“Black Lives Matter”
FILMS ABOUT WOMEN OPENING AND COMING TO STREAMING/VOD
All In: The Fight for Democracy (Documentary) – Directed by Liz Garbus and Lisa Cortés
In anticipation of the 2020 presidential election, “All In: The Fight for Democracy” examines the often overlooked, yet insidious issue of voter suppression in the United States. The film interweaves personal experiences with current activism and historical insight to expose a problem that has corrupted our democracy from the very beginning. With the perspective and expertise of Stacey Abrams, the former Minority Leader of the Georgia House of Representatives, the documentary offers an insider’s look into laws and barriers to voting that most people don’t even know are threats to their basic rights as citizens of the United States.
“All In: The Fight for Democracy” is now available on Amazon Prime.
Antebellum
“Antebellum”
Successful author Veronica Henley (Janelle Monáe) finds herself trapped in a horrifying reality and must uncover the mind-bending mystery before it’s too late.
“Antebellum” is now available on VOD. Find screening info here.
Rocks – Directed by Sarah Gavron; Written by Theresa Ikoko and Claire Wilson
“Rocks”
The film follows teenager Rocks (Bukky Bakray), who fears that she and her little brother (D’angelou Osei Kissiedu) will be forced apart if anyone finds out they are living alone. With the help of her friends, she evades the authorities and navigates the most defining days of her life. “Rocks” is a film about the joy, resilience, and spirit of girlhood.
Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Sarah Gavron.
“Rocks” is now playing in UK theaters. Find screening info here.
Blackbird
“Blackbird”
Lily (Susan Sarandon) and Paul (Sam Neill) summon their loved ones to their beach house for one final gathering after Lily decides to end her long battle with ALS on her own terms. The couple is planning a loving weekend complete with holiday traditions, but the mood becomes strained when unresolved issues surface between Lily and her daughters, Jennifer (Kate Winslet) and Anna (Mia Wasikowska). Joining the collective farewell are Lily’s son-in-law (Rainn Wilson), her lifelong friend (Lindsay Duncan), her daughter’s partner (Bex Taylor-Klaus), and her grandson (Anson Boon). Her story is ultimately one of hope, love, and a celebration of life.
“Blackbird” is now available in theaters and on VOD.
Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare – Written and Directed by Alankrita Shrivastava
A disillusioned Delhi wife and her new-in-town cousin navigate damning secrets, dreams, and their thorny dynamic on their respective roads to freedom.
“Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare” is now available on Netflix.
Sing Me a Lullaby (Short Documentary) – Directed by Tiffany Hsiung
In an act of love and determination, director Tiffany Hsiung embarks on a journey to Taipei to uncover the missing pieces of her mother’s fragmented past. This documentary weaves a tender, personal story about unexpected familial healing and connection.
“Sing Me a Lullaby” will be available on Canada’s CBC Gem September 20.
A Love Song for Latasha (Short Documentary) – Directed by Sophia Nahli Allison
The killing of Latasha Harlins became a flashpoint for the 1992 LA uprising. This documentary evocatively explores the 15-year-old’s life and dreams.
“A Love Song for Latasha” will be available on Netflix September 21.
Stuntwomen: The Untold Hollywood Story (Documentary) – Directed by April Wright
“Stuntwomen: The Untold Hollywood Story”
“Stuntwomen: The Untold Hollywood Story” is the inspiring untold story about the unsung professionals, their struggles on screen to perform at the highest level, and their fight off-screen to be treated fairly and equally. The movie takes us behind-the-scenes and introduces us to the female stunt performers who drive the action and thrills of Hollywood’s biggest blockbuster movies, from the silent age of cinema to present day.
“Stuntwomen: The Untold Hollywood Story” will be available on VOD September 22.
Resisterhood (Documentary) – Directed by CJ Crim
“Resisterhood’s” Dr. Jean Gearon leading a march
This powerful documentary captures the stories of everyday Americans who became grassroots activists working tirelessly to defend our democracy and stop the erosion of our civil rights. “Resisterhood” showcases the wave that brought us the most ethnically, racially, and gender diverse Congress in history. It shares stories of hope that will re-energize the movement and inspire even more people to join the fight to secure a bright future for our county.
“Resisterhood” will be available on Amazon and Vimeo September 22.
Enola Holmes
“Enola Holmes”
England, 1884 — a world on the brink of change. On the morning of her 16th birthday, Enola Holmes (Millie Bobby Brown) wakes to find that her mother (Helena Bonham Carter) has disappeared, leaving behind an odd assortment of gifts but no apparent clue as to where she’s gone or why. After a free-spirited childhood, Enola suddenly finds herself under the care of her brothers Sherlock (Henry Cavill) and Mycroft (Sam Claflin), both set on sending her away to a finishing school for “proper” young ladies. Refusing to follow their wishes, Enola escapes to search for her mother in London. But when her journey finds her entangled in a mystery surrounding a young runaway Lord (Louis Partridge), Enola becomes a super-sleuth in her own right, outwitting her famous brother as she unravels a conspiracy that threatens to set back the course of history.
“Enola Holmes” will be available on Netflix September 23.
Camille Claudel – Written by Marilyn Goldin, Misa Terami, and Bruno Nuytten
The biography of the iconic French sculptor Camille Claudel (Isabelle Adjani) in a tale of love, betrayal, and female empowerment. When her enthusiasm for the arts captures the attention of famed sculptor Auguste Rodin (Gérard Depardieu), he hires her as his assistant. Slowly, Camille develops sculpting proficiency of her own, but when her and Auguste’s relationship becomes intimate, she struggles to escape from beneath his oppressive shadow.
“Camille Claudel” will be available on OVID.tv September 24.
Alone
Set in the Pacific Northwest wilderness, the film follows recently widowed Jessica (Jules Willcox) who, fleeing the city in a desperate attempt to cope, is kidnapped and locked away in a mysterious man’s cabin. Her escape from the clutches of this murderous captor lands her in the heart of the untamed wilderness, with only her wits to rely on for survival as her pursuer closes in.
“Alone” is now in select theaters and available on VOD. Find screening info here.
The Swerve
Holly (Azura Skye) seems to have it all: two kids, a nice house, a good job as a teacher, and a husband with his career on the way up. But there are troubling signs that all is not right in her world. The insomnia. The medication for insomnia. The dreams from the medication for insomnia — are they even dreams? And then there’s the mouse that appears in her home. Upsetting her already delicate balance, it sends her spiraling out of control.
“The Swerve” will be available on VOD September 22.
FILMS MADE BY WOMEN OPENING AND COMING TO STREAMING/VOD
The Way I See It (Documentary) – Directed by Dawn Porter
“The Way I See It”
Inspired by the New York Times #1 bestseller comes Dawn Porter’s “The Way I See It,” an unprecedented look behind the scenes of two of the most iconic Presidents in American History, Barack Obama and Ronald Reagan, as seen through the eyes of renowned photographer Pete Souza. As Official White House Photographer, Souza was an eyewitness to the unique and tremendous responsibilities of being the most powerful person on Earth. The movie reveals how Souza transforms from a respected photojournalist to a searing commentator on the issues we face as a country and a people.
“The Way I See It” is now in theaters. Find screening info here.
Murder in the Woods – Written by Yelyna De Leon
Against his grandmother’s (Soledad St. Hilaire) demands, Jesse (José Julián), a loner-type decides to go on a trip with his friends. He is immediately smitten with Fernanda (Jeanette Samano), a sweet girl from Chicago whom he hasn’t seen in years. She is in town visiting her loudmouth cousin, Chelsea (Chelsea Rendon), who is ready to celebrate her birthday and plans to let loose with her boyfriend Gabe (Jordan Diambrini). Tagging along at the last second are Jule (Kade Wise), the class clown pothead, and the very out-of-his-league Celeste (Catherine Toribio). Soon after arriving at the mysterious cabin in the woods, the group of teens discovers the dark secret it holds, which forces them to fight for their lives.
“Murder in the Woods” is now in theaters and available on VOD. Find screening info here.
The Providers (Documentary) – Written and Directed by Anna Moot-Levin and Laura Green
“The Providers”
“The Providers” follows three healthcare providers in northern New Mexico. They work at El Centro, a group of safety-net clinics that offer care to all who walk through the doors, regardless of ability to pay. Amidst personal struggles that reflect those of their patients, the journeys of the providers unfold as they work to reach rural Americans who would otherwise be left out of the healthcare system. With intimate access, the documentary shows the transformative power of providers’ relationships with marginalized patients.
Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Anna Moot-Levin and Laura Green.
“The Providers” will be available on OVID.tv September 23.
Who’s Next? (Documentary) – Directed by Nancy Cooperstein Charney
“Who’s Next?” examines how the lives of Muslim-Americans have been affected in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks. It focuses on six Muslim families — citizens and long-time legal residents — from diverse countries and widely different circumstances. In one way or another all of them have been targeted by federal agencies, hate groups, and even former friends solely on the basis of their religious beliefs.
“Who’s Next?” will be available on OVID.tv September 23.
From the East (Restored Documentary) – Written and Directed by Chantal Akerman
Chantal Akerman’s austere masterpiece retraces the journey from the end of summer to deepest winter, from East Germany, across Poland and the Baltics, to Moscow. It is a voyage Akerman wanted to make shortly after the collapse of the Soviet bloc “before it was too late,” reconstructing her impressions in the manner of a documentary on the border of fiction. By filming “everything that touched me,” Akerman sifts through and fixes upon sounds and images as she follows the thread of this subjective crossing. Without dialogue or commentary, “From the East” is a cinematographic elegy.
“From the East” will be available on OVID.tv September 24.
TV AND EPISODIC PREMIERES
Ratched (Premieres September 18 on Netflix)
“Ratched”: Netflix
This eight-episode series tells the origin story of asylum nurse Mildred Ratched (Sarah Paulson). In 1947, Mildred arrives in Northern California to seek employment at a leading psychiatric hospital where new and unsettling experiments have begun on the human mind. On a clandestine mission, Mildred presents herself as the perfect image of what a dedicated nurse should be, but the wheels are always turning and as she begins to infiltrate the mental health care system and those within it, Mildred’s stylish exterior belies a growing darkness that has long been smoldering within, revealing that true monsters are made, not born.
Filthy Rich (Premieres September 21 on Fox)
Margaret Monreaux (Kim Cattrall) and her family are shocked to learn three illegitimate children of her recently deceased husband may inherit their very successful Christian television network, the Sunshine Network, in this drama based on the New Zealand series of the same name.
In My Blood It Runs (Documentary) – Directed by Maya Newell (Premieres September 21 on PBS)
“In My Blood It Runs”: Maya Newell
Set in Australia’s Northern Territory, “In My Blood it Runs” follows Dujuan, a young Aborginal boy with a spiritual connection to, and vast knowledge of, his cultural ancestry. At home in Alice Springs, Dujuan is surrounded by his loving family. Despite being a talented healer, hunter, and fluent in three languages, Dujuan is failing in school and facing increasing scrutiny from welfare authorities and the police. As he veers perilously close to incarceration, his family fights to give him a strong Aboriginal education alongside his western education.
Read Women and Hollywood’s interview with Maya Newell.
Like, Share, Dímelo (Talk Show) (Premieres September 21 on Fuse)
A hilarious and unfiltered talk series hosted by Latina comedians Dee Nasty (Darlene Demorizi) and Sasha Merci, who explore trending topics in Latinx and millennial issues, including politics, pop culture, dating, and sex.
The Murders at White House Farm (Miniseries) – Written by Giula Sandler and Kris Mrksa (Premieres September 24 on HBO Max)
Over 30 years ago, three generations of one family were murdered at their isolated farm. Initial evidence pointed the finger at the daughter of the family who had a history of mental illness, however one detective refused to accept this and delved deeper into the investigation. His determination uncovered new evidence that shed suspicion on another family member. This is a dramatized true crime story based on extensive research, interviews, and published accounts, looking at the mystery behind what happened that fateful day.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE WEEK
Women received the majority of the non-acting nods for “Little Fires Everywhere”
Join the Girls Club for a Conversation with “Misbehaviour” Director Philippa Lowthorpe
Exclusive: Motorcycle Champ Ana Carrasco Gets Personal in “Ride Your Dream” Clip
ReFrame Awards 33 Shows Its Gender Equality Stamp, a 57% Increase from Previous Season
Madonna Is Directing Her Own Biopic, Co-Writing with Diablo Cody
Hannah Rosenzweig & Wendy Sachs on “Surge” & Why We Should Tell (Many) Stories About Women in Politics
Women Represent Only 35 Percent of Non-Acting Emmy Nominees, New WMC Report Finds
Julia Hart’s “I’m Your Woman” to Open AFI Fest, Rachel Brosnahan Stars
Chloé Zhao’s “Nomadland” Wins Golden Lion, Venice’s Top Prize
“Boxed In” Report: Streaming Programs Feature More Female Protagonists Than Cable or Broadcast
Exclusive: Girls and Women Celebrate Their Passion for Aviation in “Fly Like a Girl” Trailer
Note: All descriptions are from press materials, unless otherwise noted.
Follow Women and Hollywood on Twitter @WomenaHollywood and Melissa Silverstein @melsil.
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