14 documentaries about incredible women
Fill your head and heart with goodness thanks to these films about remarkable women and their achievements. By GEORGIA SIMMONDS
Pina, 2011
New German Cinema pioneer Wim Wenders directed this 3D documentary about the influential choreographer Pina Bausch. The resulting film is a tribute to Bausch’s unique approach to expression through dance and her singular vision as an artist.
Janis: Little Girl Blue, 2015
Janis Joplin’s swift rise to stardom and tragic death from a heroin overdose in 1970, aged just 27, are retold in this magnetic documentary. Using Joplin’s own letters, director Amy J. Berg memorializes a complicated yet driven rock’n’roll pioneer whose authentic voice remains a guiding light for women.
Mission Blue, 2014
Explorer and oceanographer Dr Sylvia Earle has made protecting our blue planet her life’s work. This film offers a unique portrait of a trailblazing environmentalist who has spent thousands of hours underwater, studying oceans that are now in dire need of our protection. In a word: galvanizing.
The Beaches of Agnès, 2008
Film director Agnès Varda showcases the full scope of her creativity in this cinematic self-portrait. The Belgian-born auteur revisits places from her past and reminisces with stirring candor – it’s a distinctive autobiography shot with Varda’s characteristic lyricism.
Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work, 2010
Made to mark Joan Rivers’ 75th birthday, this film is as heart-wrenching as it is hilarious. A portrait of a singular talent, it goes behind Rivers’ razor-sharp red-carpet persona to reveal the resilience, insecurity, intellect and ambition of a groundbreaking and much-missed comic.
What Happened, Miss Simone? 2015
Electrifying archive footage of legendary American singer Nina Simone and audio of her incredible voice are the highlights of this illuminating documentary. Capturing Simone’s revolutionary spirit, director Liz Garbus pays tribute to the ‘high priestess of soul’ with help from Simone’s daughter Lisa Simone Kelly.
Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise, 2016
Best remembered as a writer and civil rights activist, the author of international bestseller I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings was also a wonderful singer and actress. This documentary does justice to Maya Angelou’s myriad talents and accomplishments, making use of lesser-seen film footage and photographs along with interviews with luminaries like Cicely Tyson and Hillary Clinton.
Jane, 2017
Now considered the world’s leading expert in chimpanzees, this film is an awe-inspiring account of British primatologist Jane Goodall’s early explorations and pioneering discoveries. Never before seen footage of Goodall studying the social interactions of chimpanzees in Gombe National Park in Tanzania is mesmerizing.
RBG, 2018
At 85 years old, US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has become something of a cultural phenomenon. Affectionately known as the Notorious RBG, her instrumental role as a defender of women’s workplace rights and preventer of racial discrimination is being celebrated in this well observed film.
Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold, 2017
Made by Joan Didion’s nephew Griffin Dunne, this documentary is a fascinating and tender ode to the literary icon’s impact and influence. Delving into her life and most celebrated pieces of journalism and fiction, the film will transport you to 1960s LA and ignite your inner writer.
Tig, 2015
Comedian’s comedian Tig Notaro is the subject of this affecting documentary made by her friends Kristina Goolsby and Ashley York. After the death of her mother and her own crushing cancer diagnoses, Notaro proves that humor can be a lifeline. Watching her strive to establish a new normal will give you all the feels.
Franca: Chaos and Creation, 2016
Naomi Campbell, Karl Lagerfeld, Azzedine Alaïa and Marina Abramović contribute to this documentary about the late, great Vogue Italia editor, Franca Sozzani. Made by her son, Francesco Carrozzini, the film zooms in on her career highs in tantalizing detail to reveal the mindset of a truly visionary fashion provocateur.
Jane Fonda in Five Acts, 2018
Inimitable actor, activist and fitness mogul Jane Fonda reveals a talent for introspection in this compelling five-part documentary. It’s an in-depth look at the impact that the men in Fonda’s life have had on her, and how she found meaning as an advocate for women.
He Named Me Malala, 2015
The exceptional courage of the education activist and youngest ever Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai is explored in this moving film. It unpacks the events before and beyond the day she was shot by the Taliban, providing a window into the breadth of her wisdom and the tender relationship she has with her father.
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