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Arranged
rating:4.0

Arranged

2007Runtime:0 minutes
When Rochel (Zoe Lister Jones) and Nasira (Francis Benhamou) -- an Orthodox Jew and a Muslim, respectively -- meet as new teachers at a Brooklyn school, co-workers and students expect friction. But the women discover they have a shared expectation of entering into arranged marriages. As they experience tension between their traditional cultures and life in contemporary America, Rochel and Nasira form a special bond.

Directed by:

  • Stefan C. Schaefer
  • Diane Crespo
  • rating:4.0 4.0 Average Rating

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    Paris Is Burning
    rating:3.8

    Paris Is Burning

    1990Runtime:0 minutes
    Penetrating the tight-knit community of minority drag queens living in New York City, Jennie Livingston's acclaimed documentary offers an early glimpse at the art of "voguing," the underground dance style later popularized by Madonna in her hit song. The film also explores issues such as racism, homophobia and AIDS, while offering a detailed examination of the intricate Ball culture, in which queens are judged for their style and expression.

    Directed by:

  • Jennie Livingston
  • rating:3.8 3.8 Average Rating

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    Whale Rider
    rating:3.8

    Whale Rider

    2003Runtime:0 minutes
    A Maori tribe must contend with the distinctly nontraditional concept of having a female leader when the intended heir to the throne dies during childbirth, leaving his twin sister, Paikea, to prove herself in this inspiring coming-of-age tale.

    Directed by:

  • Niki Caro
  • rating:3.8 3.8 Average Rating

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    Down in the Delta
    rating:3.7

    Down in the Delta

    1998Runtime:0 minutes
    Unemployed single mother Loretta Sinclair (Alfre Woodard) lives with her mother, Rosa Lynn (Mary Alice), in a Chicago apartment until drug abuse causes Loretta to neglect her children in this familly drama directed by renowned poet Maya Angelou. To get Loretta back on her feet, Rosa Lynn ships her and the kids to their Mississippi Delta hometown, where Uncle Earl (Al Freeman Jr.) takes them in and teaches them about their rich heritage.

    Directed by:

  • Maya Angelou
  • rating:3.7 3.7 Average Rating

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    Monsoon Wedding
    rating:3.7

    Monsoon Wedding

    2001Runtime:0 minutes
    As the monsoon rains loom in director Mira Nair's romantic drama, Lalit Verma (Naseeruddin Shah) and his extended family reunite for the last-minute arranged marriage of his daughter Aiditi (Vasundhara Das) in New Delhi. But long-guarded secrets threaten to tear the family apart. As wedding preparations proceed, five stories intersect, highlighting different aspects of love and crossing boundaries of class and continent.

    Directed by:

  • Mira Nair
  • rating:3.7 3.7 Average Rating

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    Older Than America
    rating:3.7

    Older Than America

    2008Runtime:0 minutes
    Rain (Georgina Lightning) has visions of a cruel incident suffered by her Native American ancestors. Afraid she'll be branded a lunatic like her elderly aunt, Rain fears telling even her policeman husband, Johnny (Adam Beach), about the dreams. But as they intensify, she finds that they have eerie connections to her current life. Lightning also writes and directs this mix of supernatural and historical mysteries.

    Directed by:

  • Georgina Lightning
  • rating:3.7 3.7 Average Rating

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    Winter's Bone
    rating:3.7

    Winter's Bone

    2010Runtime:0 minutes
    In director Debra Granik's unflinching noir drama set deep in the Ozarks, resilient teen Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence) goes on the trail of her missing, drug-dealing father when his absence jeopardizes the family's safety. Her deadbeat dad has a key court date pending, and Ree is determined that he show up -- despite the objections of the insular Dolly clan. The film earned Oscar and Independent Spirit Award nods for Best Picture and for Lawrence.

    Directed by:

  • Debra Granik
  • rating:3.7 3.7 Average Rating

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    Ride
    rating:3.6

    Ride

    1998Runtime:0 minutes
    Leta (Melissa De Sousa) has 24 hours to take a busload of inner-city youths -- all of them would-be rap stars -- to Miami for a photo shoot. Along the way, the motley crew of urban misfits will have to deal with their broken-down ride and their own dramas. This uplifting ensemble film co-stars Malik Yoba, Cedric the Entertainer, Sticky Fingaz and Kellie Shanygne Williams, with cameos from rap stars Snoop Doggy Dogg, Dr. Dre and Redman.

    Directed by:

  • Millicent Shelton
  • rating:3.6 3.6 Average Rating

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    The Piano
    rating:3.6

    The Piano

    1993Runtime:0 minutes
    Holly Hunter stars as Ada McGrath, a mute but strong-willed 19th-century Scottish expatriate who arrives in New Zealand with her daughter (Anna Paquin) and her beloved piano in tow. Although betrothed to a landowner (Sam Neill), she's pulled into an affair with a laborer (Harvey Keitel). Hunter and Paquin both won Oscars for their performances in this haunting drama from writer-director Jane Campion.

    Directed by:

  • Jane Campion
  • rating:3.6 3.6 Average Rating

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    Songcatcher
    rating:3.6

    Songcatcher

    2000Runtime:0 minutes
    During a visit to her sister in Appalachia, a gifted musicologist stumbles upon a musical treasure trove of dozens of Scots-Irish ballads that have been preserved for generations by the local populace and are unknown to the outside world.

    Directed by:

  • Maggie Greenwald
  • rating:3.6 3.6 Average Rating

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    Four Rooms
    rating:3.6

    Four Rooms

    1995Runtime:0 minutes
    One mad New Year's Eve, an overwhelmed bellboy (Tim Roth) copes with witches and diabolical children, gets caught in the middle of a sour relationship and settles a bloody bet for members of a superstar's entourage. Madonna, Antonio Banderas and Bruce Willis co-star in this uncommon comedy like no other that features four stories by a quartet of hot directors: Allison Anders, Alexandre Rockwell, Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino.

    Directed by:

  • Quentin Tarantino
  • Robert Rodriguez
  • Allison Anders
  • Alexandre Rockwell
  • rating:3.6 3.6 Average Rating

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    Night Catches Us
    rating:3.6

    Night Catches Us

    2010Runtime:0 minutes
    After growing up during the tumultuous 1960s, ex-Black Panther Marcus (Anthony Mackie) returns to his home in Philadelphia in 1976 and reconnects with Pat (Kerry Washington), the widow of a Panther leader. Marcus befriends Pat's young daughter and attempts to conquer his demons. Interfering with Marcus's good intentions are the neighborhood's continuing racial and social conflicts, as well as old enemies and friends -- both with scores to settle.

    Directed by:

  • Tanya Hamilton
  • rating:3.6 3.6 Average Rating

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    The Secret Life of Words
    rating:3.6

    The Secret Life of Words

    2005Runtime:0 minutes
    After surviving the war in Yugoslavia, taciturn nurse Hanna heads to Ireland for some relaxation. But when she hears about an oil-rig accident off the coast, she agrees to tend to a heroic burn victim, who changes her life.

    Directed by:

  • Isabel Coixet
  • rating:3.6 3.6 Average Rating

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    The High Cost of Living
    rating:3.6

    The High Cost of Living

    2010Runtime:0 minutes
    Well-to-do housewife Nathalie eagerly awaits the birth of her first child, while elsewhere in Montreal, small-time drug dealer Henry plans his next score. One night, their contrasting lives become intertwined when Henry hits Nathalie with his car.

    Directed by:

  • Deborah Chow
  • rating:3.6 3.6 Average Rating

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    The Poker House
    rating:3.5

    The Poker House

    2008Runtime:0 minutes
    Jennifer Lawrence stars in this gritty, coming-of-age drama as Agnes, the resilient eldest sister of a trio of young siblings forced to grow up in a broken home frequented by drug dealers, criminals, pimps and gamblers. Featuring a host of standout supporting performances, this effort from actress-turned-director Lori Petty also stars Selma Blair, Clarke Peters, David Alan Grier and Bokeem Woodbine.

    Directed by:

  • Lori Petty
  • rating:3.5 3.5 Average Rating

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    Priest
    rating:3.5

    Priest

    1994Runtime:0 minutes
    Director Antonia Bird's film centers on Father Greg Pilkington (Linus Roache), a devout Catholic priest who struggles with a love for his church and congregation -- and his secret life as a homosexual with a gay lover (Robert Carlyle). After hearing the confession of a young girl in his parish, who tells him her father is sexually abusing her, the priest is torn between the laws of the church and his need to choose one life over the other.

    Directed by:

  • Antonia Bird
  • rating:3.5 3.5 Average Rating

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    Now and Then
    rating:3.8

    Now and Then

    1995Runtime:0 minutes
    Waxing nostalgic about the bittersweet passage from childhood to puberty in this tender coming-of-age tale, four childhood girlfriends -- Teeny, Chrissy, Samantha and Roberta -- recall the magical summer of 1970. During their walk down memory lane, they reconcile experiences with boys, secrets, bullies and more. Lesli Linka Glatter directs; Gaby Hoffmann, Ashleigh Aston Moore, Cloris Leachman, Thora Birch and Christina Ricci co-star.

    Directed by:

  • Lesli Linka Glatter
  • rating:3.8 3.8 Average Rating

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    Now and Then (1995)
    A heartwarming movie about four childhood girlfriends who, in adulthood reunion, relive their experience of the life-changing summer of 1970, including a mystery death, divorce, standing up to the boys, first kiss, and the meaning of true friendship. Each explores her unique identity amidst family and friends. Beautifully directed by Lesli Linka Glatter.
    - Frances   
    We periodically update our movie database by adding new female directors and their movies. If you would like to receive notice of these new additions when they happen, please email us at:
    frances 'at' femaledirectors.com