Films by Woman at Tribeca
There are 61 films directed or co-directed by women and 15 films, in addition to those with female directors, which have expressly women’s interests. These films delve into topics which push the boundaries and break the molds of what is conventionally thought of a female film.
FEMALE FILMMAKERS
2 DAYS IN PARIS (Deux Jours á Paris), Directed and Written by Julie Delpy, Produced by, Christophe Mazodier, Julie Delpy and Thierry Potok, (France) – Actress Julie Delpy (Before Sunrise) writes, directs, edits, produces, stars in and even composes music for her crowd-pleasing directorial debut. With a snappy comic edge, the story revolves around Marion bringing her American boyfriend Jack (Adam Goldberg) on a visit to Paris. Between clashes of culture, language and flirtatious ex-boyfriends, their relationship is tested in this charming, smart gem. A Samuel Goldwyn Films Release.
ALEXIS ARQUETTE: SHE’S MY BROTHER, a documentary Directed by Matthew Barbato and Nikki Parrott, Produced by, Nikki Parrott (U.K.) – An intriguing look at sex and celebrity, this richly textured documentary, filled with drag queens and Hollywood glitterati, is actually a serious movie about transgendered life. In this unique and candid documentary, Alexis reveals a more private side as she grapples with the process of sex reassignment surgery.
ATTICA, Directed and Written by Cinda Firestone, (U.S.A.) – In 1971, inmates at Attica State Prison seized control of D-yard and took 35 hostages after peaceful efforts for reforms failed. Attica investigates the rebellion and its bloody suppression, revealing institutionalized injustices, sanctioned dishonesty and abuses of power. Attica provided courtesy of The New York Public Library, Donnell Media Center and New York Women In Film & Television.
AUTISM: THE MUSICAL, a documentary Directed by Tricia Regan, Produced by, Perrin Chiles, Janet Grillo, Tricia Regan, Sasha Alpert, Jon Murray, Joey Carson (U.S.A.) – Although the statistic is alarming--one in 150 children in the U.S. is now diagnosed with autism--this documentary is steeped in a sense of optimism. Filmed over the course of one year, it follows five autistic children in Los Angeles as they write and rehearse their own full-length musical, tossing aside all stereotypes in the process.
BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH (Tussen Hemel en Aarde), Directed by Frank van den Engel and Masha Novikova, Produced by Jorinde Soree, Frederik Nicolai and Willemijn Cerutti (Netherlands) – In the heart of the Eurasian continent, the ancient center of the world where the Silk Road connected China to Europe, the circus is a deeply rooted cultural phenomenon. This film focuses on two circus artists, whose lifelong friendship in the dictatorship of Uzbekistan is affected by the different political choices they make. In Russian and Uzbek.
BEYOND BELIEF, Directed and Produced by Beth Murphy (U.S.A.) – Inspired by compassion for others whose loss they recognize as mirroring their own, two courageous women whose husbands died in the Twin Towers on 9/11 turn their grief into a catalyst for action. They travel to Kabul to help other widows, soon recognizing that the plight of the Afghan women leaves them feeling almost blessed. In English and Dari.
BRANDO, Directed by Leslie Greif and Mimi Freedman, Written by Mimi Freedman, Produced by Leslie Greif (U.S.A.) – Legendary actor, activist and eccentric Marlon Brando remains a mystery three years after his death. This fascinating new documentary intersperses interviews with friends Martin Scorsese, Johnny Depp, Al Pacino and others with unseen footage--including his Rebel Without a Cause screen test and home movies--to illuminate the man behind the image. A Turner Classic Movie.
THE BUSINESS OF BEING BORN, a documentary Directed by Abby Epstien, Produced by, Ricki Lake, Amy Slotnick, Paulo Netto and Abby Epstein. (U.S.A.) – In this candid and eye-opening documentary, director Epstein and producer Ricki Lake tackle the controversial debate between at-home and hospital births in the U.S. Shocking facts (to men and women alike) regarding the historical and current practices of the childbirthing industry interweave with footage of couples opting for home childbirth.
CAKE EATERS, Directed by Mary Stuart Masterson, Produced by, Jesse Scolaro, Allen Bain, Elisa Pugliese and Mary Stuart Masterson Written by Jayce Bartok (U.S.A.) - A prodigal son's return conjures up old ghosts for three generations of two different families in a small, quiet town. Masterson's debut feature unfolds the intimate secrets and tensions that compel these families to move forward.
DESCENT, Directed by Talia Lugacy Written by Brian Priest and Talia Lugacy Produced by, Talia Lugacy, Rosario Dawson and Morris Levy (U.S.A.) - A tale of innocence shattered, dreams destroyed and vengeance fulfilled, Descent begins with an idealistic vision of college sweethearts and wild house parties, but quickly falls apart. A rape sends Maya (Rosario Dawson) into a spiral of drugs, rage and despair—until she is reunited with her attacker and offered a chance to settle the score.
THE DEVIL CAME ON HORSEBACK, a documentary Directed by Annie Sundberg and Ricki Stern, produced by, Ricki Stern, Annie Sundberg, Gretchen Steidle Wallace, and Jane Wells (USA) – While serving six months as an unarmed military observer with the African Union in Darfur, Sudan, former U.S. Marine Captain Brian Steidle had access no journalist was afforded. Unable to intervene, he took thousands of uncompromising photographs that documented the genocide, then resigned his post and dedicated himself to exposing the magnitude of these atrocities.
DOUBLETIME, a documentary Directed by Stephanie Johnes, Produced by, Andrea Meditch (U.S.A.) –If seeing is believing, watching these kids Double Dutch elicits double-takes and disbelief. Chronicling the world of competitive jump roping, this energetic documentary follows two teenage teams that combine dance and gymnastics to breathtaking effect, as they prepare and contend for the world championship at the Apollo Theater in Harlem.
FRAULEIN (Das Fräulein), Directed and Written by Andrea Štaka, Produced by, Susann Rudlinger (Switzerland, Germany) – A brilliant portrait of three women from former Yugoslavia-one Croat, one Serb and one Bosnian-searching for "home" in the cold, alienating light of contemporary Zurich, and coming to terms with the war that lives in each of them. In German, Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian.
INVISIBLES, Directed by Mariano Barroso, Isabel Coixet, Fernando León de Aranoa, Javier Corcuera, and Wim Wenders, Produced by Javier Bardem, (Spain) – Giving voice to those silenced by international indifference, Academy Award nominated actor Javier Bardem teams with Doctors Without Borders to produce this powerful collection of short films. Five acclaimed directors shed light on heroic, yet unsung humanitarian efforts to combat international crises, which have thus far remained invisible. In Spanish, English, Lwo, Kiluba and Swahili.
JERABEK, a documentary Directed by Civia Tamarkin, Produced by Civia Tamarkin, Cary Truelick and Steve Levin, (U.S.A.) – A powerful and deeply personal story of one Midwestern family confronting the death of a son in Iraq, Jerabek chronicles the lives of those closest to the fallen marine for nearly two years, as they try to cope with their tremendous loss and wonder what price they will have to pay to keep another son from suffering the same fate.
LAST JEWS OF LIBYA, Directed by Vivienne Roumani-Denn, Produced by, Aryeh Bourkoff (U.S.A.) – This family memoir recounts the history of a North African community. After WWII, Libya still had a small, but strong, Sephardic Jewish population with its own traditions and dialect. Sixty years later, no one remains. Roumani-Denn tells her family's history--Libyans for centuries, now scattered throughout the Diaspora. Narrated by Isabella Rossellini. In English, Hebrew, Italian and Arabic.
THE MAN OF TWO HAVANAS, a documentary Directed by Vivienne Lesnik Weisman, Produced by, Vivienne Lesnik Weisman, Sarah Monson, Tirsa Hackshaw. (U.S.A.) – Growing up in Miami, the director witnessed drive-by shootings and death threats directed toward her father, a former friend of Fidel Castro and opponent of the embargo. Using never-before-heard CIA audiotapes and fascinating interviews with her father, Weisman links his past and present in an eye-opening film that's sure to be talked about. In Spanish and English.
NORMAL ADOLESCENT BEHAVIOR, Directed by Beth Schacter, Produced by, Brad Wyman, Pilar DeMann, Alywn Hight Kushner. (U.S.A.) – A darkly comic look at precocious teens grappling with sex, excess and alienation. Avoiding the high school party scene and random hookups, Wendy (Amber Tamblyn) and her friends form a clique that claims a more fluid sexuality. Schacter's directorial debut delivers a provocative take on teen romance in this modern promiscuous age.
ON THE DOWNLOW, Directed by Abigail Child, Produced by, Abigail Child (U.S.A.) – A revealing portrait of four African-American men living in Cleveland, who all confront the struggles of everyday existence and the process of coming out. Experimental filmmaker Abigail Child uncovers their secrets as she explores the sexual, racial, and familial dichotomies of their lives. Screened with The Polymath, or the Life and Opinions of Samuel R. Delany, Gentleman in the Coming Out Program.
POSTCARDS FROM TORA BORA, a documentary Directed by Waymah Osman and Kelly Dolak, Produced by, Stephen Jablonsky, Kelly Dolak and Wazhmah Osman (U.S.A.) – After the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, co-director's Osman's family fled to America with only a handful of photos and movies as reminders of the lives they had led. Now she returns home to search for her past and her father, who never left. Her quest reveals the history of this war-torn country in this personal film that's full of personality. In English and Farsi.
A SLIM PEACE, Directed and Co-Produced by Yael Luttwak, Produced by Charles Lambert (UK) – When 14 women-Israelis, Palestinians, Bedouin Arabs, and American settlers in the West Bank-are brought together with the shared goal of losing weight, they find out they have far more in common than they ever would have imagined. A Slim Peace takes a revealing look at the universal struggle for acceptance, understanding and personal transformation in a land of intractable conflict. Preceded by We Will Win.
THE SUGAR CURTAIN (El Telón de Azúcar), Directed by Camila Guzmán Urzúa, (France, Cuba, Spain) – Guzmán Urzúa makes her feature documentary debut with The Sugar Curtain, an intimate portrayal of the singular experience shared by people of her generation-those living Cuba's utopian dream during the golden era of the revolution. It is also a lament for the end of that dream, which began to fizzle after the fall of the Berlin Wall. In Spanish.
THE THIRD MONDAY IN OCTOBER, a documentary Directed and Written by Vanessa Roth, Produced by Vanessa Roth, Lindsay Crystal and Alexandra Gray (U.S.A.) – In the tradition of Spellbound, this charmingly funny and often moving documentary takes an intimate look at student council races in four diverse middle schools across the country. Filmmaker Vanessa Roth deftly reveals how family, national politics, geography and class all have an impact on the day that's anxiety-filled for some and a blast for others.
THIRD WAVE, a documentary Directed by Alison Thompson, Executively Produced by, Donny Paterson, Bruce French, Oscar Gubernati, Alison Thompson (U.S.A.) – After the 2004 Tsunami, four independent volunteers from around the globe arrive in the Sri Lankan town of Peraliya to help in any way they can. What begins as two-week journey spirals into a year of unrelenting heartbreak, but eventually emerges as a triumphant story about the rebirth of an impoverished town. In English and Sinhalese.
THREE TOWERS, Directed by Yoni Bentovim, Emily Harris, Written by Etgar Keret, Shira Geffen, Producers Yoni Bentovim, Emily Harris, Clair Bee, (UK, Italy)
TOOTIE'S LAST SUIT, a documentary Directed and Produced by Lisa Katzman (USA) – Former Mardi Gras Indian Chief Tootie Montana is a New Orleans icon, famed for his brilliant handmade carnival costumes. When he decides to stage a late-life comeback, however, bitter family rivalries erupt. Filmed pre- and post-Katrina, this colorful portrait celebrates the resilient spirit of a man determined at all costs to preserve a vital cultural tradition.
TWO IN ONE (Dva v Odnom), Directed by Kira Muratova, Produced by Oleg Kokhan and Ruben Dishdishyan (Ukraine) – This celebrated director's "exquisite cruelty" appear front and center when the death of a stage actor turns a theatrical drama into a real one. Two in One celebrates the psychological richness that lurks just beneath the surface of banal reality-if murderous stagehands, lascivious fathers and vengeful daughters can be described as banal. In Russian.
VIVERE, Directed and Written by Angelina Maccarone, Produced by Anita Elsani (Germany) – On Christmas Eve, Francesca sets out from her small town for the big city, Rotterdam to find her little sister, who has run off to follow her musician boyfriend. On the way, she picks up Gerlinde, a heartbroken older woman at the end of her rope. This exquisitely photographed tale employs a fragmented timeline to illustrate the story of three lost souls on the run. In German and Dutch.
A WALK INTO THE SEA: DANNY WILLIAMS AND THE WARHOL FACTORY, Directed by Esther B. Robinson, Produced by Esther B. Robinson, Doug Block and Tamra Raven (USA) – Esther Robinson's engrossing, dream-like portrait of her uncle Danny Williams--Warhol's onetime lover, collaborator and filmmaker in his own right--offers an engaging exploration of the Factory era, an homage to Williams's talent, a journey of family discovery and a compelling inquiry into Williams' mysterious disappearance at age 27.
