The Toronto International Film Festival kicks off today, and with nearly 30 percent of the program helmed by women (if you include shorts), there’s lots to look forward to. While there’s been plenty of well-deserved buzz surrounding the World Premieres of Mira Nair’s “Queen of Katwe” and Amma Asante’s “A United Kingdom,” there’s also many lesser known women-directed features absolutely worth checking out. Even if you can’t make it to Toronto, these films by and about women should be on your radar.
Here are just some of the films we’re most looking forward to catching at the 41st edition of TIFF.
Plot summaries courtesy of TIFF.
Cannes Hits
“Divines” — Directed by Houda Benyamina
What it’s about: In the banlieues of Paris, teenager Dounia (Oulaya Amamra) dreams of having it all: money, power, and a man. Unsatisfied with their socially prescribed career prospects, she and her friend Maimouna (Déborah Lukumuena) start dealing drugs as a way to make some quick cash.
Why we’re excited: “Divines” took home the Camera d’Or at Cannes, a festival that’s notoriously unwelcoming to female filmmakers. The victory marks the first time an Arab director has won the honor. Movies centered around teens, and especially teen girls, are often dismissed by critics, but “Divines” received rave reviews out of Cannes.
The film’s co-writer and director, Houda Benyamina, told Women and Hollywood, “I would like [audiences] to engage with their emotions before thinking too deeply about the film. I hope that after laughing, crying, and falling in love with the two girls at the heart of the story, [they’ll] question our society, our place in it, and the importance of an emotional connection in all of this. I would like everybody to wonder about the nature and meaning of one’s personal quest.” “Divines” sounds like a rewarding journey that will extend beyond the viewing experience.
“Toni Erdmann” — Directed by Maren Ade
What it’s about: Winfried (Peter Simonischek) is a retired piano teacher, a divorcee who delights in persistent pranks and impersonations that alienate (and occasionally alarm) everyone in his German suburb. He hasn’t been much for staying in touch with his daughter, Ines (Sandra Hüller), a high-ranking management consultant in Bucharest who is as controlled and rigid as her father is impish. Ines also possesses finely tuned radar for the nuances of social interaction — a trait that serves her well in the corporate world but only intensifies her discomfort when Winfried pays a surprise visit.
Why we’re excited: “Toni Erdmann” is the first woman-directed feature to be submitted by Germany for Oscar consideration in the best-foreign language film category since the 2002 Academy Awards. The award-winning comedy has proven to be a hit with critics and audiences alike, no doubt in part to its relatable premise: When asked what drew her to tell the story, writer-director Maren Ade shared, “The wish to tell something about family — about the assigned roles everybody plays in families, and about the wish to break out of that and to start from zero.”
Rebels with Causes
“Girl Unbound” (Documentary) — Directed by Erin Heidenreich
What it’s about: An intimate portrait of Maria Toorpakai, who defies threats to herself and her family from Islamic fundamentalists in order to represent Pakistan as an internationally competitive squash player.
Why we’re excited: We want more sports movies (and series) centered on women, especially from places where girls and women have limited rights. Girls need to grow up seeing examples of kick-ass female athletes. This inspiring doc follows a young woman who defies convention and pursues her dream of playing squash competitively, despite the fact that in her family’s region in Pakistan, Waziristan, the Taliban has forbidden women from playing sports.
“I’m always drawn to stories about how women — and men — navigate their gender in a society where expectations of that role deliver something different than what feels right for that person,” director Erin Heidenreich told Women and Hollywood in a soon-to-be published interview. “Maria’s story is exceptional in that she comes from an area where she could literally be killed for just being who she is: a woman and an athlete. She has an amazingly supportive father who has always believed in gender equality. The film brought up questions that are both personal and universal: How much would you risk to just be yourself?”
“150 Milligrams” — Directed by Emmanuelle Bercot
What it’s about: Director, screenwriter and actor Emmanuelle Bercot (“Mon roi”) adapts Irène Frachon’s bestselling memoir for this story of a dedicated doctor whose investigation into recent patient deaths leads to a crusade against a powerful drug company.
Why we’re excited: “150 Milligrams” has been described as a French “Erin Brockovich,” and we’re thrilled to see a David and Goliath-type tale (Delilah and Goliath?) fronted by a woman — particularly because this particular giant is an exploitative company that values profits over safety, a foe all-too-familiar to U.S. audiences struggling to get quality health care.
Foreign Films
“Godless” — Directed by Ralitza Petrova
What it’s about: A young physiotherapist (Irena Ivanova) struggling to survive in an economically depressed mountain town in post-Communist Bulgaria forms an unlikely friendship with one of her elderly patients (Ventzislav Konstantinov) in this sublime morality play about the corruptibility of the human spirit and the possibility of atonement.
Why we’re excited: Ralitza Petrova’s debut feature took home the Golden Leopard at Locarno Film Festival, the fest’s top honor. “I aim to give a visceral and intense experience for the audience,” Petrova told Women and Hollywood. “I want to them to experience the same emotions as the characters, so they get to contemplate the barriers of their own morality.” She shared that screening “Godless” at TIFF “means a lot for Bulgarian cinema at the moment. There is a certain new wave coming through, and we need as much visibility as possible,” she explained.
“Marie Curie, The Courage of Knowledge” — Directed by Marie Noëlle
What it’s about: Polish actress Karolina Gruszka stars in this sweeping biography of the legendary, Nobel Prize-winning physicist and chemist, who courted controversy with both her challenging of France’s male-dominated academic establishment and her unconventional romantic life.
Why we’re excited: A representation of a world-renowned woman working in STEM? Count us in. Not only was Marie Curie a Nobel Prize winner, she was the first woman to ever be awarded with the ultra-prestigious honor. She was also first person — male or female — to win twice. It was Curie who coined the term “radioactivity.” She also served as the director of Red Cross Radiology Service in WWI, and launched France’s first military radiology center. Curie’s fascinating life story is perfect biopic material.
“In Between” — Directed by Maysaloun Hamoud
What it’s about: Three Palestinian women sharing an apartment in the vibrant heart of Tel Aviv find themselves doing the same balancing act between tradition and modernity, citizenship and culture, fealty and freedom.
Why we’re excited: We’d like to see more films focused on female friendship, and this trio’s relationship seems especially interesting. A criminal lawyer, a DJ, and a student make for a fascinating group of roommates — particularly when two of the Arab Israeli women embrace secularism, and the other is a religious Muslim with a conservative fiance.
Headliners
“A United Kingdom” — Directed by Amma Asante
What it’s about: Amma Asante (“Belle”) helms this biopic of Seretse Khama (David Oyelowo), the former African royal who courted controversy with his interracial marriage to Englishwoman Ruth Williams (Rosamund Pike) and later led his nation to independence from the British Empire as the first president of Botswana.
Why we’re excited: If “Loving’s” success at Cannes is any indication, audiences and critics are hungry for more interracial love stories. It’s 2016, but the popularity of He Who Must Not Be Named in the U.S. election offers horrifying evidence of how far from we are from leaving blatantly racist attitudes behind (as if we needed a reminder). So we’re delighted to see a romance about a black man and a white woman, especially when the casting is so good. Amma Asante’s last film, “Belle,” was also based on a true story and portrayed a relationship plagued by racism. “Belle” was one of our favorite films in 2014, and beautifully tackled not only race, but gender and class, too. We have high hopes that “A United Kingdom” will follow suit.
“Queen of Katwe” — Directed by Mira Nair
What it’s about: David Oyelowo (“Selma”) and Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong’o (“12 Years a Slave”) star in the true story of a young girl from rural Uganda (played by newcomer Madina Nalwanga) who discovers a passion for chess, and sets out to pursue her dream of becoming an international champion.
Why we’re excited: Everyone loves an underdog story, and one anchored by a young, hardworking girl with an incredible gift has us feeling especially enthusiastic about “Queen of Katwe.” The Disney film seems bound for box office glory, and will hopefully encourage more girls and women to take up competitive chess, a male-dominated field.
“Wakefield” — Directed by Robin Swicord
What it’s about: Bryan Cranston stars as a successful lawyer and family man who disappears from his own life and observes his baffled loved ones from a hiding place in the attic, in writer-director Robin Swicord’s adaptation of the short story by E.L. Doctorow.
Why we’re excited: We’re fans of writer-director Robin Swicord’s charming directorial debut “The Jane Austen Book Club,” and are intrigued by her foray into decidedly darker fare with “Wakefield.” “With Doctorow’s short story, [the] sensation of instant connection and recognition didn’t leave me,” Swicord explained in an upcoming interview with Women and Hollywood. “It only increased as I read the story again. I knew that I would make a film based on it.” Early reviews of the drama emphasize how unlikable the lead character is. If you’ve seen “Breaking Bad,” you’re well-aware of just how loathsome Bryan Cranston is capable of being — and how riveting he is to watch.
Female-Fronted Comedies
“Carrie Pilby” — Directed by Susan Johnson
What it’s about: Awkward, isolated, and disapproving of most of the people around her, a precocious 19-year-old genius (Bel Powley) is challenged to put her convictions to the test by venturing out on to the NYC dating scene, in this adaptation of Caren Lissner’s best-selling 2003 novel.
Why we’re excited: We were duly impressed with Bel Powley’s amazing performance in Marielle Heller’s “The Diary of a Teenage Girl,” and are glad to see her teaming up with another woman director. “Carrie Pilby” follows a misanthrope who graduated from Harvard before she turned 20 — not exactly the type of teen female protagonist we’re accustomed to seeing. Powley’s capable of making you laugh one second and tear up the next, so the taking on the NYC dating world seems like a great role for her.
Their Finest — Directed by Lone Scherfig
What it’s about: Danish filmmaker Lone Scherfig (“An Education,” “The Riot Club”) directs a sterling British cast — including Gemma Arterton, Bill Nighy, Jack Huston, and Richard E. Grant — in this period comedy-drama about a group of filmmakers struggling to make an inspirational film to boost morale during the Blitz of London in World War II.
Why we’re excited: Gemma Arterton plays a screenwriter in “Their Finest.” Most movies about the film business come from the perspective of men, so for this reason alone, we’re on board with the film — never mind the fact that Lone Scherfig helmed one of our favorite coming-of-age movies of all-time, 2009’s “An Education.”
And Don’t Forget…
This list is far from exhaustive. Other films we recommend keeping an eye out for include the Holocaust denial legal drama “Denial,” Jane Jacobs doc “Citizen Jane: Battle for the City,” and “Jackie,” a Jackie Kennedy biopic starring Natalie Portman. If you’re in the mood for horror, consider Alice Lowe’s portrayal of a pregnant woman on a murdering spree “Prevenge,” Ana Lily Amirpour’s post-apocalyptic cannibal tale “The Bad Batch,” or “Raw,” Julia Ducournau’s coming-of-age story about a young, vegetarian student training to be a vet who undergoes a hazing ritual that leaves her hungry for flesh.
We’ve also heard good things about many shorts screening, including Mounia Akl’s “Submarine,” Lee Filipovski’s “Fluffy,” and Or Sinai’s “Anna.”
TIFF runs from September 8–18.
