8 Documentaries to Watch This International Womens' Day 2022
- Carman Chew
- Mar 7, 2022
- 3 min read
Updated: Dec 6, 2022
Stories of remarkably ordinary women around the globe
What does it mean to be a woman? This International Womens' Day, here are 8 films challenging stereotypes and stigma across various industries and continents.
1. Showgirls of Pakistan (2020)
More than meets the eyes: the creative resistance of showgirls in Pakistan
Rather than the usual victim-blaming and pity party, director Suroosh Alvi promises visual and thematic kaleidoscope bringing all kinds of insight into class hypocrisy, how social media is reflexively used as a tool for accountability and of course the creative resistance of these Pakistani showgirls through performance.
Watch the full doc on YouTube: https://youtu.be/vZmo3MA1jPY
2. Ain't No Time for Women (2020)
The ladies' lockerroom: hairdresser chatter about women and politics
Sarra El-Abed presents a fun Varda-esque vignette of a Tunisian hairdresser on the eve of the presidential election. You'll absolutely love the layering (and sometimes literal layering of hair) in this wonderful short doc — chaos has never looked this exquisite.
3. The B-Side (2016)
Time to reflect: how can we find beauty in the ordinary?
Who is behind the photos of the queer and larger than life icons? Errol Morris invites us to reflect on our everyday experiences and find beauty in the ordinary through this portrait of portrait photographer, Elsa Dorfman. It's a refreshing subversion of the eclectic artist narrative and a story that's sure to move you.
Find the film on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play and Vimeo: https://bsidefilm.com/watch-at-home.html
4. The Ceremony (2014)
An ageing dominatrix answers: what does it mean to be a woman in power?
Lina Mannheimer dives into the BDSM community and interviews France's most famous dominatrix to find out.
She artfully swerves from scene to scene, bringing out the nuances between conviction and choice, wielding control and encouraging discovery, insecurities of ageing and prolonging self-confidence.
Is the ceremony here the one in Catherine Robbe-Grillet's chateau or is it the lifelong journey of learning to love oneself?
Rent it now on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/theceremony
5. Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision (1994)
Making space: is there room for women in the architecture industry?
It's been years since this Maya Lin documentary, but the architecture and urban planning industry is still dismally 'White' and male. Perhaps it's time to revisit the question about how we can hold space for women in the industry, but also hold space for one another.
Watch the film here: https://youtu.be/rLSJjh8yEa0
6. Since You Arrived, My Heart Stopped Belonging To Me (2021)
Going the distance: how far will a mother go for her children?
Every year, thousands of Central American migrants journeying north to the US go missing. Kökdil offers a difficult but delicate film about the lengths a mother would go to find their children. In the absence of hope, sometimes the only strength these mothers have is in the unity of each other.
Find the full doc here: https://youtu.be/zn73L_KaS_o
7. A Thousand Cuts (2020)
Breaking news: the fight for democracy in Filipino journalism
If there's one name you must know in journalism today, it's Maria Ressa.
Ramona S. Diaz bolsters the impeccable strength of the Rappler team and their fight against the drug war, Duterte and any recurrent threats to democracy.
Find the film on YouTube: https://youtu.be/2ym5h25x458
8. Some Women (2021)
Returning home: what does it mean to be a woman?
And finally, to bring the conversation back home, what does it mean to be a woman? Quen Wong confronts the stigma of being herself, a transgender woman in Singapore, in this heartfelt retrospective.
Watch it in cinemas this International Womens' Day:
Like what you're reading? Login or signup to keep posted about the latest updates.
Comments