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List of the 281 Best Films Directed By Women – Staff Picks

List of the 281 Best Films Directed By Women – Staff Picks

We asked Popoptiq writers to submit their list of what they consider to be the best films directed by women.  Here it is.

Justine Smith

  • Bright Star, Jane Campion
  • Orlando, Sally Potter
  • Trouble Every Day, Claire Denis
  • Cleo 5 a 7, Agnes Varda
  • A New Leaf, Elaine May
  • The Night Porter, Liliana Cavani
  • American Psycho, Mary Harron
  • Anatomy of Hell, Catherine Breillat
  • Point Break, Kathryn Bigelow
  • Everyone Else, Maren Ade

Ricky D

  • Connection, Shirley Clarke
  • Wuthering Heights, Andrea Arnold
  • 35 Shots of Rhum, Claire Denis
  • Meshes of the Afternoon, Maya Derin
  • Seven Beauties, Lina Wertmuller
  • The Hitch-Hiker, Ida Lupino
  • Lina Wertmuller- Swept Away
  • Meek’s Cutoff, Kelly Reichardt
  • Headless Woman, Lucrecia Martel
  • XXY, Lucía Puenzo

Special mention: 

  • Skyscraper – Shirley Clarke
  • Wasp – Andrea Arnold
  • On Dangerous Ground – Ida Lupino (uncredited)
  • Wanda

Chris Clemente

  • Little Miss Sunshine, Valerie Faris
  • American Psycho, Mary Harron
  • Lost in Translation, Sofia Coppola
  • We Need to Talk About Kevin, Lynne Ramsay
  • Fish Tank, Andrea Arnold
  • Monster, Patty Jenkins
  • A League of Their Own, Penny Marshall
  • Wayne’s World, Penelope Spheeris
  • Clueless, Amy Heckerling
  • Point Break, Kathryn Bigelow

Joshau Youngerman

  • The Hurt Locker, Kathryn Bigelow
  • Cleo 5 a 7, Agnes Varda
  • An Education, Lone Scherfig
  • Near Dark, Kathryn Bigelow
  • Wendy and Lucy, Kelly Reichardt
  • Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Amy Heckerling
  • Me and You and Everyone We Know, Miranda July
  • We Need To Talk About Kevin, Lynne Ramsay
  • Triumph of the Will, Leni Riefenstahl
  • Fish Tank, Andrea Arnold

Bill Arceneaux

  • The Woodsman – Nicole Kassell
  • The Hurt Locker – Kathryn Bigelow
  • Real Genius – Martha Coolidge
  • Lost in Yonkers – Martha Coolidge
  • Monster – Patty Jenkins
  • The Decline of Western Civilization – Penelope Spheeris
  • Wayne’s World – Penelope Spheeris
  • Me and You and Everyone We Know – Miranda July
  • American Psycho – Mary Harron
  • She-Devil – Susan Seidelman

Zornitsa Staneva

  • The Piano, Jane Campion
  • Night Porter, Liliana Cavalli
  • Red Road, Andrea Arnold
  • Romance, Catherine Breillat
  • Or, Keren Yedaya
  • To Take a Wife, Ronit Elkabetz
  • Salt White, Ketevan Machavariani
  • Women Without Men, Shirin Neshat
  • Caramel, Nadine Labaki
  • In Darkness, Agnieszka Holland

Laura Holtebrinck

  • Ratcatcher – Lynne Ramsay
  • Fast Times at Ridgemont High – Amy Heckerling
  • Europa, Europa – Agnieszka Holland
  • The Virgin Suicides – Sofia Coppola
  • Beyond Silence – Caroline Link
  • My Life WIthout Me – Isabel Coixet
  • An Education – Lone Scherfig
  • American Psycho – Mary Harron
  • Away From Her – Sarah Polley
  • Nowhere in Africa – Caroline Link

Robert Simpson

  • Lynne Ramsay, Rat Catcher
  • Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
  • Debra Granik, Winter’s Bone
  • Lone Scherfig, Italian for Beginners
  • Agnieszka Holland, Europa-Europa
  • Andrea Arnold, Fish Tank
  • Marjane Satrapi, Persepolis
  • Sofia Coppola, Lost in Translation
  • Anne Hui, A Simple Life
  • Leni Riefenstahl, Triumph of the Will

Ody Constantinou

  • Werckmeister Harmonies, Agnes Hranitzky/Bela Tarr (co-director)
  • The Turin Horse, Agnes Hranitzky/Bela Tarr (co-director)
  • Mickey and Nicky, Elaine May
  • The Heartbreak Kid, Elaine May
  • Me and You and Everyone We Know, Miranda July
  • Monster, Patty Jenkins
  • Microcosmos, Claude Nuridsany/Marie Pérennou

Scott Patterson

  • Lost in Translation – Sofia Coppola
  • American Psycho – Mary Hannon
  • Monster – Patty Jenkins
  • The Hurt Locker – Kathryn Bigelow
  • Big – Penny Marshall
  • The Piano – Jane Campion
  • Winter’s Bone – Debra Granik
  • An Eductation – Lone Sherfig
  • Boys Don’t Cry – Kimberly Pierce
  • Strange Days – Kathyrn Bigelow

Michael Ryan

  • Nina Paley, Sita Sings the Blues
  • Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
  • Penelope Spheeris, The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years
  • Jennifer Lynch, Chained
  • Patti Jenkis, Monster
  • Lisa Cholodenka, The Kids are Alright
  • Deepa Mehta, Bollywood, Hollywood
  • Amy Heckerling, Clueless
  • Penny Marshall, A League of Their Own
  • Shari Springer Berman, American Splendor
  • Honourable Mention:
  • Caroline Leaf, The Street

Tressa Eckermann

  • The Hurt Locker, Kathryn Bigelow
  • Somethings Gotta Give, Nancy Meyers
  • Near Dark, Kathryn Bigelow
  • Lords of Dogtown, Catherine Hardwike
  • Winter’s Bone, Debra Granik
  • Wayne’s World, Penelope Spheeris
  • Fish Tank, Andrea Arnold
  • Me, You, and Everyone we know, Miranda July
  • 2 Days in Paris, Julie Delpy
  • The Virgin Suicides, Sofia Coppola

Katie Wong

  • Thirteen – Catherine Hardwicke
  • Lost in Translation – Sofia Coppola
  • Virgin Suicides – Sofia Coppola
  • Clueless – Amy Heckerling
  • The Piano – Jane Campion
  • The Hurt Locker – Kathryn Bigelow
  • Point Break – Kathryn Bigelow
  • Monsoon Wedding – Mira Nair
  • Bend it like Beckham – Gurinder Chadha
  • Waitress – Adrienne Shelly

Edgar Chaput

  • Je, tu, il, Elle, Chantal Akerman
  • La pointe courte, Agnes varda
  • Beau travail, Claire Denis
  • American Psycho, Mary Harron
  • The Hitch Hiker, Ida Lupino
  • Winter’s Bone, Debra Granik
  • Chained, Jennifer Lynch
  • Wendy and Lucy, Kelly Reichardt

Dan Heaton

  • Lost in Translation – Sofia Coppola
  • The Hurt Locker – Kathryn Bigelow
  • After the Wedding – Susanne Bier
  • Wendy and Lucy – Kelly Reichardt
  • Cleo from 5 to 7 – Agnes Varda
  • Big – Penny Marshall
  • American Psycho – Mary Harron
  • Lovely and Amazing – Nicole Holofcener
  • Harlan County, USA – Barbara Kopple
  • Triumph of the Will – Leni Riefenstahl

Josh Slater-Williams

  • Bright Star, Jane Campion
  • Can Go Through Skin, Esther Rots
  • Lost in Translation, Sofia Coppola
  • Near Dark, Kathryn Bigelow
  • One Two One, Mania Akbari
  • Somersault, Cate Shortland
  • Vendredi soir, Claire Denis
  • The Virgin Suicides, Sofia Coppola
  • We Need to Talk About Kevin, Lynne Ramsay
  • White Material, Claire Denis

Erik Bondurant

  • Bend It Like Beckham, Gurinder Chadha
  • Fish Tank, Andrea Arnold
  • The Hurt Locker, Kathryn Bigelow
  • Innocence, Lucile Hadzihalilovic
  • The Night Porter, Liliana Cavani
  • A Time For Burning, Barbara Connell & Bill Jersey
  • Where Are My Children?, Lois Weber
  • Winter’s Bone, Debra Granik
  • The Woodsman, Nicole Kassell
  • XXY, Lucia Puenzo

John McEntee

  • Near Dark – Kathtyn Bigelow
  • Oscar & Wendy – Kelly Richardt
  • The Hitch Hiker- Ida Lupino
  • Bright Star – Jane Campion
  • The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things – Asia Argento
  • Red Road – Andrea Arnold
  • On Dangerous Ground – Ida Lupino
  • Lost In Translation – Sofia Coppola
  • Morvan Callar – Lynne Ramsay
  • Pet Semetary – Mary Lambert

Shayne Ramirez

  • The Piano, Jane Campion
  • Point Break, Kathryn Bigalow
  • Lost in Translation, Sofia Coppola
  • Ravenous, Antonia Bird
  • Beau Travail, Claire Denis
  • Titus, Julie Taymor
  • Harlan County, USA, Barbara Kopple
  • We Need to Talk about Kevin, Lynne Ramsey
  • American Psycho, Mary Harron
  • Half Nelson, Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck
  • Honorable Mentions:
  • Me and You and Everyone We Know, Miranda July
  • Meek’s Cutoff, Kelly Reichardt
  • After the Wedding, Susanne Bier
  • Wayne’s World, Penelope Spheeris

Ryan Clagg

  • Fast Times at Ridgemont High – Amy Heckerling
  • Sita Sings The Blues – Nina Paley
  • Half Nelson – Anna Boden (co-director)
  • Meshes of the Afternoon – Maya Deren
  • Winter’s Bone – Debra Granik
  • Persepolis – Marjane Satrapi (co-director)
  • Mad Hot Ballroom – Marilyn Agrelo
  • American Psycho – Marry Harron
  • The Virgin Suicides – Sofia Coppola
  • Waitress – Adrienne Shelly

Justin Li

  • Friday Night (Vendredi Soir) – Claire Denis
  • Marie Antoinette – Sofia Coppola
  • Morvern Callar – Lynne Ramsay
  • Hearts of Darkness – Eleanor Coppola
  • Father of My Children – Mia Hansen-Love
  • Old Joy – Kelly Reichardt
  • Fat Girl – Catherine Breillat
  • Fish Tank – Andrea Arnold
  • A Simple Life – Ann Hui
  • Scarlet Diva – Asia Argento

Neal Dhand

  • The Headless Woman, Lucrecia Martel
  • Meshes of the Afternoon, Maya Deren
  • Cleo from 5 to 7, Agnès Varda
  • Friday Night, Claire Denis,
  • Point Break, Kathyrn Bigelow
  • Beau Travail, Claire Denis
  • Fat Girl, Catherine Breillat
  • Jeanne Dielman 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles, Chantal Akerman
  • The Night Porter, Liliana Cavani
  • Ratcatcher, Lynne Ramsay

Seema

  • Vendredi Soir, Claire Denis
  • The Asthenic Syndrome, Kira Muratova
  • Morvern Callar, Lynne Ramsay
  • Innocence, Lucile Hadzihalilovic
  • Cleo From 5 to 7, Agnes Varda
  • Everyone Else, Maren Ade
  • Daisies, Vera Chytilova
  • Sweetie, Jane Campion
  • A New Leaf, Elaine May
  • Dave Robson
  • Triumph of the Will – Leni Riefenstahl
  • Lost in Translation – Sofia Coppola
  • Bright Star – Jane Campion
  • Wuthering Heights – Andrea Arnold
  • Titus – Julie Taymor
  • Sita Sings the Blues – Nina Paley
  • Winter’s Bone – Debra Granik
  • Boys Don’t Cry – Kimberly Peirce
  • Water – Deepa Meta
  • Monsoon Wedding – Mira Nair

Bill

  • Red Road, Andrea Arnold
  • Headless Woman, Lucrecia Martel
  • A New Leaf, Elaine May
  • Swept Away, Lina Wertmuller
  • Meek’s Cutoff, Kelly Reichardt
  • 35 Shots of Rum, Claire Denis
  • Wuthering Heights, Andrea Arnold
  • XXY, Lucía Puenzo
  • Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles, Chantal Ackerman
  • Sita Sing The Blues, Nina Paley

Temitope

  • Lost in Translation, Sofia Coppola
  • Beau Travail, Claire Denis
  • Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles , Chantal Akerman
  • Meek’s Cutoff, Kelly Reichardt
  • Swept Away, Lina Wertmüller
  • Triumph of the Will, Leni Riefenstahl
  • The Hitch-Hiker, Ida Lupino
  • Sans toit ni loi/Vagabond, Agnès Varda
  • Seven Beauties, Lina Wertmüller
  • La Cienaga, Lucrecia Martel
  • Honourable Mentions:
  • Le Bonheur, Agnès Varda
  • Meshes of the Afternoon, Maya Deren
  • Fat Girl, Catherine Breillat
  • Fish Tank, Andrea Arnold
  • Ratcatcher, Lynne Ramsay

Simon Howell

  • Point Break, Kathryn Bigelow
  • Trouble Every Day, Claire Denis
  • The Virgin Suicides, Sophia Copolla
  • Meshes of the Afternoon, Maya Deren
  • Wendy and Lucy, Kelly Reichardt
  • Seven Beauties, Lina Wertmüller
  • We Need to Talk About Kevin, Lynne Ramsay
  • The Decline of Western Civilization, Penelope Spheeris
  • Elegy, Isabel Coixet
  • Persepolis, Vincent Paronnaud and Marjane Satrapi

 

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