Weekly Update for July 20 Women Centric, Directed, and Written Films Playing Near You

FILMS ABOUT WOMEN OPENING THIS WEEK

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

“Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again”

This sequel to 2008’s “Mamma Mia!” follows a pregnant Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) as she learns about her mother’s (Meryl Streep) past. Streep’s character, Donna, is played by “Cinderella” star Lily James in flashbacks. (Press materials)

Find screening info and tickets here.

Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms – Written and Directed by Mari Okada

“Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms”

The people of Iorph live far away from the lands of men, weaving the happenings of each day into a fabric called Hibiol. They live for centuries while maintaining their youthful appearance. Maquia (Manaka Iwami), an orphaned Iorph girl, lives her life in an oasis surrounded by friends, yet somehow feels alone. But the tranquil lives of the Iorph are shattered in an instant when the Mezarte army invades their territory on a dragon fleet, seeking the blood that grants the Iorph long life. Maquia manages to escape, but loses her friends and her home in the chaos. She then encounters an orphaned baby. Maquia raises this boy, Ariel, with the help of some new friends. But as the era changes, the bond between Maquia and Ariel changes too, amidst a backdrop of racial tensions between the Iorph and the Mezarte. This is a story of irreplaceable time, woven by two lonely people who can only find solace in each other. (Press materials)

Find screening info here.

Pin Cushion – Written and Directed by Deborah Haywood (U.S. Release)

“Pin Cushion”

Super close mother Lyn (Joanna Scanlan) and daughter Iona (Lily Newmark) are excited for their new life in a new town. Determined to make a success of things after a tricky start, Iona becomes “best friends” with Keely, Stacie, and Chelsea. Used to being Iona’s bestie herself, Lyn feels left out. So Lyn also makes friends with Belinda, her neighbor. As much as Lyn and Iona pretend to each other that things are going great, things aren’t going great for either of them. Iona struggles with the girls, who act more like frenemies than friends, and Belinda won’t give Lyn her stepladders back. Both mother and daughter retreat into fantasy and lies. (Press materials)

Wanda (Theatrical Re-Release) – Written and Directed by Barbara Loden (Opens in NY)

“Wanda”

Wanda (Barbara Loden), a girl from a remote mining town, timidly searches for security and love in the Big City. After several desultory and abusive relationships, Wanda is “saved” by Norman Dennis (Michael Higgins), who turns out to be a petty crook. (Press materials)

Broken Star (Also Available on VOD)

“Broken Star” is a psychological thriller that tells the story of Markey Marlowe (Analeigh Tipton), a young, ambitious actress, who will stop at nothing to ensure everlasting fame. After many encounters with the law, she is sentenced to house arrest where she manipulates her recluse landlord (Tyler Labine) to fulfill her demonic desires. (Press materials)

93Queen (Documentary) – Directed by Paula Eiselt (Opens July 25 in NY)

Set in the Hasidic enclave of Borough Park, Brooklyn, “93Queen” follows a group of tenacious Hasidic women who are smashing the patriarchy in their community by creating Ezras Nashim, the first all-female volunteer ambulance corps in the United States. (Press materials)

Find screening info here.

FILMS DIRECTED BY WOMEN OPENING THIS WEEK

“Generation Wealth”: Courtesy of Sundance Institute

Generation Wealth (Documentary) – Written and Directed by Lauren Greenfield

Lauren Greenfield’s postcard from the edge of the American Empire captures a portrait of a materialistic, image-obsessed culture. Simultaneously photographic journey, memoir, and historical essay, the film bears witness to the global boom-bust economy, the corrupted American Dream, and the human costs of late stage capitalism, narcissism, and greed. (Press materials)

Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Lauren Greenfield.

Find screening info here.

Far from the Tree (Documentary) – Directed by Rachel Dretzin

“Far from the Tree”: DOC NYC

“Far from the Tree” follows families meeting extraordinary challenges through love, empathy, and understanding. This life-affirming documentary encourages us to cherish loved ones for all they are, not who they might have been. Based on Andrew Solomon’s award-winning, critically acclaimed New York Times bestselling non-fiction book, “Far From the Tree: Parents, Children and the Search for Identity.” (Press materials)

Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Rachel Dretzin.

FILMS WRITTEN BY WOMEN OPENING THIS WEEK

Damascus Cover – Co-Written by Samantha Newton (Also Available on VOD)

Ari Ben-Sion (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), haunted by the death of his son, is assigned by the Mossad to smuggle a chemical weapons scientist out of Syria. Within days his mission goes wrong. To survive, Ari reaches out to a deep cover agent code named The Angel. He soon discovers that he is a pawn in a much bigger plan. (Press materials)

TV PREMIERES THIS WEEK

“The War to Be Her”

Ballet Now (Documentary) (Premieres July 20 on Hulu)

“Ballet Now” provides a rarely seen, unfiltered glimpse into the world of ballet and what it takes to create a one-of-kind dance extravaganza. Featuring New York City Ballet Prima Ballerina Tiler Peck — the first ever woman to be asked to curate The Music Center’s famed BalletNOW program — and a diverse cast of world-class dancers from around the globe, the film follows Tiler as she tries to execute her groundbreaking vision of mashing together the worlds of tap, hip-hop, ballet, and even clown artistry. With less than a week to pull it all off, Tiler faces the mounting pressures of not only dancing in multiple pieces, but also producing and directing this high profile event. (Press materials)

Beatrice (Short Documentary) – Directed by Lorena Alvarado (Premieres July 23 on PBS Series POV)

Beatrice Vio cultivated a passion for fencing when she was five years old. At 11, she contracted severe meningitis. In the hospital, the doctors gave her an unimaginable choice: Keep her limbs and risk death, or amputate all four to ensure survival. She chose life. Now, Vio is a Paralympic champion and the only fencer in the world who competes without arms or legs. (Press materials)

The War to Be Her (Documentary) – Directed by Erin Heidenreich (Premieres July 23 on PBS Series POV)

In “one of the most dangerous places on earth,” where the Taliban maintains a substantial presence, a young woman faces obstacles to pursuing a seemingly simple passion: sports. Born and raised in Pakistan’s mountainous tribal region of Waziristan, Maria Toorpakai emerged to become the country’s top female squash player and one of the top 50 in the world. Yet she has had to hide her talents from the Taliban, which is strongly—and violently—opposed to women in sports. From a young age, she disguised herself as a boy, going by the name Genghis Khan, so she could play, only to eventually be plagued by death threats from the radical group. (Press materials)

Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Erin Heidenreich.

Iliza Shlesinger: Elder Millennial (Comedy Special) – Written by Iliza Shlesinger (Premieres July 24 on Netflix)

Newly engaged comic Iliza Shlesinger dives into undeniable truths about life at age 35, the insanity of the road traveled, and what’s to come. (Press materials)

Burden of Truth (Premieres July 25 on The CW)

“Burden of Truth”

Fast-rising corporate attorney Joanna Hanley (Kristin Kreuk, “Smallville”) returns to her small hometown of Millwood to represent a major client in a case against some sick high school girls. After winning her case, she discovers the girls are sicker than anyone thought. Joanna also realizes she may have unresolved personal business in town. Even though she’s a successful partner in a big law firm, she can’t ignore the feeling that something in her life is not right. She becomes convinced all the answers she’s seeking about her broken life can be found in her old hometown. And if she’s going to fix herself, she has to start where it all began — with uncovering all of her family’s deepest secrets. (Press materials)

VOD/DVD RELEASING THIS WEEK

“The Helper”

Half the Picture (Documentary) – Directed by Amy Adrion (VOD/DVD, July 24)
The Helper (Documentary) – Written and Directed by Joanna Bowers (VOD/DVD, July 24)
Incident in a Ghostland (DVD, July 24)
Little Pink House – Written and Directed by Courtney Moorehead Balaker (VOD, July 24)
Sunset Society – Co-Written and Co-Directed by Phoebe Dollar (VOD/DVD, July 24)

WEEKLY READS FROM AROUND THE INTERNET

“Barry’s” Sally Reed

Angry Young Women: How Radical, Female Filmmakers Defined the Spirit of ’68 by Pamela Hutchinson (The Guardian)
Obsession, Identity, and the New Thriller by Alice Bolin (CrimeReads)
HBO’s “Barry” Gives Us a Female Character Who’s Actually Human With Sally Reed by Jyotsna Hariharan (The Mary Sue)
Tie-in Takeover: How Film Novelizations Went From Dire to Great by Kaite Welsh (The Guardian)
Why is Margot Robbie in Prosthetics to Play Elizabeth I? by Billie Esplen (New Statesman)
“Sharp Objects” is reclaiming Southern gothic tropes for rebellious girls by Aja Romano (Vox)

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