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America: The Story of Us
rating:4.2

America: The Story of Us

2010Runtime:0 minutes
Narrated by Liev Schreiber, this miniseries highlights momentous events in American history, including the arrival of the Pilgrims, the American Revolution, the Civil War and the incredible lunar landing.

Directed by:

  • Nick Green
  • Marion Milne
  • Andrew Chater
  • Jenny Ash
  • Clare Beavan
  • Renny Bartlett
  • rating:4.2 4.2 Average Rating

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    Which Way Home
    rating:4.1

    Which Way Home

    2007Runtime:0 minutes
    In 2006, Rebecca Cammisa received a Fulbright Scholar Grant to travel to Mexico to document the plight of the children left behind when their families travel to the United States to find work. This Oscar-nominated film is the result of her journey. Cammisa and her crew follow a trio of children who set out on their own from their Latin American abodes on a dangerous trek through Mexico en route to the U.S. border and -- they hope -- their families' embrace.

    Directed by:

  • Rebecca Cammisa
  • rating:4.1 4.1 Average Rating

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    The Cats of Mirikitani
    rating:4.1

    The Cats of Mirikitani

    2006Runtime:0 minutes
    Filmmaker Linda Hattendorf becomes an integral part of the action in this heartfelt documentary about her efforts to help aging Japanese-American artist Jimmy Mirikitani get off the streets of New York City and make peace with his complicated past. As she and Jimmy sift for long-lost relatives and even revisit the internment camp where he was forced to spend several years during World War II, Hattendorf hauls her camera along to capture every moment.

    Directed by:

  • Linda Hattendorf
  • rating:4.1 4.1 Average Rating

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    Pelada
    rating:4.1

    Pelada

    2009Runtime:0 minutes
    Two Americans who love soccer but didn't make it in the pros travel to 25 different countries, where they find people of all backgrounds, races and classes who play the game for the sheer joy of it, regardless of their surroundings or equipment.

    Directed by:

  • Luke Boughen
  • Rebekah Fergusson
  • Gwendolyn Oxenham
  • Ryan White
  • rating:4.1 4.1 Average Rating

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    Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child
    rating:4.1

    Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child

    2009Runtime:0 minutes
    Controversial, charismatic artist Jean-Michel Basquiat is the subject of this insightful documentary from director Tamra Davis, who has uncovered a never-before-seen interview with the artist conducted before his untimely death at the age of 27.

    Directed by:

  • Tamra Davis
  • rating:4.1 4.1 Average Rating

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    A Walk to Beautiful
    rating:4.1

    A Walk to Beautiful

    2007Runtime:0 minutes
    In Ethiopia, a country with few hospitals and even fewer roads that lead to them, three women are on a journey to rebuild their lives after suffering devastating losses in childbirth. When the women survive but their babies do not, they are summarily shunned by their families. Now, they must make their way to a hospital in Addis Ababa, where they hope to receive treatment for fistula, a condition caused by obstructed labor during childbirth.

    Directed by:

  • Mary Olive Smith
  • rating:4.1 4.1 Average Rating

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    How Does the Brain Work?: Nova scienceNOW
    rating:4.1

    How Does the Brain Work?: Nova scienceNOW

    2011Runtime:0 minutes
    Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson takes viewers on a head trip, examining questions about how the brain works in this NOVA special. Tyson visits with Penn Jillette and Teller to examine magic and the mind. Elsewhere, he explores the work of synesthesia researcher and neuroscientist David Eagleman, posing questions like, "What exactly is artificial intelligence?" and "How can the mind be controlled by magnets?"

    Directed by:

  • Michael Bicks
  • David Eagleman
  • Sarah Holt
  • Terri Randall
  • Joshua Seftel
  • rating:4.1 4.1 Average Rating

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    How Smart are Animals?: Nova scienceNOW
    rating:4.1

    How Smart are Animals?: Nova scienceNOW

    2011Runtime:0 minutes
    Astrophysicist and ubiquitous smart guy Neil deGrasse Tyson hosts this fascinating installment of "Nova scienceNOW" that explores the depth of animal intelligence, proving that non-human species are a lot smarter than we give them credit for. Highlights include a dog that knows more than 1,000 words, a school of dolphins that take teamwork to a whole new level, and a talking parrot with a knack for reason.

    Directed by:

  • Alexis Bloom
  • Julia Cort
  • Rushmore DeNooyer
  • Irene Pepperberg
  • Joshua Seftel
  • Dana Rae Warren
  • rating:4.1 4.1 Average Rating

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    Can We Live Forever?: Nova scienceNOW
    rating:4.0

    Can We Live Forever?: Nova scienceNOW

    2011Runtime:0 minutes
    Astrophysicist and Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson poses questions about longevity in this episode of NOVA's series on the mysteries of science, asking, for instance, whether or not human beings could hibernate. Consulting computer scientists and bioengineers, Tyson investigates the possibility of extending human life indefinitely and if the principles that keep a Volvo running could be applied to our own biology.

    Directed by:

  • Elizabeth Arledge
  • David Chmura
  • Sarah Holt
  • Joshua Seftel
  • rating:4.0 4.0 Average Rating

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    Between the Folds
    rating:4.0

    Between the Folds

    2008Runtime:0 minutes
    Filmmaker Vanessa Gould takes you on a provocative odyssey into the mesmerizing world of modern origami, where artists and scientists use the ancient art form to craft works of delicate beauty and to model cutting-edge mathematical theories. Pushing the envelope of origami to include caricatured portraits and elaborate abstract designs, these experts examine how paper folding can reveal the profound connection between art, science and philosophy.

    Directed by:

  • Vanessa Gould
  • rating:4.0 4.0 Average Rating

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    The Life of Birds
    rating:4.0

    The Life of Birds

    1998Runtime:0 minutes
    David Attenborough presents a series that gives insight into the evolution and behaviors of birds. Discover their remarkable strategies for finding food, their complex social systems and their ingenious and often bizarre ways of mating and breeding.

    Directed by:

  • Joanna Sarsby
  • rating:4.0 4.0 Average Rating

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    Music Instinct: Science and Song
    rating:4.0

    Music Instinct: Science and Song

    2009Runtime:0 minutes
    Its impact bridging time, geography and culture, music serves to unite all peoples of the globe. This groundbreaking documentary explores how and why humans are so inexorably affected by rhythm and melody. Art and science intersect as leading researchers and prominent musicians such as Bobby McFerrin and Yo-Yo Ma reveal surprising connections between music, the brain, the body and human evolution.

    Directed by:

  • Elena Mannes
  • rating:4.0 4.0 Average Rating

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    Waste Land
    rating:4.0

    Waste Land

    2010Runtime:0 minutes
    Renowned artist Vik Muniz embarks on one of the most inspired collaborations of his career, joining creative forces with Brazilian garbage pickers who mine treasure from the trash heaps of Rio de Janeiro's Jardim Gramacho landfill.

    Directed by:

  • Lucy Walker
  • rating:4.0 4.0 Average Rating

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    Tapped
    rating:3.9

    Tapped

    2009Runtime:0 minutes
    The high cost -- to both the environment and our health -- of bottled water is the subject of this documentary that enlists activists, environmentalists, community leaders and others to expose the dark side of the bottled water industry. Americans may rethink their obsession with bottled H20 when they learn of the unregulated industry's willingness to ignore environmental and health concerns, and the problems that arise as a result.

    Directed by:

  • Stephanie Soechtig
  • rating:3.9 3.9 Average Rating

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    Better This World
    rating:3.9

    Better This World

    2011Runtime:0 minutes
    At the 2008 Republican National Convention, friends David McKay and Bradley Crowder went from bandanna-wearing protesters to federal terrorism suspects. This searing documentary aims to separate the rhetoric from the facts in the polarizing case.

    Directed by:

  • Katie Galloway
  • rating:3.9 3.9 Average Rating

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    The End of America
    rating:3.9

    The End of America

    2008Runtime:0 minutes
    Based on Naomi Wolf's sobering best-seller, this documentary examines post-9/11 American freedom. Filmmakers Annie Sundberg and Ricki Stern present evidence that our society's liberty has been systematically eroded under the Bush administration. Their examples parallel the loss of liberty experienced in other countries as their governments tumbled into fascism, and draw chilling connections between what's already happened and what is yet to come.

    Directed by:

  • Annie Sundberg
  • rating:3.9 3.9 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