Film Makers: 15 Groundbreaking Women Directors

by Lyn Miller-Lachmann, Tanisia Moore

Overview

In Hollywood, women don't have to be in front of the camera to shine. 

Each of the 15 women profiled in Film Makers shares a common trait: she is, as Shonda Rhimes says, “First. Only. Different.”

These phenomenal women have redefined the film and television industry, winning awards historically given to a male counterpart, being the only woman in a writers’ room, or portraying stories no one else could tell.

While their resumes are impressive, it is how they live their lives that has made a greater impact in the communities they serve. Many of them, like Gina Prince-Bythewood and Greta Gerwig, mentor other women. Some, like Agnieszka Holland and Chloé Zhao, have stood up to those who seek to ignore or silence them. All of them tell their stories with passion and integrity, serving as role models and champions for future generations.

We hope they will inspire you to use the tools of film to tell your story!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781641606103
Publisher:	Chicago Review Press, Incorporated
Publication date:	09/06/2022
Series:	Women of Power , #5
Edition description:	1st Edition
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	555,276
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.60(h) x 0.80(d)
Lexile:	1270L (what's this?)
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

Lyn Miller-Lachmann is the former editor in chief of MultiCultural Review. Her young adult novel Gringolandia was a 2010 ALA Best Book for Young Adults and received an Américas Award Honorable Mention from the Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs. She is also the author of Surviving Santiago, Rogue, and Torch and the coauthor with Zetta Elliott of Moonwalking.

Tanisia “Tee” Moore is the author of the forthcoming I Am My Ancestors' Wildest Dream, I Am Black Girl Magic, Wash Day, and the Micah Hudson chapter book series, and the co-owner of Moore and Young Legal Solutions, a virtual law firm based out of Birmingham, Alabama. She also hosts a podcast, On the Other Side of Momming, where she and guests talk about what life is like on the other side of motherhood. All while running a MOMspirational brand called MomTings, raising her tiny humans with her husband, and living life.

Table of Contents

Kathryn Bigelow: Breaking Out in a Man’s World
Jane Campion: Film Pioneer with a Passion for Literature
Petra Costa: Documenting the Personal and the Political
Ava Duvernay: Telling the Stories That Matter
Greta Gerwig: Forging Her Path Despite Rejection
Agnieszka Holland: The “Cinema of Moral Anxiety”
The Power of Other: Mindy Kaling
Regina King: Making Queen Moves
Kimberly Peirce: Genderqueer Filmmaker and Activist
Gina Prince Bythewood: Basketball Courts and Old Guards
Issa Rae: From Awkward Black Girl to Hollywood Mogul
Dees Rees: Going All Out
Shonda Rhimes: The Titan of Television
Lulu Wang: Portraying Immigrants Between Two Worlds
Chloé Zhao: Neorealism for a New Century

Editorial Reviews

"Packed with fascinating film history, this informative book will inspire the next generation of women filmmakers. Look out, Hollywood!" —Susanna Reich, award-winning author of José! Born to Dance

"Engaging [and] impassioned." — Kirkus Reviews

"Aspiring directors or young film buffs will be inspired by the 15 women directors featured in this Women of Power series title."--Booklist

From the Publisher

2022-05-10
A look at the challenges and triumphs of women who have found success in the U.S. film industry.

This three-part tour of women’s recent contributions to the world of film traces the impact each generation has had on those who came next. “The Pioneer Generation” includes directors like Jane Campion, who began working in the 1970s and 1980s; “Striving for Diversity: Generation X Directors” moves on to talk about Ava DuVernay, Shonda Rimes, and their peers; and “Young Stars in a Global Film Industry” covers Mindy Kaling, Lulu Wang, Greta Gerwig, and other more recent arrivals. The profiles connect the subjects’ personal histories—including experiences with misogyny, homophobia, and racism—with their chosen projects. While this approach is powerful in illustrating both the myriad ways to build a film career and the importance of amplifying a diversity of voices, it also occasionally gives the impression that difficult or traumatic events are valuable primarily for the art they generate. The emphasis on personal context also brings motherhood to the fore, acknowledging when women sometimes prioritized family life, while the industry’s underlying hostility toward working mothers remains unexamined. Nuance is more present in discussions of controversies some of the filmmakers have encountered, and the change-making power of the arts is accentuated. Text boxes throughout introduce other women directors and actors, pivotal moments in film history, and social and historical context that help readers better understand this subject.

Engaging, impassioned, but incomplete. (selected filmography, endnotes) (Nonfiction. 12-18)

Kirkus Reviews