Films About Women Opening

Obvious Child — Written and Directed by Gillian Robespierre

Obvious Child is the kind of movie that helped me remember why I love movies. I was laughing my ass off even before the credits, and that’s when I knew I was in for a treat. In this tightly written and well directed comedy from excellent, first-time director Gillian Robiespierre, we get a woman Donna (Jenny Slate), whose shit is all over the place and doesn’t really know what she wants to be. But when Donna gets pregnant, she knows that she cannot raise a child. This is a story that, while really, really funny, is also really, really touching and easily unpacks all the issues surrounding abortion and choice. This is not a movie where a woman ponders if she should get an abortion; she knows she needs to get an abortion. It’s a movie that acknowledges the realities of where women live today, and one of those realities is that women get abortions. She doesn’t make her decision flippantly. she makes it because it is the best decision for her and her life. That’s one of the many reasons why I love this movie so much. I cannot wait to see what is next for all the amazing people involved in this very special film. Do go and see it. You will have a great time, and you will be moved. (Melissa Silverstein)

Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Gillian Robespierre.

Small Small Thing: The Olivia Zinnah Story (doc) — Directed by Jessica Vale

This heartbreaking film tells the story of a young girl named Olivia who was brutalized and raped when she was very young. The rape created an untreated fistula that eventually left her malnourished and incapacitated. Her mother gets her out of their village to the hospital for treatment, but the family is not supportive and she is forced to leave Olivia behind at times. This is an all-too-common story that needs to be addressed, and sadly, does not end well for Olivia. (Melissa Silverstein)

The Moment — Directed by Jane Weinstock; Written by Gloria Norris and Jane Weinstock

After a tumultuous affair between international photojournalist Lee (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and troubled writer John (Martin Henderson) ends in John’s disappearance, Lee lands in a mental hospital. While recuperating, Lee reconnects with her estranged daughter, Jessie (Alia Shawkat) and befriends Peter, a patient who bears an uncanny resemblance to her missing lover. As Lee struggles to uncover the truth behind John’s disappearance, the clues lead to the last place she would ever expect. (Rotten Tomatoes)

The Fault in Our Stars

Hazel (Shailene Woodley) and Gus (Ansel Elgort) are two extraordinary teenagers who share an acerbic wit, a disdain for the conventional, and a love that sweeps them — and us — on an unforgettable journey. Their relationship is all the more miraculous, given that they met and fell in love at a cancer support group. The Fault in Our Stars, based upon the number-one bestselling novel by John Green, explores the funny, thrilling and tragic business of being alive and in love. (Rotten Tomatoes)

Read our crosspost on the appeal of the book and the movie versions of The Fault in Our Stars.

Films About Women Currently Playing

Maleficent — Written by Linda Woolverton
We Are the Best!
Elena (doc) — Directed by Petra Costa
Lucky Them — Directed by Megan Griffiths; Co-Written by Emily Wachtel
Emoticon ;) — Directed by Livia De Paolis; Written by Sarah Nerboso and Livia De Paolis
The Life and Crimes of Doris Payne (doc)
American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs — Directed by Grace Lee
The Immigrant
Legends of Oz: Dorothy’s Return — Co-Written by Randi Barnes
Mom’s Night Out — Co-Written by Andrea Gyertson Nasfell
Stage Fright
Belle — Directed by Amma Asante; Written by Misan Sagay
For a Woman — Written and Directed by Diane Kurys
Ida
The Other Woman — Directed by Melissa Stack
Redwood Highway
Nymphomaniac: Part Two
Under the Skin
Finding Vivian Maier (doc)
Divergent — Co-Written by Vanessa Taylor

Films Directed by Women Opening

Citizen Koch (doc) — Co-Directed by Tia Lessin

A searing expose on the state of American democracy and the fracturing of the Republican Party, Citizen Koch investigates the money behind the Tea Party and traces the impact of unlimited election spending by corporations and billionaires. Alternately terrifying and funny, Citizen Koch is an essential and powerful portrait of our political times. (Press materials)

The Only Real Game (doc) — Directed by Mirra Bank

Narrated by Academy Award-winner Melissa Leo, The Only Real Game reveals the magic of baseball for people in a strife-torn border state in northeast India. This far away story brings us to the heart of the Great American Game, or as Babe Ruth put it, “the only real game in the world.” (Press materials)

The Animal Project — Written and Directed by Ingrid Veniger (Toronto and VOD)

Leo (Aaron Poole) is a mid-30s widower, single parent, and struggling acting teacher. His relationship with his teenage son (Jacob Switzer) is rocky, and he’s dissatisfied with his everyday life. So, after he has an unusual and inspiring dream, he decides to shake things up by having the group of actors he teaches do something called “The Animal Project” — whereby they will all don furry mascot suits and become “animals” in the real world. It’s a long, rainy night, and not everything goes as planned. But in the process of opening themselves up to the unknown, each participant in The Animal Project not only learns something about themselves, but also has the chance to grow a little bit. (Rotten Tomatoes)

Burning Bush — Directed by Agnieszka Holland

Based on real characters and events, this drama focuses on the personal sacrifice of a Prague history student, Jan Palach, who set himself on fire in protest against the Soviet occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1969. Dagmar Buresová, a young female lawyer, became part of his legacy by defending Jan’s family in a trial against the communist government, a regime which tried to dishonor Palach’s sacrifice, a heroic action for the freedom of Czechoslovakia. (HBO Europe)

Films Directed by Women Currently Playing

Night Moves — Directed and Co-Written by Kelly Reichardt
Palo Alto — Written and Directed by Gia Coppola
Fed Up (doc) — Directed and Co-Written by Stephanie Soechtig
The German Doctor — Written and Dircted by Lucia Puenzo
The Galapagos Affair: Satan Came to Eden (doc) — Co-Directed by Dayna Goldfine and Co-Written by Dayna Goldfine and Celeste Schaefer Snyder

Films Written by Women Opening

Burning Blue — Co-Written by Helene Kvale

They have been trained to meet danger head-on, to execute vital strategic maneuvers while flying at breathtaking speeds. But after a series of fatal accidents, a close-knit squadron of male Navy pilots begins to splinter — and becomes the focus of a criminal investigation. As a government agent digs to uncover the cause of the accidents, two of the pilots engage in a secret, forbidden relationship. Their affair is exposed… and the squadron is engulfed by an incendiary scandal that will challenge each pilot’s notions of friendship, love, honor and courage. (Rotten Tomatoes)

Films Written by Women Currently Playing

Blended — Co-Written by Clare Sera
50 to 1 — Co-Written by Faith Conroy