Hardly dashing through the snow.
Directed By Women Holiday Gift Guide
NB: This guide is too long for email and is best read on the website version of the newsletter.
As we head into Christmas shopping season (aka Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, and beyond), once again I am presenting some Directed By Women suggestions. As always, I urge you to support local shops, especially bookstores! Or use Bookshop if you must shop for books online. For boutique Blu-ray distributors, please consider purchasing directly from their websites.
Although my book doesn’t come out until March, pre-sales are essential, so if you’d like to pre-order (from your local bookseller or Bookshop preferably!) that would be fantastic! The book features 19 career-spanning interviews with working female directors including Jane Campion, Mira Nair, Susan Seidelman, and Karyn Kusama. It also features images from each filmmaker’s filmography and illustrations by
.
Speaking of Alex, check out her Etsy store Pan and Scan for lots of great art prints, vinyl stickers, zines and more. You can also pre-order her 2025 calendar, which is fictional bands themed this year.
I also recommend the totes from artist Nathan Gelgud. Some of his stuff is limited run (I love my Girlfriends and Jeanne Dielman shirts), so you should pick them up when you can! You can also order custom drawings for pretty much any film related topic.
There have also been a bunch of great books about female directors this year, a few of which were written by friends and colleagues:
Miss May Does Not Exist: The Life and Work of Elaine May, Hollywood's Hidden Genius by Carrie Courogen
A Complicated Passion: The Life and Work of Agnès Varda by Carrie Rickey
Agnès Varda: Director's Inspiration by Matt Severson (Editor), Manouchka Kelly Labouba (Interviewer) and Jacqueline Stewart (Foreword)
Desperately Seeking Something: A Memoir About Movies, Mothers, and Material Girls by Susan Seidelman
Death by Laughter: Female Hysteria and Early Cinema by Maggie Hennefeld
Corpses, Fools and Monsters: The History and Future of Transness in Cinema by Willow Maclay & Caden Gardner
Women's Transborder Cinema: Authorship, Stardom, and Filmic Labor in South Asia by Esha Niyogi De
Anita Loos Rediscovered by Cari Beauchamp (Editor) [pre-order]
Criterion has had a great year of releasing contemporary and restorations directed by women:
Chantal Akerman Masterpieces, 1968–1978, which includes the following films:
Saute ma ville, L’enfant aimé ou Je joue à être une femme mariée, La chambre, Hotel Monterey, Le 15/8, Je tu il elle, Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles, News from Home, and Les rendez-vous d’Anna
Special features include Hanging Out Yonkers, an unfinished film from 1973 by Chantal Akerman, Film-school tests by Akerman, a new featurette featuring critic B. Ruby Rich, a new visual essay featuring archival interviews Autour de “Jeanne Dielman,” a documentary made during the filming of Jeanne Dielman shot by actor Sami Frey and edited by Agnès Ravez and Akerman, archival interviews with Akerman, cinematographer Babette Mangolte, actors Aurore Clément and Delphine Seyrig, and Akerman’s mother, Natalia, an appreciation by filmmaker Ira Sachs, and an essay and notes on the films by Beatrice Loayza
Dee Rees’ Mudbound, which includes a new audio commentary with Rees, a new documentary featuring Rees, composer Tamar-kali, editor Mako Kamitsuna, and makeup artist Angie Wells, a new documentary made on set featuring members of the cast and crew, an interviews with DP Rachel Morrison, production designer David J. Bomba, and an essay by Danielle Amir Jackson
Laura Poitras’ All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, which includes a new interview with Poitras, two conversations from the 2022 New York Film Festival, and an essay by author and activist Sarah Schulman
Alice Diop’s Saint Omer, which includes new and archival interviews with Diop, a conversation between Diop and author Hélène Frappat, a conversation between Diop and filmmaker Dee Rees from a 2023 episode of the DGA’s podcast The Director’s Cut, and an essay by critic Jennifer Padjemi
Nancy Savoca’s Dogfight, including an audio commentary featuring Savoca and producer Richard Guay, new interview with Savoca and actor Lili Taylor conducted by filmmaker Mary Harron, new interviews with cinematographer Bobby Bukowski, production designer Lester W. Cohen, script supervisor Mary Cybulski, music supervisor Jeffrey Kimball, supervising sound editor Tim Squyres, and editor John Tintori Trailer, and an essay by film critic Christina Newland
Béla Tarr and Ágnes Hranitzky’s Werckmeister Harmonies, which includes Tar’s first film Family Nest (1979), a new interview with Tarr by film critic Scott Foundas, and an essay by film programmer and critic Dennis Lim
Karyn Kusama’s Girlfight, which includes an audio commentary by Kusama, Body and Soul: Karyn Kusama on “Girlfight,” a new program on the film by Alexandre O. Philippe, interviews with editor Plummy Tucker and composer Theodore Shapiro, storyboard-to-film comparison with commentary from Kusama, and an essay by author Carmen Maria Machado
Justine Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall, a new interview with director Justine Triet, deleted and alternate scenes with commentary by Triet, audition footage of actors Milo Machado Graner and Antoine Reinartz and rehearsal footage of Machado Graner and actor Sandra Hüller, short program about the dog who plays Snoop featuring trainer Laura Martin, and an essay by critic Alexandra Schwartz
Lana Wachowski and Lilly Wachowski’s Bound, which includes an audio commentary featuring directors Lana and Lilly Wachowski; actors Gina Gershon, Joe Pantoliano, and Jennifer Tilly; editor Zach Staenberg; and technical consultant Susie Bright, a new video essay by film critic Christina Newland, six interview programs featuring Gershon, Pantoliano, Pope, Staenberg, Tilly, actor Christopher Meloni, composer Don Davis, title designer Patti Podesta, and film scholars Jennifer Moorman and B. Ruby Rich, and an essay by scholar McKenzie Wark
Two Films by Kira Muratova: Brief Encounters & The Long Farewell, which includes interviews with scholars Elena Gorfinkel and Isabel Jacobs, an archival interview with director Kira Muratova, and an essay by film critic Jessica Kiang
Martha Coolidge’s Not a Pretty Picture, which includes an interview with Coolidge conducted by filmmaker Allison Anders, Coolidge’s documentary Old-Fashioned Woman (1974) about her grandmother, and an essay by film critic Molly Haskell
Lila Avilés’ Tótem, which includes a Meet the Filmmakers interview with director Avilés
This year Kino Lorber released a lot of wonderful restorations including two more films from Nancy Savoca, one of which was done in collaboration with Milestone Films, several films by Patricia Rozema (read my career-spanning interview with her here), and a Blu-ray of Martha Coolidge’s Rambling Rose, which the director talks about at length in my book. They also released some great world cinema dramas and docs.
Nancy Savoca’s Household Saints, which includes Savoca’s student films Renata (1982) and Bad Timing (1983), The Many Miracles of Household Saints, a making-of documentary by Martina Savoca-Guay, archival interviews with Jonathan Demme, Vincent D’Onofrio, Tracey Ullman, Lili Taylor, Nancy Savoca, Richard Guay, Judith Malina, Peter Newman, and a new interview with Nancy Savoca and Lili Taylor by Richard Guay
Nancy Savoca’s True Love, which includes an audio commentary by Savoca and producer Richard Guay and interviews with music supervisor Jeffrey Kimball, production designer Lester Cohen, sound editor Tim Squyres, editor John Tintori and script Supervisor Mary Cybulski
Patrica Rozema’s I’ve Seen The Mermaids Singing (this isn’t new, but I wanted to recommend all their Rozema releases), which includes a new audio commentary with Rozema , Rozema’s short films Passion: A Letter in 16mm (1985), Desperanto (1991), The Shape I Think (1995), an introduction by Rozema at the Metrograph, a Q&A with Patricia Rozema moderated by Laurie Anderson at the Metrograph), and a video essay by Daniel Kremer
Patrica Rozema’s White Room, which includes an audio commentary with Rozema, behind-the-scenes images, Rozema’s short film This Might be Good (2000), an archival interview with Rozema, and an alternate French audio dub
Patrica Rozema’s When Night is Falling, which includes an audio commentary with Rozema, her short film Suspect (2005), an archival interview with Rozema, and an alternate French audio dub
Patrica Rozema’s Mouth Piece, which includes an audio commentary with Rozema and behind-the-scenes footage
Martha Coolidge’s Rambling Rose (pre-order; released December 10th), which includes audio commentary by film critic Adam Nayman, an audio commentary by Coolidge, an introduction by Coolidge, and outtakes
Agnieszka Holland’s Green Border, which includes a Q&A with Holland, DP Tomasz Naumiuk, and stars Behi Djanati Atai & Joely Mbundu at Film at Lincoln Center during NYFF 2023
Ramata-Toulaye Sy’s Banel & Adama, which includes a Q&A with Sy filmed at Film at Lincoln Center
Kaouther Ben Hania’s Four Daughters, which includes an interview with Ben Hania
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Music Box Films has a few Blu-rays out of some of my favorite films from the past few years:
Morissa Maltz’s The Unknown Country, which includes an audio commentary with Maltz, editor Vanara Taing, and Lily Gladstone, “The Unknown Country: An Exploratory Filmmaking Process” panel for Mill Valley, and a Q&A that I conducted with Maltz at the 2023 Chicago Critics Film Festival
Martika Ramirez Escobar’s Leonor Will Never Die, which includes an audio commentary with Escobar, “A Film That Built Itself” Interview Featurette with Escobar, “Creature Feature”: A Making of Video Journal, and Escobar’s short film
Pusong BatoAmanda Kramer’s Please Baby Please, which includes an audio commentary with Kramer actors Alisa Torres and Matt D'Elia, Cast & Crew Q&A from the LA Premiere, Deleted Scenes and Outtakes, Kramer’s short films, and more.
Oscilloscope has also been putting out excellent editions of their films:
Rachel Lambert’s Sometimes I Think About Dying (pre-order), which includes an audio commentary with Lambert and outtakes
Carolina Cavalli’s Amanda, which includes a behind the scenes music video and deleted scenes
Ann Oren’s Piaffe, which includes an interview with Oren as well as video journals
Nathalie Álvarez Mesén’s Clara Sola, which includes an audio commentary with Mesén, deleted scenes, and three short films by Mesén.
Josephine Decker’s Butter on the Latch and Thou Wast Mild and Lovely, which includes audio commentaries, short films, and more.
I wish A24 would do a better job of releasing their films on Blu-ray, but they have done a few really nice editions with lots of special features for some of their films including:
Jane Schoenbrun's I Saw The TV Glow, which includes an audio commentary with Jane Schoenbrun and Brigette Lundy-Paine (both of whom uses they/them pronouns), deleted scenes, a new featurette, and six collectible postcards featuring special photography by Josiah Rundles and Spencer Pazer.
Rose Glass' Love Lies Bleeding, which is a 2-disc Blu-ray and 4K and includes an audio commentary with Rose Glass and co-writer Weronika Tofilkska, two new featurettes, and six collectible postcards featuring special photography by Beth Garrabrant, Anna Kooris, and Grace Pickering.
Kelly Reichardt's Showing Up, which is a 2-disc Blu-ray and 4K and includes an audio commentary with Kelly Reichardt, DP Christopher Blauvelt and artist Michelle Segre, two short films, and six collectible postcards featuring artwork from the film by Cynthia Lahti.
Joanna Hogg's The Souvenir and The Souvenir Part II, which includes Hogg's 1986 short film Caprice, a 41 minute making-of documentary, director's commentaries for each film, and a booklet that features an essay by author Elif Batuman, archival material and previously-unpublished excerpts from Hogg's outlines for both films, production design sketches and graphics, and behind-the-scenes photography
Shout! Factory released a Blu-ray of Jill Sprecher’s excellent ballad of Gen Z office malaise, Clockwatchers, although it unfortunately does not come with any special features.
I was going to list Grindhouse Video’s VHS release of Vera Drew’s singular DIY masterpiece The People’s Joker, but alas that seems to have sold out, or was at 3 left when I was compiling this guide. The Blu-ray release also only appears to have 3 left in stock, so I guess the DVD will have to do. The Blu-ray release includes a 24-page comic book, a solo commentary track with Drew, a commentary track with Drew and actor Nathan Faustyn, a commentary track with assorted cast & crew, a discussion with Drew and authors Willow Catelyn Maclay and Caden Mark Gardner, and more.
Cinématographe also released a Gen X milestone: Rose Troche’s lesbian classic Go Fish. This disc is chock full of special features, including an audio commentary with Troche and Justin LaLiberty, an audio commentary with queer film historian Elizabeth Purchell and writer Shayna Maci Warne, new interviews with Troche, Guinevere Turner, Anastasia Wilcox, and V.S. Brodie, and essays by
urner, Jourdain Searles, and Jenni Olson.
One of my biggest discoveries this year was Christina Hornisher’s art house slasher Hollywood 90028. This excellent 4K from Grindhouse Releasing includes in-depth interviews with the film’s stars, a new audio commentary by Marc E. Heuck & Heidi Honeycutt, and Shawn Langrick, alternate scenes and outtakes, liner notes, and Hornisher’s experimental 16mm short films. This is one of the major releases of this year and seems to have really flown under the radar. I cannot recommend this highly enough.
If you got into Ester Krumbachová, phantom auteur of the Czech New Wave, this year because of the various retrospectives playing around the country, Arbelos is selling this excellent poster to go with their 4K restoration of Murdering The Devil.
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