Recently, Vulture listed their 20 Essential Documentaries of the century. Documentaries from Michael Moore, Werner Herzog and Morgan Spurlock made the cut, but not a single women-directed documentary was on the list. There was commentary about the omission of of women on Twitter, which prompted Thom Powers, the guru of documentary curation who works for TIFF, Montclair and other festivals, to make a list of his favorite women-directed docs of the last century.
Powers also included a list of some new women-directed docs that will be at the upcoming Montclair Film Festival from April 29-May 5.
You can find Powers’ lists below. What documentaries would you have added to Vulture’s list?
Powers’ Favorite Women-Directed docs of last century (in alpha order):
MANUFACTURED LANDSCAPES – Jennifer Baichwal
OPERATION FILMMAKER – Nina Davenport
12th & DELAWARE – Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady (not to mention JESUS CAMP, et al)
PERVERT’S GUIDE TO CINEMA – Sophie Fiennes
FLYING: CONFESSIONS OF A FREE WOMAN – Jennifer Fox
BOBBY FISCHER AGAINST THE WORLD – Liz Garbus
SHUT UP & SING – Barbara Kopple
ROUGH AUNTIES – Kim Longinotto
CHISHOLM 72 – Shola Lynch
AFGHAN STAR – Havana Marking
THE SOUND OF MUMBAI: A MUSICAL – Sarah McCarthy
CONTROL ROOM – Jehane Noujaim
MY COUNTRY, MY COUNTRY – Laura Poitras
STORIES WE TELL – Sarah Polley
JOAN RIVERS: A PIECE OF WORK – Ricki Stern & Annie Sundberg
EXAMINED LIFE – Astra Taylor
THE GLEANERS & I – Agnes Varda
WASTE LAND – Lucy Walker
PROTAGONIST – Jessica Yu
ROMAN POLANSKI: WANTED AND DESIRED – Marina Zenovich + her follow up ODD MAN OUT
Montclair Films:
ZIPPER by Amy Nicholson on real estate battles in Coney Island
A GIRL AND A GUN by Cathryne Czubek on the feminization of gun culture
BEST KEPT SECRET by Samantha Buck on an inspiring teacher
VALENTINE ROAD by Marta Cunningham on a proud queer teen targeted by prejudice
BLACKFISH by Gabriela Cowperthwaite on Orca whales in captivity
EVERY DAY IS A HOLIDAY by Theresa Loong about her father’s wartime secrets
AFTER TILLER by Martha Shane & Lana Wilson on abortion doctors; Full Frame award winner
ELAINE STRITCH: SHOOT ME by Chiemi Karasawa, premiering at Tribeca, then Montclair
GIDEON’S ARMY by Dawn Porter, winner of Sundance editing award & Miami Film Festival grand jury prize
