Women Directors hardly ever get the praise they deserve in an extremely male dominated Film Industry. Whilst Hollywood tries it’s best to pull their cavemen mentality into a new age at an exceptionally slow pace, woman are producing some of the best work our silver screen has seen.
With the release of Our Kind of Traitor in cinemas on the 13th of May and which just so happens to be directed by the notable British Director Susanna White (Boardwalk Empire), we take a look at our Top 5 Women Directors.
Kathryn Bigalow
Kathryn has certainly cemented her name in stone over the years proving it’s not just men who can deliver a very male orientated genre of film. Bigalow was behind the camera for the likes of Point Break starring both Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze. Her major achievement came when The Hurt Locker saw her take home an Academy Award making her the first Female to ever win Best Director. Hot on the hills of this success, Zero Dark Thirty again saw her nominated for several Academy Awards as well as being responsible for Jessica Chastain winning a Golden Globe.
Ava DuVernay
Ava may be fairly new on the scene, in fact, her name only started making an impact from 2014, and what was responsible for that impact? The extremely brilliant ‘Selma’. Her work on the Martin Luther King Jr Biopic saw her become the first African American Female film director to be nominated for a Golden Globe and Academy Award. She was even penned to Director Marvel’s first black lead superhero film in the form of Black Panther, unfortunate for us this fell through. She has since gone on to Director a couple of TV Movies and 2017 see’s the release of her Comedy Sci-Fi , Intelligent Life which currently has Lupita Nyong’o listed as a cast member.
Nancy Meyers
Anyone with a love of RomComs will know Nancy Meyers all too well. Not only has she penned some classic favourites like Private Benjamin (1980), Jumpin Jack Flash (1986) and Father of the Bride (1991) but also Directed the likes of What Women Want which see’s Mel Gibson being able to read Woman’s thoughts, One of the best RomCom’s in existence, The Holiday which see’s two woman (Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz) swap homes on the other side of the world after disastrous relationship fails to the most recent The Intern starring Robert DeNiro and Anna Hathaway. There is no denying her talent to bring to life relatable feel good RomComs.
Sofia Coppola
Sofia Coppola, for many years, was an actress who starred in the likes of The Godfather – even though uncredited – and Peggy Sue Got Married. Critically slated for her roles her acting career faded and she took to the Directors chair. Her most successful film and only her second feature film after The Virgin Suicides as Director came in Lost in Translation with Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson. The picture won critical acclaim and was nominated for four Academy awards. In 2017, Coppola’s The Beguiled will be released. A Western starring Elle Fanning, Kirsten Dunst, and Nicole Kidman.
Susanna White
British-born Director Susanna White has decided to take a step away from her comfort zone of Directing for TV shows and films and return to the big screen with Our Kind of Traitor after her time on Nanny McPhee Returns. Susanna has taken the helm on shows such as Broadwalk Empire, Jane Eyre and Bleak House in the past. With Our Kind of Traitor – an adaptation of the John le Carré novel of the same name – White seems to be pushing herself to show her talent. The film brings together an a-list cast in Ewan McGregor, Stellan Skarsgård, Damian Lewis and Naomie Harris. This intense thriller see’s an ordinary English Couple, while on holiday in Marrakech; befriend a flamboyant and charismatic Russian, Dima. Who unbeknownst to them is a kingpin money launderer for the Russian mafia?
Our Kind of Traitor is out in cinemas May 13.