN, visiting fellow Yazidi refugees, and advocating to the press and international governments on behalf of her people. Nadia’s not only a symbol of hope for survivors, she’s an inspiration for anyone seeking to change the world.
“Half the Picture” – Directed by Amy Adrion
“Half the Picture” is a rallying cry and love letter to women directors across the industry. The film lays out a lot of the issues surrounding a topic Women and Hollywood has been covering over the last decade — the systemic discrimination of female filmmakers. The stories are brutal. This doc should be required viewing for all people in Hollywood that have hiring power.
“Liyana” – Directed by Amanda Kopp and Aaron Kopp
“Liyana”
“Liyana” is a testament to the power of stories. Amanda Kopp and Aaron Kopp’s doc takes us to a Swaziland orphans’ home and chronicles a writing class. There, several children — Phumlani, Nomcebo, Sibusiso, Mkhuleko, and Zweli — come up with the story of Liyana, a courageous girl who goes on a dangerous journey to save her younger brothers’ lives.
With the help of South African storyteller Gcina Mhlophe and animation by Shofela Coker, “Liyana” brings the kids’ imagination to life. And that’s an outlet they desperately need. The children have endured more in their short lives than anyone should ever have to, including the loss of their families to HIV/AIDS, exposure to the virus, poverty, and sexual and physical violence. They need Liyana as a way to process what they’ve been through, and as an escape from the day-to-day. Their stories feed their resilience.
“RBG” – Directed by Julie Cohen and Betsy West
When we asked Julie Cohen and Betsy West what they wanted audiences to think about after seeing “RBG,” they said, “How a single woman, if she’s smart enough and tough enough, can change the world. Aside from what they’re thinking, we also want people to walk out of the theater feeling energized.”
Well, mission accomplished. Let’s face it: it’s impossible to not feel pumped up just talking about Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the trailblazing, feminist Supreme Court Justice. Watching this documentary about her life and work will not only boost your resolve to upend the whole damn system, it will motivate you to not skip planks during your next workout.
There’s a reason “RBG” is one of the highest-grossing docs since 1982: Bader Ginsburg is a total badass and she inspires other women to be, too.
“Shirkers” – Written and Directed by Sandi Tan
“Shirkers”
When Sandi Tan was 18, she and her friends tried to make their dreams come true. The aspiring filmmakers made a movie together. Also called “Shirkers,” the project was filmed in Singapore in ’92 and starred Tan as teen murderer. While shooting the original “Shirkers,” Tan became best friends with her director, who shocked her and and the rest of the crew when he disappeared — and took all of “Shirkers’” footage with him.
“Shirkers” sees Tan and her collaborators revisiting the making of the original “Shirkers,” and candidly discussing how filming the movie — and dealing with the trauma of it going missing — affected their relationships with each other and their trajectories in life.
A mystery, celebration of DIY ethos, and tribute to friendship all rolled into one, the Sundance winner is also a fascinating portrait of a man who couldn’t bear to be surpassed by his peers and protégées. Tan refuses to let her frenemy bury “Shirkers” and her aspirations along with it — “Shirkers” sees her reclaiming her power by stepping behind the camera and telling her own story.
“Matangi/Maya/M.I.A.”
“Matangi/Maya/M.I.A.”
“Matangi/Maya/M.I.A.” takes two decades’ worth of footage to create a portrait of the refugee turned pop singer. A Sri Lankan-born daughter of a Tamil leader, M.I.A. took refuge in the UK after leaving the home where she grew up. She uses her rap music to bring attention to the plight of the Tamils, and is lambasted in the media across the globe for being political. But she is political and is told she can’t have it both ways, which is what rapper and activist wants.
This intersection of the artist’s life serves as the backbone of the film. As a result, “Matangi/Maya/M.I.A.” is a fascinating chronicle of how culture and politics are inherently intertwined.
“The Sentence”
“The Sentence”
Mass incarceration is a hot political topic in our current climate. Yet most of the conversations have been focused on men. “The Sentence” is a heartbreaking film about Cindy Shank, who was given 15 years in prison for crimes committed by a former boyfriend. Cindy left her drug dealer ex, he died, and she started a whole new life. Then, after giving birth to three daughters, her past catches up with her and she is given a mandatory minimum sentence. The documentary shows the daughters, the husband, and the family Cindy left behind and how they try every day to understand how this could have happened. They fight for Cindy, for themselves, and for their future together.
Cindy’s brother Rudy uses the camera to tell us his family’s story, and watching what they go through is very intense and heart-wrenching. If you ever wanted to know why there needs to be flexibility on mandatory minimums, this is the film to watch.
“Reversing Roe” – Directed by Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg
“Reversing Roe” serves as a helpful primer — or refresher — on the history of abortion law in the United States. Educational and entertaining, Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg’s documentary revisits key moments in the court that advanced or jeopardized women’s reproductive rights, including but not limited to the original Roe v. Wade ruling. We hear from doctors on the ground, influential activists of the past and present, politicians, patients, and more, all offering their take on a woman’s right to choose — or whether she should have the right at all.
The doc traces the connection between access to abortion with democracy itself, and explores how restrictions to its access reinforce patriarchy. “Reversing Roe” also looks onward, and considers the troubling prospect of what the future may look like if we don’t continue to fight for the right that so many have worked for, and continue to work to protect — and so many others are working to erase.
