To be awarded with one, two or three F’s a film must be: (1) directed by a woman, (2) written by a woman and/or (3) have significant women on screen in their own right. So, when a film is directed, written and has a woman’s narrative as a central premise, it gets 3F. Getting 2F rates means that a film is either directed and written by a woman, or written by a woman about a woman’s story, or a woman is directing a woman’s story. A film gets 1F, if it’s directed or written or revolves around a woman’s narrative. For other films, zero F—s.

The point of the F-rating system is to highlight films that have women in front of and behind the camera. It is not a perfect classification, but it’s a start of facing the fact that film industry is still mostly male-driven.

Here is a guide of films that I have seen, arranged chronologically and then alphabetically, according to the fulfilment of F-rates if you ever feel the urge to watch that has a women-centric seal of approval.

Btw, this is work in progress, perpetuum mobile… Enjoy though!

3F

American Honey (2016), Star (Sasha Lane) is a teenage girl with nothing to lose who joins a traveling magazine sales crew and gets caught up in a whirlwind of hard partying, law bending and young love; written and directed by Andrea Arnold,

Les Innocentes (2016), a story about a young doctor, Mathilde Beaulieu (Lou de Laâge), who helps raped and pregnant nuns after the end of WW2; directed by Anne Fontaine, written by Sabrine B. Karine, Alice Vial and Anne Fontaine,

Les Innocentes, 2015

The Love Witch (2016), a modern-day witch, Elaine (Samantha Robinson) uses spells and magic to get men to fall in love with her; written and directed by Anna Biller,

White Girl (2016), a college girl, Leah (Morgan Saylor) gets in troubles while residing in Brooklyn, NY in the summer; written and directed by Elizabeth Wood,

Wild (2016), a young, meek Ania (Lilith Stangenberg) abandons civilisation to connect with a wild wolf; written and directed by Nicolette Krebitz,

La Belle Saison (2015), a love story with not such a happy ending between Carole, a feminist activist (Cécile De France) and Delphine, a farmer (Izïa Higelin), set in 1970s France; directed and written by Catherine Corsini,

Maggie’s Plan (2015), Maggie Harden (Greta Gerwig) wants to have a baby on her own, but when she gets romantically involved with a married man, things get complicated; story by Karen Rinaldi, written and directed by Rebecca Miller,

Maggie’s Plan, 2015

Mustang (2015), a story about five Turkish sisters (Günes Sensoy, Doga Zeynep Doguslu, Tugba Sunguroglu, Elit Iscan and Ilayda Akdogan) who are about to enter forced marriages; directed by Deniz Gamze Ergüven and written by Alice Winocour and Ergüven,

Pitch Perfect 2 (2015), an acapella girl group (Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow, Alexis Knapp, Ester Dean, Hana Mae Lee and Hailee Steinfeld) heads for the international competition; directed by Elizabeth Banks, co-written by Kay Cannon,

Sangailes vasara (Summer of Sangaile, 2015), a lesbian coming-of-age love story between Sangaile (Julija Steponaityte) and Auste (Aiste Dirziute); directed and written by Alante Kavaite,

Suffragette (2015), about an early feminist movement in UK, starring Carey Mulligan, Anne-Marie Duff, Helena Bonham Carter and Meryl Streep; directed by Sarah Gavron and written by Abi Morgan,

Suffragette, 2015

The Dressmaker (2015), a glamorous seamstress, Tilly Dunnage (Kate Winslet), returns home to her small town in rural Australia to get revenge on those who did her wrong, also starring Judy Davis, Julia Blake, Kerry Fox, Rebecca Gibney, Caroline Goodall, Sacha Horler, Sarah Snook and Alison Whyte; novel by Rosalie Ham, co-written and directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse,

A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014), a vengeful and lonesome vampire (Sheila Vand) stalks men in ghost-town Bad City; written and directed by Ana Lily Amirpour,

Bande de Filles (Girlhood, 2014), a story about a young Marieme/Vic (Karidja Touré) with few real prospects finding herself and her ways, also starring Assa Sylla, Lindsay Karamoh and Mariétou Touré; written and directed by Céline Sciamma,

Bande de Filles, 2014

Life Partners (2014), a story about friendship between Sasha (Leighton Meester) and Paige (Gillian Jacobs); directed by Susanna Fogel, written by Joni Lefkowitz and Susanna Fogel,

Le Beau Monde (2014), a story of a gifted young fashion designer Alice (Ann Girardot) who gets her breakthrough with the help of a wealthy patron Agnès Barthes (Aurélia Petit); directed by Julie Lopes-Curval, written by Sophie Hiet and Julie Lopes-Curval,

Le Beau Monde, 2014

Obvious Child (2014), a twenty-something comedienne’s unplanned pregnancy forces her to get an abortion, starring Jenny Slate, Gaby Hofmann and Polly Draper; story by Karen Maine, Elisabeth Holm and Gillian Robespierre, screenplay and directed by Gillian Robespierre,

Obvious Child, 2014

Party Girl (2014), a sixty-year-old cabaret dancer, Angélique (Angélique Litzenburger), decides to get married but she changes her mind; written and directed by Claire Burger and Marie Amachoukeli-Barsacq,

In a World … (2013), a story about a voice coach Carol (Lake Bell) who wants to enter the male-dominated field of movie trailer voice-overs; written and directed by Lake Bell,

The Bling Ring (2013), inspired by actual events, a group of fame-obsessed teenagers use the internet to track celebrities’ whereabouts in order to rob their homes; starring Emma Watson, Katie Chang, Taissa Farmiga, Claire Julien; based upon an article by Nancy Jo Sales, written and directed by Sofia Coppola,

2 Days in New York (2012), Marion’s (Julie Delpy) family dynamic gets muddled when her family from Paris comes for a visit; written by Alexia Landeau and Julie Delpy, directed by Julie Delpy,

American Mary (2012), the allure of easy money sends Mary Mason (Katharine Isabelle), a medical student, into the world of underground surgeries; written and directed by Soska Sisters,

American Mary, 2012

Klip (2012), a teenager Jasna (Isidora Simijonović) documents everything around her with a mobile phone camera while winding up in an emotionally non-reciprocal hetero relationship; written and directed by Maja Miloš,

Få meg på, for faen (Turn Me On, Dammit, 2011), a 15-years old Alma (Helene Bergsholm) is sexually healthy teenager who fantasies a lot about sex, while others might shame her for that, also starring Malin Bjørhovde, Beate Støfring, Henriette Steenstrup, Julia Bache-Wiig and Julia Schacht; written and directed by Jannicke Systad Jacobsen,

Turn Me On, Dammit, 2011

Sleeping Beauty (2011), a portrait of Lucy (Emily Browning), a young university student, making money as an erotic worker; written and directed by Julia Leigh,

Sleeping Beauty, 2011

The Iron Lady (2011), a biopic about the aging former British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher (Meryl Streep), also starring Olivia Colman; screenplay by Abi Morgan, directed by Phyllida Lloyd,

Tomboy (2011), a coming-of-age story about a 10-year-old non-binary Laure/Mikhael (Zoé Héran), also starring Malonn Lévana and Jeanne Disson, written and directed by Céline Sciamma,

Tomboy, 2011

The Kids are All Right (2010), a story about a lesbian family (Annette Bening, Julianne Moore, Mia Wasikowska and Josh Hutcherson) that gets a bit muddled by the arrival of a biological father of the children; co-written by Lisa Cholodenko, directed by Lisa Cholodenko,

The Runaways (2010), a biopic about the all-girl 1970s rock band The Runaways (Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning, Stella Maeve, Scout Taylor-Compton and Alia Shawkat); book by Cherie Curie, directed by Floria Sigismondi,

Tiny Furniture (2010), a grad student Aura (Lena Dunham) tries to figure out what to do in her life, also starring Laurie Simmons, Grace Dunham, Merritt Wever, Amy Seimetz and Jemima Kirke; written and directed by Lena Dunham,

Tiny Furniture, 2010

Winter’s Bone (2010), Ree (Jennifer Lawrence) tries to track her father down through the unhospitable social terrain of Ozark Mountain; screenplay by Anne Rosellini and Debra Granik, directed by Debra Granik,

Winter’s Bone, 2010

Coco before Chanel (2009), a biopic about pre-fame Coco Chanel (Audrey Tautou); screenplay by Camille and Anne Fontaine, directed by Anne Fontaine,

Coco before Chanel, 2009

Cracks (2009), a look at the lives and relationships among girls at an elite boarding school in 1930s England, starring Eva Green, Juno Temple, María Valverde, Imogen Poots, Ellie Nunn, Adele McCann, Zoe Carroll, Clemmie Dugdale and Sinéad Cusack; novel by Sheila Kohler, co-written by Caroline Ip and Jordan Scott, directed by Jordan Scott,

Fish Tank (2009), everything changes for 15-year-old Mia (Katie Jarvis) when her mum, Joanne (Kierston Wareing), brings home a new boyfriend; written and directed by Andrea Arnold,

Fish Tank, 2009

It’s Complicated (2009), a divorcée and bakery owner Jane Adler (Meryl Streep) is torn between two men; written and directed by Nancy Meyers,

Jennifer’s Body (2009), a popular high school girl Jennifer Check (Megan Fox) turns into a succubus after a failed human sacrifice, performed by an indie band, also starring Amanda Seyfried, Amy Sedaris and Valerie Tian; written by Diablo Cody, directed by Karyn Kusama,

Jennifer’s Body, 2009

Julie & Julia (2009), Julia Child’s (Meryl Streep) story of her start in the cooking profession is intertwined with food blogger Julie Powell’s (Amy Adams) 2002 challenge to cook all the recipes in Child’s first book; book by Julie Powell and Julia Child, written and directed by Nora Ephron,

Nothing Personal (2009), a young divorcée (Lotte Verbeek) heads to austere landscapes of Connemara, Ireland, to lead a solitary existence; written and directed by Urszula Antoniak,

Nothing Personal, 2009

The Countess (2009), a biopic about a 17^th century Hungarian countess, Báthory Erzsébet (Julie Delpy); written and directed by Julie Delpy,

The Private Lives of Pippa Lee (2009), a story about reflections on a one woman’s life, Pippa Lee, starring Robin Wright, Blake Lively, Zoe Kazan, Maria Bello, Winona Ryder, Julianne Moore and Monica Bellucci; written and directed Rebecca Miller,

Whip It (2009), an indie-rock loving Bliss Cavendar/Babe Ruthless (Ellen Page) blossoms after she discovers a roller derby league in nearby Austin, also starring Alia Shawkat, Marcia Gay Harden, Kristen Wiig, Zoë Bell, Eve, Drew Barrymore, Juliette Lewis and Ari Graynor; novel and screenplay by Shauna Cross, directed by Drew Barrymore,

Whip It, 2009

Sagan (2008), a biopic about Françoise Sagan (Sylvie Testud); written by Claire Lemaréchal, Martine Moriconi and Diane Kurys, directed by Diane Kurys,

Sagan, 2008

2 Days in Paris (2007), Marion (Julie Delpy) visits her parents in Paris with her boyfriend; written and directed by Julie Delpy,

Kid Svensk (2007), a coming-of-age story about 12-years old girl, Kid Svensk (Mia Saarinen), spending her summer of ’84 in Finland with her mother, Ester Ruotsalainen (Milka Ahlroth) and her family; written and directed by Nanna Huolman,

Naissance des Pieuvres (Water Lilies, 2007), a-coming-of-age lesbian love story, starring Pauline Acquart, Adèle Haenel and Louise Blachère; written and directed by Céline Sciamma,

The Jane Austen Book Club (2007), five women (Kathy Baker, Emily Blunt, Maria Bello, Amy Brenneman and Maggie Grace) and one man start a club to discuss the works of Jane Austen, only to find their relationships – both old and new – begin to resemble 21^st century versions of her novels; book by Karen Joy Fowler, screenplay and directed by Robin Swicord,

XXY (2007), a story about 15-year-old intersex Alex Kraken (Inés Efron); written and directed by Lucía Puenzo,

XXY, 2007

Marie Antoinette (2006), a postmodern biopic about Marie Antoinette (Kirsten Dunst); directed and written by Sofia Coppola,

Marie Antoniette, 2006

The Holiday (2006), two women, movie-trailer maker Amanda Woods (Cameron Diaz) and wedding columnist Iris Smipkins (Kate Winslet), swap their houses and their lives are changed; directed and written by Nancy Meyers,

Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005), an eccentric performance artist, Christine Jesperson (Miranda July), finds love; written and directed by Miranda July,

Me and You and Everyone We Know, 2005

North Country (2005), a fictionalized account of the first major successful sexual harassment case in the United States – Jenson vs. Eveleth Mines, starring Charlize Theron, Frances McDormand, Sissy Spacek, Linda Emond, Jillian Armenante and Michelle Monaghan; book by Clara Bingham and Laura Leedy, directed by Niki Caro,

North Country, 2005

The Notorious Bettie Page (2005), a biopic about a pin-up legend, Bettie Page (Gretchen Mol), also starring Sarah Paulson and Lili Taylor, co-written by Guinevere Turner and Mary Harron, directed by Mary Harron,

Iron Jawed Angels (2004), a story about suffragettes’ fight for women’s rights in 1917, starring Hillary Swank, Margo Martindale, Anjelica Huston, Frances O’Connor, Vera Farmiga and Adilah Barnes; story by Jennifer Friedes, teleplay by Sally Robinson, Eugenia Bostwick-Singer and Jennifer Friedes, directed by Katja von Garnier,

Somersault (2004), a haptic teenager Heidi (Abbie Cornish) runs away from home to Australian Alps; written and directed by Cate Shortland,

In the Cut (2003), New York writing professor, Frannie Avery (Meg Ryan), has an affair with a police detective who is investigating the murder of a young woman in her neighbourhood, also starring Jennifer Jason Leigh; novel by Susanna Moore, screenplay co-written by Susanna Moore and Jane Campion, directed by Jane Campion,

In the Cut, 2003

Monster (2003), a biopic about a serial killer, Aileen Wuornos (Charlize Theron), also starring Christina Ricci; written and directed by Patty Jenkins,

My Life without Me (2003), due to her terminal illness, Ann (Sarah Polley) decides to live her life as never before, also starring Amanda Plummer, Leonor Watling, Debbie Harry and Maria de Medeiros; book by Nanci Kincaid, written and directed by Isabel Coixet,

Thirteen (2003), a teenage girl, Tracy Freeland (Evan Rachel Wood), forms a new relationship with a wild girl, Evie Zamora (Nikki Reed) that worsens relationship with her mother, Melanie (Holly Hunter); written by Nikki Reed and Catherine Hardwicke, directed by Catherine Hardwicke,

Thirteen, 2003

Under the Tuscan Sun (2003), a divorced writer Frances (Diane Lane) moves to Italy to start a new life, also starring Sandra Oh and Lindsay Duncan; book by Frances Mayes, screenplay and directed by Audrey Wells,

Under the Tuscan Sun, 2003

À la Folie … Pas du Tout (He Loves Me … He Loves Me Not, 2002), a young woman, Angélique (Audrey Tautou) is obsessively in love with a married man; written by Caroline Thivel and Laetitia Colombani, directed by Laetitia Colombani,

Bend It like Beckham (2002), a story about two friends, Jasminder “Jess” Kaur Bhamra (Parminder Nagra) and Jukie “Jules” Paxton (Keira Knightley), joining girl’s football team, also starring Archie Panjabi, Shaznay Lewis, Juliet Stevenson and Shaheen Khan; co-written by Guljit Bindra and Gurinder Chadha,

Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (2002), a story about a rocky relationship between mother Vivi (Ellen Burstyn) and daughter Sidda (Sandra Bullock) and its reconciliation, also starring Fionnula Flanagan, Cherry Jones, Ashley Judd, Shirley Knight and Maggie Smith; novel by Rebecca Wells, written and directed by Callie Khouri,

Frida (2002), a biopic about Frida Kahlo (Salma Hayek), also starring Mía Maestro, Valeria Golino, Saffron Burrows and Ashley Judd; book by Hayden Herrera, screenplay co-written by Anna Thomas  and Diane Lake, directed by Julie Taymor,

Frida, 2002

Hysterical Blindness (2002), a story about a female friendship between Debby (Uma Thurman) and Beth (Juliette Lewis), set in the 1980s; directed by Mira Nair, written by Laura Cahill,

Hysterical Blindness, 2002

Laurel Canyon (2002), a subplot involves a sexual relationship between Alex, a Ph.D. candidate (Kate Beckinsale), and her mother-in-law, Jane, a record producer (Frances McDormand); written and directed by Lisa Cholodenko,

Roozi Ke Zan Shodam (The Day I Become a Woman, 2000), three interconnected vignettes depicting women at three stages of life in Iran: a 9-year old girl, Hava (Fatemeh Cherag Akhar), cannot play with her friend, a boy, a young wife, Ahoo (Shabnam Tolouei), enters bicycle race against her husband’s objections, and an old woman, Hoora (Azizeh Sedighi), decides to live on the ship for the rest of her life; co-written and directed by Marzieh Makhmalbaf,

Boys Don’t Cry (1999), a biopic about a trans man, Brandon Teena (Hilary Swank); directed and co-written by Kimberly Pierce,

But I’m a Cheerleader (1999), a teenager, Megan (Natasha Lyonne), is sent to a conversion camp to be cured from lesbianism, also starring Michelle Williams, Melanie Lynskey, Clea DuVall and Katrina Phillips; directed and story by Jamie Babbit,

But I’m a Cheerleader, 1999

Holy Smoke (1999), a young, spiritual woman, Ruth Barron (Kate Winslet), must be de-programmed from her cult convictions; written by Anna and Jane Campion, directed by Jane Campion,

Mansfield Park (1999), after major social turbulences, a low-income Fanny Price (Frances O’ Connor) marries a wealthy man, whom she loves; novel by Jane Austen, directed and written by Patricia Rozema,

Romance (1999), a woman’s journey of sexual exploration; starring Caroline Ducey, written and directed by Catherine Breillat,

Virgin Suicides (1999), a story about five Lisbon sisters (Kirsten Dunst, A.J. Cook, Hanna R. Hall, Leslie Hayman and Chelse Swain), sheltered by their strict, religious parents in suburban Detroit in the mid-1970s; written and directed by Sofia Coppola,

Strike! (1998), in the 1960s, a group of friends (Kirsten Dunst, Gaby Hoffmann, Monica Keena, Heather Matarazzo and Rachael Leigh Cook) at an all-girls school are opposing to the plan to be joined with a nearby all-boys school, also starring Lynn Redgrave; written and directed by Sarah Kernochan,

Strike! 1998

A Thousand Acres (1997), “King Lear”, set on a farm in Iowa, starring Jessica Lange, Michelle Pfeiffer and Jennifer Jason Leigh; novel by Jane Smiley, screenplay by Laura Jones, directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse,

Bound (1996), Corky, a tough ex con (Gina Gershon), and her lover Violet (Jennifer Tilly) concoct a scheme to steal millions of stashed mob money and pin the blame on Violet’s crooked boyfriend; written and directed by The Wachowski Sisters,

Bound, 1996

Foxfire (1996), a story of five teenage girls (Hedy Burress, Angelina Jolie, Jenny Lewis, Jenny Shimizu and Sarah Rosenberg) who form an unlikely bond after being sexually harassed by a teacher; novel by Joyce Carol Oates, screenplay by Elizabeth White, directed by Annette Haywood-Carter,

I Shot Andy Warhol (1996), a biopic about a radical feminist and lesbian, Valerie Solanas (Lili Taylor); research by Diane Tucker, co-written and directed by Mary Harron,

I Shot Andy Warhol, 1996

The Portrait of a Lady (1996), a wealthy and trusting American, Isabel Archer (Nicole Kidman) get scammed by a charming and sociopathic husband; screenplay by Laura Jones, directed by Jane Campion,

Antonia’s Line (1995), a Dutch matron, Antonia (Willeke van Ammelrooy) establishes and, for several generations, oversees a close-knit, matriarchal community where feminism and liberalism thrive; written and directed by Marleen Gorris,

Antonia’s Line, 1995

Clueless (1995), Jane Austen’s Emma, set in a modern L.A., starring Alicia Silverstone, Stacey Dash, Brittany Murphy and Elisa Donovan; written and directed by Amy Heckerling,

Now & Then (1995), a coming-of-age story about four friends and their reunion years later, starring Christina Ricci/Rosie O’Donnell, Thora Birch/Melanie Griffith, Gaby Hoffmann/Demi Moore and Ashleigh Aston Moore/Rita Wilson; written by I. Marlene King, directed by Lesli Linka Glatter,

Little Women (1994), the coming-of-age tale about March sisters (Winona Ryder, Trini Alvarado, Claire Danes, Samantha Mathis/Kirsten Dunst) during post-Civil War era; novel by Louisa May Alcott, screenplay by Robin Swicord, directed by Gillian Armstrong,

The Piano (1993), a mute woman, Ada (Holly Hunter) is sent to 1850s New Zealand along with her young daughter, Flora (Anna Paquin), and prized piano for an arranged marriage to a wealthy, insensitive landowner, but soon finds passion with an attentive worker; written and directed by Jane Campion,

A League of Their Own (1992), all-women baseball teams replace men during WW2, starring Geena Davis, Lori Petty, Rosie O’Donnell, Madonna, Megan Cavanagh, Tracy Reiner, Bitty Schram, Ann Cusack, Anne Ramsay and Freddie Simpson; directed by Penny Marshall, story by Kim Wilson and Kelly Candaele,

Gas Food Lodging (1992), a story about a mother, Nora (Brooke Adams) and her daughters, Trudi (Ione Skye) and Shade (Fairuza Balk), living in New Mexico desert; written and directed by Allison Anders,

Orlando (1992), centuries long story about an aristocratic gender-bending Orlando (Tilda Swinton); novel by Virginia Woolf, written and directed by Sally Potter,

Orlando, 1992

This is My Life (1992), a stand-up comic, Dotie Ingels (Julie Kavner) juggles between motherhood and her career, also starring Samantha Mathis, Gaby Hoffmann and Carrie Fisher; book by Meg Wolitzer, screenplay by Nora and Delia Ephron, directed by Nora Ephron,

An Angel at my Table (1990), Janet Frame’s “Otherness” kept her in a mental institution but she became an awarded and well-known author, starring Kerry Fox; autobiography by Janet Frame, screenplay by Laura Jones, directed by Jane Campion,

An Angel at my Table, 1990

Blue Steel (1990), a rookie cop, Megan Turner (Jamie Lee Curtis) enters a cat-and-mouse game with a psychopath; directed and co-written by Kathryn Bigelow,

She-Devil (1989), a smart and resourceful housewife, Ruth Patchett (Roseanne) takes revenge on her husband when he begins an affair with a wealthy romance novelist, Mary Fisher (Meryl Streep); novel by Fay Weldon, directed by Susan Seidelman,

She-Devil, 1989

Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), set in New York, the plot involves the interaction between two women – a bored housewife Roberta Glass (Rosanna Arquette)  and a bohemian drifter Susan Thomas (Madonna) – linked by various announcements in the personal column of a newspaper; written by Leora Barish, directed by Susan Seidelman,

Desperately Seeking Susan, 1985

Sans Toit Ni Loi (Vagabond, 1985), a young woman, Mona Bergeron (Sandrine Bonnaire) is found dead and through flashbacks is explained what led to this tragedy; directed and written by Agnès Varda,

Yentl (1983), a Jewish girl, Yentl (Barbra Streisand) disguises herself as a boy to enter religious training; co-written and directed by Barbra Streisand,

Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975), a lonely housewife, Jeanne Dielman (Delphine Seyrig) is also a sex worker; written and directed by Chantal Akerman,

Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du commerce, 1080 Bruxelles, 1975

Sedmikrásky (Daisies, 1966), a story about two adventurous teenage girls Marie I (Jitka Cerhová) and Marie II (Ivana Karbanová); directed and written by Vera Chytilová,

Meshes of the Afternoon (1943), a short experimental film about a woman’s (Maya Deren) dreams; co-directed and written by Maya Deren,

Mädchen in Uniform (1931), at an all-girls boarding school, Manuela von Meinhardis (Hertha Thiele) falls in love with a teacher, Fraulein von Bernburg (Dorothea Wieck) to terrific consequences; play and co-written screenplay by Christa Winsloe, directed by Leontine Sagan,

Madchen in Uniform, 1931

2F

Wonder Woman (2017), Diana (Gal Gadot), princess of the Amazons, becomes Wonder Woman, leaves home to fight a war to end all wars to discover her full powers and true destiny; directed by Patty Jenkins,

Ah-ga-ssi (The Handmaiden, 2016), Sook-Hee (Tae-Ri Kim) is is hired as a handmaiden to a Japanese heiress, Lady Hideko (Min-Hee Kim), but secretly she is involved in a plot to defraud her; inspired by the novel Fingersmith by Sarah Walters and screenplay co-written by Seo-kyeong Jeong,

Ghostbusters (2016), physicists Abby Yates (Melissa McCarthy) and Erin Gilbert (Kristen Wiig), together with nuclear engineer Jillian Holtzmann (Kate McKinnon), and subway worker Patty Tolan (Leslie Jones) fight the otherworldly threat; co-written by  Katie Dippold,

Hidden Figures (2016), a biopic about three African-American women mathematicians, Katherine G. Johnson (Taraji B. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe) who had a significant role in the 1960s NASA’s space program; based on the book by Margot Lee Shetterly, co-written screenplay by Allison Schroeder,

Hidden Figures, 2016

Julieta (2016), after a casual encounter, a brokenhearted Julieta (Emma Suárez & Adriana Ugarte) decides to confront her life and the most important events about her estranged daughter, Antía (Blanca Parés); adapted upon stories by Alice Munro,

Love & Friendship (2016), a story about friendship between Lady Susan Vernon (Kate Beckinsale) and Alicia Johnson (Chloë Sevigny); adapted upon a novella by Jane Austen,

By the Sea (2015), co-starring, written and directed by Angelina Jolie,

Carol (2015), a love story between Theresa (Rooney Mara) and Carol (Cate Blanchett); adapted upon a novel of Patricia Highsmith for a screen by Phyllis Nagy,

Carol, 2015

Córki dancing (The Lure, 2015), a story about two killer mermaids, Srebrna (Marta Mazurek) and Zlota (Michalina Olszanska) in 1980s Poland; directed by Agnieszka Smoczynska,

The Lure, 2015

Dark Places (2015), a story about a 30-something years old woman, Libby Day (Charlize Theron) who survived the massacre of her own family when she was eight years old; novel by Gillian Flynn,

Joy (2015), a biopic about Joy Mangano (Jennifer Lawrence), the inventor of Miracle Mop, based upon a story by Annie Mumolo,

Mistress America (2015), Tracy’s (Lola Kirke) lonely life is turned upside-down by her NYC impetuous, adventurous stepsister-to-be, Brooke (Greta Gerwig); co-written by Greta Gerwig,

Mistress America, 2015

Victoria (2015), a young Spanish woman (Laia Costa) get to know the other side of Berlin; co-written story by Olivia Neergaard-Holm and Eike Frederik Schulz,

Fehér Isten (White God, 2014), a young girl, Lili (Zsófia Psotta) tries to find her dog, Hagen that was released by her father; co-written screenplay by Kata Wéber and Viktória Petrányi,

Wild (2014), a chronicle of one woman’s 1,100-mile solo hike undertaken as a way to recover from a recent personal tragedy, starring Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern and Gaby Hoffmann; memoirs by Cheryl Strayed,

Maleficent (2014), a tale about a witch, Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) seeking justice; screenplay by Linda Woolverton,

Maleficent, 2014

Feuchtgebiete (Wetlands, 2013), the adventures of an offbeat young woman, Helen Memel (Carla Juri) with peculiar attitudes towards hygiene and sexuality; novel by Charlotte Roche, co-written screenplay by Sabine Pochhammer,

Ida (2013), Anna (Agata Trzebuchowska), a young novitiate nun in 1960s Poland, must before taking her vows, confront herself; co-written screenplay by Rebecca Lenkiewicz,

Ida, 2013

La Vie d’Adèle (Blue is the Warmest Colour, 2013), a lesbian love story through eyes of Adèle (Adèle Exarchopoulos), also starring Léa Seydoux as Emma; comic book by Julie Maroh, co-written screenplay by Ghalia Lacroix,

Reaching for the Moon (2013), a chronicle of the tragic love affair between American poet Elizabeth Bishop (Miranda Otto) and Brazilian architect Lota de Macedo Soares (Glória Pires); based on the novel Flores raras e banalíssimas by Carmen L. Oliviera, screenplay co-written by Julie Sayres and Carolina Kotscho,

Tracks (2013), a young woman, Robyn Davidson (Mia Wasikowska) goes on a 1,700-mile trek across the deserts of West Australia with four camels and her faithful dog; book by Robyn Davidson, screenplay by Marion Nelson,

Byzantium (2012), vampire sisters, Eleanor (Saoirse Ronan) and Clara (Gemma Arterton) must survive in a postmodern world not to be overtly suspicious; play and screenplay by Moira Buffini,

Byzantium, 2002

Frances Ha (2012), Frances Ha (Greta Gerwig) tries to find her place under the NYC sun; co-written by Greta Gerwig,

Hunger Games (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015), a tetralogy about a young woman, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) rebelling against an injustice of their class system; novel and co-written screenplay by Suzanne Collins,

Just Like a Woman (2012), Marilyn (Sienna Miller) and Mona (Golshifteh Farahani) hit the road, heading to Santa Fe to escape their lives, each with their own dreams and secrets; written by Marion Doussot and Joelle Touma,

Just Like a Woman, 2012

Pitch Perfect (2012), Beca (Anne Kendrick), a DJ and a freshman joins an all-girl acapella group; screenplay by Kay Cannon,

Pitch Perfect, 2012

The Girl (2012),  a biopic about Tippi Hedren’s (Sienna Miller) relationship with a stalking male director; co-written with Gwyneth Hugnes,

Albert Nobbs (2011), Albert Nobbs (Glenn Close) is posing as a man so she can work as a butler in Dublin’s most elegant hotel where she meets Helen (Mia Wasikowska);  co-written screenplay by Gabriella Prekop and Glenn Close,

Alice in the Wonderland (2010), nineteen-year-old Alice (Mia Wasikowska) returns to the magical world from her childhood adventure; screenplay by Linda Woolverton,

Alice in Wonderland, 2010

Bridesmaids (2011), a story about female friendship and wedding stress, starring Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Bryne, Melissa McCarthy, Ellie Kemper and Wendi McLendon-Covey; written by Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo,

Hysteria (2011), directed by Tanya Wexler and co-written by Jonah Lisa Dyer,

Hysteria, 2011

Jane Eyre (2011), a tale about a woman’s social mobility, set in the 19^th century England, starring Mia Wasikowska; novel by Charlotte Brontë, screenplay by Moira Buffini,

Red Riding Hood (2011), set in a medieval village that is haunted by a werewolf, a young girl Valerie (Amanda Seyfried) falls for an orphaned woodcutter; directed by Catherine Hardwicke,

Red Riding Hood, 2011

The Help (2011), an aspiring white author, Skeeter Phelan (Emma Stone) during the civil rights movement of the 1960s decides to write a book, detailing the African American maids’ point of view (Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer) on the white families (Bryce Dallas Howard, Jessica Chastain) for which they work, and the hardships they go through on a daily basis; novel by Kathryn Stockett,

The Help, 2011

Young Adult (2011), a young adult writer, Mavis Gary (Charlize Theron) heads home for her ex-boyfriend baby-shower; written by Diablo Cody,

Young Adult, 2011

Tout Ce Qui Brille (All That Glitters, 2010), two low-income friends, Lila (Leïla Bekhti) and Ely (Géraldine Nakache) from suburbs of Paris want to overcome their class while their friendship is put to the test, also starring Virginie Ledoyen and Linh Dan Pham; co-directed and co-written by Géraldine Nakache,

Tout Ce Qui Brille, 2011

Chloe (2009), a young sex worker, Chloe (Amanda Seyfried) enters a relationship with the wrong client, Dr. Catherine Stewart (Julianne Moore); inspired by Anne Fontaine’s film Nathalie, screenplay by Erin Cressida Wilson,

Enid (2009), a biopic about an English children’s writer, Enid Blyton (Helena Bonham Carter); written by Lindsay Shapero,

Easy Virtue (2008), a story, set in 1920s about a glamorous American, Larita Whittaker (Jessica Biel) who is not accepted by her in-laws; co-written by Sheridan Jobbins,

Easy Virtue, 2008

Mad Money (2008), three female employees (Diane Keaton, Queen Latifah and Katie Holmes) of the Federal Reserve plot to steal money that is about to be destroyed; directed by Callie Khouri,

Rachel Getting Married (2008), a young woman, Kym (Anne Hathaway) is out of rehab and headed home for her sister Rachel’s (Rosemarie DeWitt) wedding; written by Jenny Lumet,

The Other Boleyn Girl (2008), two sisters, Anne (Natalie Portman) and Mary Boleyn (Scarlett Johansson), compete for the love of King Henry VIII; novel by Philippa Gregory,

Becoming Jane (2007), a biopic about pre-fame Jane Austen (Anne Hathaway); letters by Jane Austen, co-written by Sarah Williams,

Becoming Jane, 2007

Juno (2007), a teenager, Juno MacGuff (Ellen Page) gets pregnant and decides to give the child up for adoption; written by Diablo Cody,

La Vie en Rose (2007), a biopic about Edith Piaf (Marion Cotillard); co-written by Isabelle Sobelman,

Ma Vie en Rose, 2007

Persepolis (2007), a story about an Iranian girl, Marjane (Chiara Mastroianni), growing up during the Islamic revolution; co-directed by Marjane Satrapi, comic book by Marjane Satrapi,

Persepolis, 2007

Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus (2006), a biopic about a photographer, Diane Arbus (Nicole Kidman); book by Patricia Bosworth and screenplay by Erin Cressida Wilson,

Notes on the Scandal (2006), a story about friendship between a middle-aged, single, lesbian schoolteacher Barbara Covett (Judi Dench), and her young, married, straight colleague, Sheba Hart (Cate Blanchett) who engages in an affair with her male student; novel by Zoe Heller,

She’s the Man (2006), Viola (Amanda Bynes) disguises herself as a boy to get into football team and falls for her male colleague; co-written by Kirsten Smith and Karen McCullah,

Beauty Shop (2005), a black entrepreneur, Gina Norris (Queen Latifah), opens a beauty salon; story by Elizabeth Hunter, co-written by Kate Lanier,

Beauty Shop, 2005

Mrs. Henderson Presents (2005), wealthy widow Laura Henderson (Judi Dench) buys an old London theatre and transforms it into the Windmill, a performance hall that includes also all-nude revues; book by Sheila van Damm, co-idea by Kathy Rose,

Mrs. Henderson Presents, 2005

Pride and Prejudice (2005), a love story that surpasses social class, starring Keira Knightley, Rosamund Pike, Jena Malone, Carey Mulligan, Talulah Riley, Kelly Reilly and Brenda Blethyn; novel by Jane Austen, screenplay by Deborah Moggach,

Catwoman (2004), a woman, Patience Phillips (Halle Berry) becomes endowed with catlike capabilities; co-story by Theresa Rebeck,

Mean Girls (2004), a story about a high school clique of popular girls (Rachel McAdams, Lacey Chabert, Amanda Seyfried and Lindsay Lohan) and their subordinates (Lizzie Kaplan); book by Rosalind Wiseman, screenplay by Tina Fey,

My Summer of Love (2004), a coming-of-age lesbian story about trust and deceit, starring Emily Blunt and Natalie Press; novel by Helen Cross,

Vanity Fair (2004), a life of a 19-th century socially savvy, Becky Sharp (Reese Witherspoon); directed by Mira Nair,

Vanity Fair, 2004

Calendar Girls (2003), a group of middle-aged British women (Helen Mirren, Julie Walters, Linda Bassett, Annette Crosbie, Celia Imrie and Penelope Wilton) decide to pose nude for a good cause; co-written by Juliette Towhidi,

Something’s Gotta Give (2003), starring Diane Keaton as a successful playwriter, Erica Barry; written and directed by Nancy Meyers,

Sylvia (2003), a biopic about a poetess, Sylvia Plath (Gwyneth Paltrow); directed by Christine Jeffs,

Veronica Guerin (2003), an Irish journalist, Veronica Guerin (Cate Blanchett) writes mercilessly about drug dealers; story by Carol Doyle, screenplay by Carol Doyle and Mary Agnes Donoghue,

Secretary (2002), a masochistic young woman, Lee Holloway (Maggie Gyllenhaal) finds a perfect partner in her male employer; story by Mary Gaitskill, screenplay and story co-adaptation by Erin Cressida Wilson,

Secretary, 2002

White Oleander (2002), a teenager, Astrid Magnussen (Alison Lohman) drifts through several foster homes (Robin Wright, Renée Zellweger and Svetlana Efremova) after her mother, Ingrid Magnussen (Michelle Pfeiffer) goes to prison for committing a crime of passion; novel by Janet Finch, screenplay by Mary Agnes Donoghue,

Josie and the Pussycats (2001), a girl group, Josie and the Pussycats (Rachael Leigh Cook, Rosario Dawson and Tara Reid) find themselves in the middle of a conspiracy to deliver subliminal messages to masses through popular music; co-written and co-directed by Deborah Kaplan,

Kissing Jessica Stein (2001), Jessica Stein (Jennifer Westfeldt) finds a perfect woman, Helen Cooper (Heather Juergensen), instead of a man; written by Jennifer Westfeldt and Heather Juergensen,

Legally Blonde (2001), a young woman, Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) wants to become a lawyer while almost everyone discourages her; novel by Amanda Brown, screenplay by Karen McCullah and Kirsten Smith,

Prozac Nation (2001), a young Elizabeth (Christina Ricci) struggles with depression during her first year at Harvard; book by Elizabeth Wurtzel, adaption by Galt Niederhoffer,

The Piano Teacher (2001), a story about a masochistic piano teacher, Erika Kohut (Isabelle Huppert); book by Elfriede Jelinek,

American Psycho (2000), co-starring Reese Witherspoon, Chloë Sevigny and Samantha Mathis; directed by Mary Harron, written by Guinevere Turner and Mary Harron,

Erin Brockovich (2000), an unemployed single mother, Erin Brockovich (Julia Roberts) becomes a legal assistant and almost single-handedly brings down a California power company, accused of polluting a city’s water supply; written by Susannah Grant,

Ginger Snaps (2000), two death-obsessed sisters, Brigitte (Emily Perkins) and Ginger (Katharine Isabelle) must deal with the consequences when one of them is bitten by a werewolf; co-story and written by Karen Walton,

Ginger Snaps, 2000

Miss Congeniality (2000), a FBI agent, Gracie Hart (Sandra Bullock) goes undercover to enter a beauty pageant; co-written by Katie Ford and Caryn Lucas,

What Women Want (2000), starring Helen Hunt as a successful creative director, Darcy McGuire; directed by Nancy Meyers, co-written by Diane Drake and Cathy Yuspa,

Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999), a mockumentary about a small-town beauty contest, starring Kirsten Dunst, Ellen Barkin, Allison Jenney, Denise Richards, Kirstie Alley, Brittany Murphy, Amy Adams and Alexandra Holden; written by Lona Williams,

Girl, Interrupted (1999), a biopic about a writer Susanna Kaysen’s (Winona Ryder) 18-month stay in a mental hospital in the 1960s, also starring Angelina Jolie, Brittany Murphy, Clea Duvall, Elizabeth Moss, Jillian Armenante, Vanessa Redgrave and Whoopi Goldberg; book by Susanna Kaysen, co-written screenplay by Anna Hamilton Phelan and Lisa Loomer,

Girl, Interrupted, 1999

Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion (1999), two inseparable friends, Romy White (Mira Sorvino) and Michelle Weinberger (Lisa Kudrow), want to impress old classmates at the 10^th high school reunion; play and screenplay by Robin Schiff,

Beau Travail (1998), directed and written by Claire Denis,

Practical Magic (1998), two witch sisters, Sally (Sandra Bullock) and Gillian (Nicole Kidman) Owens must deny their nature to find love; novel by Alice Hoffman, screenplay co-written by Robin Swicord,

You’ve Got Mail (1998), starring Meg Ryan as a book owner, Kathleen Kelly, who goes out of business because of a disloyal competition; directed by Nora Ephron, screenplay by Nora and Delia Ephron,

G.I. Jane (1997), a young woman, Jordan O’Neill (Demi Moore) wants to be become a U.S. Navy Seal on behalf of the new politics of gender equality in military; story and co-written screenplay by Danielle Alexandra,

Emma (1996), in rural 1800s England, a young matchmaker, Emma (Gwyneth Paltrow) falls in love with a man she meant for another woman; novel by Jane Austen,

First Wives Club (1996), ex-wives (Betty Midler, Diane Keaton and Goldie Hawn) in their 40s plot revenge against their husbands, but along the way, a strong female bond and social cause are created; novel by Olivia Goldsmith,

First Wives Club, 1996

Nénette et Boni (1996), co-starring Alice Houri and Valeria Bruni Tedeschi; directed and co-written by Claire Denis,

Stealing Beauty (1996), a young girl, Lucy Harmon (Liv Tyler) seeks for her father in an artistic colony in Italy; co-written by Susan Minot,

Stealing Beauty, 1996

Home for the Holidays (1995), Claudia Larson (Holly Hunter), thirty-something woman with a teenage daughter, Kitt (Claire Danes) visit her parents for Thanksgiving and family drama arises; directed by Jodie Foster,

Home for the Holidays, 1995

Sense and Sensibility (1995), two sisters, Elinor (Emma Thompson) and Marianne (Kate Winslet) Dashwood must be married due to their social situation, yet turbulent journey is ahead; novel by Jane Austen, screenplay by Emma Thompson,

Sense and Sensibility, 1995

Tank Girl (1995) set in the dystopian future, Tank Girl (Lori Petty) with her friend, Jet Girl (Naomi Watts) fight mega-corporation for water; directed by Rachel Talalay,

Tank Girl, 1995

To Die For (1995), an ambitious want-be news anchor, Susan Stone (Nicole Kidman) will do anything to succeed; book by Joyce Maynard,

To Die For, 1995

Heavenly Creatures (1994), a story about intense friendship between Pauline Parker (Melanie Lynskey) and Juliet Hulme (Kate Winslet) that takes a horrific turn; co-written by Frances Walsh,

Buffy, the Vampire Slayer (1992), a teenage girl, Buffy (Kristy Swanson) is chosen to fight vampires; directed by Fran Rubel Kuzui,

Como Aqua Para Chocolate (1992), a story about Mexican matriarch, Elena (Regina Torné) and her daughters, Tita (Lumi Cavazos), Gertrudis (Claudette Maillé) and Rosaura (Yareli Arizmendi), along with the pain of the forbidden love; novel and screenplay by Laura Esquivel,

Como Agua Para Chocolate, 1992

L’Amant (The Lover, 1992), in 1920s French Indochina, a French teenage girl (Jane March) embarks on a romance with a wealthy, older Chinese man; novel by Marguerite Duras,

Don’t tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead (1991), a teenage Swell (Christina Applegate) tries to provide for the family while their mom is on vacation; co-written by Tara Ison,

Fried Green Tomatoes (1991), a tale of strong-willed Southern women from 1920s to the 1980s (Kathy Bates, Jessica Tandy, Mary Stuart Masterson, Mary-Louise Parker and Cicely Tyson); novel and screenplay by Fannie Flagg,

Rambling Rose (1991), a 1930s housemaid, Rose (Laura Dern) has sexual agency, but men only objectify her; directed by Martha Coolidge,

Rambling Rose, 1991

The Butcher’s Wife (1991), a clairvoyant islander Marina (Demi Moore) moves with her newly husband to NYC helping others to find love; co-written by Marjorie Schwartz,

Thelma & Louise (1991), a road movie about two women (Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon) who shot a rapist and are therefore on the run from police; written by Callie Khouri,

Thelma and Louise, 1991

Europa, Europa (1990), co-starring Julie Delpy; directed and co-written by Agnieszka Holland,

Julia Has Two Lovers (1990), Julia (Daphna Kastner) is torn between two men; story and co-written screenplay by Daphna Kastner,

Mermaids (1990), a female-headed Jewish family (Cher, Winona Ryder and Christina Ricci) relocate to a small Massachusetts town in 1963, where a number of events and relationships both challenge and strengthen their familial bonds; novel by Patty Dann, screenplay by June Roberts,

Mermaids, 1990

Postcards from the Edge (1990), a biopic about a celebrity mother, Doris Mann (Shirley MacLaine), and her daughter, Susanne Vale (Meryl Streep); book and screenplay by Carrie Fisher,

Postcards from the Edge, 1990

Troop Beverly Hills (1989), a divorced Beverly Hills socialite, Phyllis Nefler (Shelley Long) embarks on a different life; written by Ava Ostern Fries, Pamela Norris and Margaret Oberman,

Troop Beverly Hills, 1989

Gorillas in the Mist (1988), a biopic about the primatologist Dian Fossey (Sigourney Weaver); based upon a story about D. Fossey, co-written by Anna Hamilton Phelan,

Gorillas in the Mist, 1988

Mystic Pizza (1988), a coming-of-age story about three friends, Kat (Annabelle Gish), Daisy (Julie Roberts), and Jojo (Lili Taylor); story by Amy Holden Jones,

Baby Boom (1987), a career woman, J.C. (Diane Keaton) must change her life after she inherits a baby from a distant cousin; co-written by Nancy Meyers,

Crimes of the Heart (1986), three sisters, Lenny (Diane Keaton), Meg (Jessica Lange) and Babe Magrath (Sissy Spacek) reunite after the tragic family incident; written by Beth Henley,

Jumpin’ Jack Flash (1986), a bank employee, Terry Doolittle (Whoopi Goldberg) helps escape a British agent; directed by Penny Marshall, co-written by Nancy Meyers,

Jumpin Jack Flash, 1986

Peggy Sue Got Married (1986), Peggy Sue (Kathleen Turner) goes back in time (i.e. the high school); co-written by Arlene Sarner,

Girls Just Want To Have Fun (1985), a military kid, Janey (Sarah Jessica Parker) wants to become a TV dancer; written by Amy Spies,

The Color Purple (1985), a black Southern woman, Celie Johnson (Whoopi Goldberg) struggles to find her life after decades of abuse; novel by Alice Walker,

U raljama života (1984), two tales about 1980s women, shy typist Štefica Cvek (Vitomira Lončar) and director Dunja (Gorica Popović) who’s making film about Štefica; novel and co-written screenplay by Dubravka Ugrešić,

La Boum 2 (1982), a sequel of a love life of Vic Beretton (Sophie Marceau); co-written by Danièle Thompson,

Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980), a biopic about a country singer, Loretta Lynn (Sissy Spacek); autobiography co-written by Loretta Lynn,

La Boum (1980), a story about a teenage girl, Vic Beretton (Sophie Marceau) experiencing love for the first time; co-written by Danièle Thompson,

La Boum, 1980

Private Benjamin (1980), a privileged young woman, Judy Benjamin (Goldie Hawn) joins U.S. Army; co-written by Nancy Meyers,

Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975), three students (Anne Louise Lambert, Jane Vallis and Karen Robson) and a school teacher (Vivean Gray) disappear on an excursion to Hanging Rock, in Victoria, on Valentine’s Day, 1900; novel by Joan Lindsay,

The Group (1966), the lives of eight friends (Candice Bergen, Joan Hackett, Elizabeth Hartman, Shirley Knight, Joanna Pettet, Mary-Robin Redd, Jessica Walter and Kathleen Widdoes) from an all-girl college after their graduation into the adulthood; novel by Mary McCarthy,

Marnie (1964), a story about a thief, Marnie Edgar (Tippi Hedren) and her getting “rehabilitated” by a man; screenplay by Jay Presson Allen,

Marnie, 1964

The Birds (1963), a wealthy socialite (Tippi Hedren) goes to a small Californian town and gets attacked by birds; story by Daphne Du Maurier,

The Children’s Hour (1963), a troublemaking student, Mary Tilford (Karen Balkin) at a girls’ school accuses two teachers, Karen Wright (Audrey Hepburn) and Martha Dobie (Shirley MacLaine) of being lesbians; written by Lillian Hellman,

The Children’s Hour, 1961

Gidget (1959), Gidget (Sandra Lee) discovers surfing, co-written by Gabrielle Upton,

Imitation of Life (1959), a story about working mothers (Lana Turner and Juanita Moore), their young daughters (Sandra Dee and Susan Kohner) and internalized racism; written by Fannie Hurst and Eleanore Griffin,

Imitation of Life, 1958

Mädchen in Uniform (1958), a story about a schoolgirl, Manuela von Meinhardis (Romy Schneider) falling in love with her schoolteacher, Elisabeth von Bernburg (Lilli Palmer); written by Christa Winsloe,

How to Marry a Millionaire (1953), Loco Dempsey (Betty Grable), Pola Debevoise (Marilyn Monroe) and Schatze Page (Lauren Bacall) are looking to marry millionaires, instead they found love (and money); co-written by Zoe Akins and Katherine Albert,

Rebecca (1940), a self-conscious bride, Mrs. De Winter (Joan Fontaine) is tormented by the memory of her husband’s dead first wife; based upon a novel by Daphne Du Maurier, screenplay co-written by Joan Harrison,

The Women (1939), a story about lives of various interconnected women (Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, Rosalind Russell, Mary Boland, Paulette Goddard, Phyllis Povah, Joan Fontaine, Virginia Weidler, Lucile Watson, Marjorie Main and Virginia Grey); written by Clare Boothe Luce, Anita Loos and Jane Murfin,

The Women, 1939

Triumph des Willens (1935), directed and written by Leni Riefenstahl,

Queen Christina (1933), a tale about a queer queen Christina of Sweden (Greta Garbo); co-written by Salka Viertel and Margaret P. Levino,

1F

A Quiet Passion (2016), a biopic about  American poet, Emily Dickinson (Cynthia Nixon),

Arrival (2016), a linguistics professor Louise Banks (Amy Adams) can connect with alien species,

Arrival, 2016

Elle (2016), Michèle Leblanc (Isabelle Huppert) is a successful businesswoman who gets caught up in a game of cat and mouse as she tracks down her rapist,

Personal Shopper (2016), Maureen Cartwright (Kristen Stewart) is a personal shopper, living in Paris with psychic abilities who wants to reconnect with her dead, twin brother,

Amy (2015), a documentary about singer Amy Winehouse,

Far from the Maddening Crowd (2015), a story about independent Bathsheba Everdene (Carey Mulligan) and her three suitors,

Queen of the Desert (2015), a chronicle of Gertrude Bell’s (Nicole Kidman) life, a traveller, writer, archaeologist, explorer, cartographer, and political attaché for the British Empire at the dawn of the twentieth century,

Queen of the Desert, 2015

Sicario (2015), an FBI agent, Kate Macer (Emily Blunt) is enlisted by a government task force to aid in the escalating war against drugs at the border area between the U.S. and Mexico,

The VVitch (2015), a young girl, Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy) is accused of being a witch in the 1660s New England,

the VVitch, 2015

Clouds of Sils Maria (2014), a film star, Maria Enders (Juliette Binoche), and her PA, Valentine (Kristen Stewart), resort to a remote region of the Swiss Alps for play rehearsals,

Deux Jours, Une Nuit (Two Days, One Night, 2014), a factory worker, Sandra (Marion Cotillard) is trying to persuade her co-workers not be dismissed from work so they can get a bonus,

It Follows (2014), Jay Height (Maika Monroe) must escape unknown supernatural force,

It Follows, 2014

Lucy (2014), Lucy (Scarlett Johansson) transforms into a godlike entity,

Lucy, 2014

Selma (2014), co-starring Carmen Ejogo, Tessa Thompson, Lorraine Toussaint, Oprah Winfrey, Niecy Nash and Ledisi Young; directed by Ava Duvernay,

The Duke of Burgundy (2014), a lesbian, BD/ASMR love story between Cynthia (Sidse Babett Knudsen) and Evelyn (Chiara D’Anna),

Duke of Burgundy, 2014

August Osage County (2013), a family gathering of Weston family women and their families (Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Julianne Nicholson and Juliette Lewis),

Blue Jasmine (2013), a New York socialite’s (Cate Blanchett) financial and mental downfall,

Dvojina (Dual, 2013), a night of an intimate bonding between Tina (Nina Rakovec) and Iben (Mia Jexen),

Finding Vivian Mayer (2013), a documentary about an unknown street photographer,

Finding Vivian Maier, 2013

Jeune & Jolie (Young & Beautiful, 2013), Isabelle (Marine Vacth) has a secret life as a call girl,

Jeune & Jolie, 2013

Nymphomaniac I & II (2013, 2014), a journey of sexual exploration of Joe (Charlotte Gainsbourg),

Spring Breakers (2013), four friends Faith (Selena Gomez), Candy (Vanessa Hudgens), Brit (Ashley Benson), and Cotty (Rachel Corinne) head for the spring break and killing spree,

Spring Breakers, 2012

Stoker (2013), about India’s (Mia Wasikowska) sexual awakening and personal growth,

Stoker, 2013

Under the Skin (2013), a mysterious young woman (Scarlett Johansson) is an alien,

Anna Karenina (2012), a married woman, Anna Karenina (Keira Knightley) embarks on an affair with a count in Russian 19^th century high society,

Anna Karenina, 2012

King Kelly (2012), Kelly (Louisa Krause), a web cam sex worker wants fame and fortune,

Marina Abramović: The Artist is Present (2012), a documentary about a performance artist, Marina Abramović,

Melancholia (2011), a story about two sisters, Justine (Kirsten Dunst) and Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg), alongside with an inevitable apocalypse approaching,

Melancholia, 2011

Black Swan (2010), a story about a ballerina, Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman), a perfectionist who struggles mentally and professionally,

Dirty Girl (2010), a teenage Danielle (Juno Temple) running away from home,

Potiche (2010), a middle-aged trophy wife, (Catherine Deneuve) becomes a CEO of her husband’s company when he’s taken hostage by his disgruntled workers,

Potiche, 2010

Berlin ’36 (2009), a tale about a Jewish athlete, Gretel Bergmann (Karoline Herfurth) uncertain if she is going to be allowed  on the German team,

Berlin ’36, 2009

Grey Gardens (2009), a biopic about Edith Bouvier Beale (Jessica Lange) and her daughter, Little Edie (Drew Barrymore),

Grey Gardens, 2009

Slovenka (2009), a story about Aleksandra (Nina Ivanišin), a student who also works as a call girl,

The Young Victoria (2009), a biopic about an early reign of Queen Victoria (Emily Blunt),

Happy-Go-Lucky (2008), a story about a joyous schoolteacher Poppy (Sally Hawkins),

Happy-Go-Lucky, 2008

Hurt Locker (2008), directed by Kathryn Bigelow,

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (2008), a middle-aged London governess, Guinevere Pettigrew (Frances McDormand), accidentally steps into the glamorous world of an American actress Delysia Lafosse (Amy Adams),

Margot at the Wedding (2007), a story about tempestuous visit between two sisters, Margot (Nicole Kidman) and Pauline (Jennifer Jason Leigh),

Teeth (2007), a high school student Dawn (Jess Weixler) discovers her vagina has teeth in it,

Teeth, 2007

Factory Girl (2006), a biopic about Edie Sedgwick (Sienna Miller), a socialite and one of Andy Warhol’s superstars,

Miss Potter (2006), a biopic about a children’s books author, Beatrix Potter (Renée Zellweger),

Volver (2006), a story about daughters, mothers, and death, starring Penelope Cruz, Carmen Maura, Lola Dueñas and Blanca Portillo,

Flightplan (2005), a story about a young daughter, Julia (Marlene Lawston), who disappears mid-flight, and a mother/widow, Kyle Pratt (Jodie Foster), who’s trying to convince the crew about her disappearance,

Imagine Me & You (2005), a love story about sexually questioning bride, Rachel (Piper Perabo), and her lesbian florist, Luce (Lena Headey),

A Good Woman (2004), a distinguished Mrs. Erlynne (Helen Hunt) reunites with her daughter, Lady Windemere (Scarlett Johansson) in 1930s Italy,

Being Julia (2004), a tale about stage star Julia Lambert (Annette Bening), set in 1930s London,

Kill Bill II (2004), Bride (Uma Thurman) continues her guest of vengeance,

Ladies in Lavender (2004), two elderly sisters, Ursula (Judi Dench) and Janet (Maggie Smith) befriend a mysterious foreigner, who washes up on the beach of their 1930 Cornish seaside village,

Ladies in Lavender, 2004

Vera Drake (2004), a story about Vera Drake (Imelda Staunton), a woman who performed illegal abortions in 1950s Britain,

Vera Drake, 2004

Kill Bill I (2003), Bride (Uma Thurman) is seeking revenge,

Mona Lisa Smile (2003), a free-thinking art professor, Katherine Ann Watson (Julia Roberts) teaches conservative 1950s Wellesley students (Kirsten Dunst, Julia Stiles, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Ginnifer Goodwin) to question their traditional social roles,

Mona Lisa Smile, 2003

View from the Top (2003), Donna (Gwyneth Paltrow), a small-town woman achieves her goal of becoming a top scale flight attendant,

8 Femmes (8 Women, 2002), eight women (Fanny Ardant, Emmanuelle Béart, Danielle Darrieux, Catherine Deneuve, Isabelle Huppert, Virginie Ledoyen, Firmine Richard and Ludivine Sagnier), one murdered man and whodunit,

8 Femmes, 2002

Fine mrtve djevojke (Fine Dead Girls, 2002), a tale about lesbophobia, violence and moral hypocrisy in Croatia, starring Olga Pakalović and Nina Violić,

Panic Room (2002), a divorced mother, Meg Altman (Jodie Foster), and her daughter, Sarah (Kristen Stewart), must fight off the intruders in their new house,

The Hours (2002), an intertwined story about three women, linked with the book “Mrs. Dalloway”: Virginia Woolf (Nicole Kidman), Laura Brown (Julianne Moore), and Clarissa Vaughan (Meryl Streep),

The Magdalene Sisters (2002), a story about “fallen” young Irish women (Anne-Marie Duff, Nora-Jane Noone, Dorothy Duffy, Eileen Walsh and Mary Murray) who are subjected to the dehumanizing abuse as inmates of a Magdalene Sisters Asylum,

The Magdalene Sisters, 2002

Amélie (2001), an everyday life of a socially awkward Amélie (Audrey Tautou),

Ghost World (2001), a tale about friendship between two high school outsiders, Enid (Thora Birch) and Rebecca (Scarlett Johansson),

Mulholland Drive (2001), a love story between amnesiac woman, Rita/Camilla Rhodes (Laura Harring,) and struggling actress, Betty/Diane Selwyn (Naomi Watts),

Malèna (2000), a male perspective about the most objectified woman, Malèna Scordia (Monica Bellucci) in an Italian village (and cinema),

Malèna, 2000

Saving Grace (2000), a small-town English widow, Grace (Brenda Blethyn) in financial troubles becomes a cannabis agriculturist,

Election (1999), a story about an ambitious, young go-getter, Tracy Flick (Reese Witherspoon),

Election, 1999

Jawbreaker (1999), a clique of popular girls (Rose McGowan, Rebecca Gayheart and Julie Benz) gets a new member, Fern/Vylette (Judy Greer), after the last one, Liz Purr (Charlotte Ayanna), is accidentally killed,

Todo Sobre mi Madre (All About My Mother, 1999), a story about mothers, pregnant nuns, lesbian actresses and trans women, starring Cecilia Roth, Marisa Paredes, Candela Peña, Penelope Cruz and Antonia San Juan,

Elizabeth (1998), a biopic about the early reign of Queen Elizabeth (Cate Blanchett),

Elizabeth, 1998

Gia (1998), a biopic about supermodel Gia Carangi (Angelina Jolie),

Sliding Doors (1998), a story about parallel lives if Helen (Gwyneth Paltrow) catches a train or not,

Career Girls (1997), two friends from college, Hannah (Katrin Cartlidge) and Annie (Lynda Steadman) rekindle their friendship as adults,

Contact (1997), a story about a space researcher, Dr. Ellie Arroway (Jodie Foster) and her struggle with funding and general disbelief about her experience with time travelling,

Jackie Brown (1997), a story about middle-aged, low-income black woman, Jackie Brown (Pam Grier) who profits from deceiving everyone involved,

Jackie Brown, 1997

Mrs. Brown (1997), an intimate story about widowed Queen Victoria (Judi Dench) and her relationship with servant Brown,

The Associate (1996), a black business woman, Laurel Ayers (Whoopi Goldberg) must disguise herself  into a white, older man to succeed solo in Wall Street,

Diabolique (1996), two schoolteachers, a dean’s wife, Mia Baran (Isabelle Adjani) and dean’s mistress, Nicole Horner (Sharon Stone) plan to murder the dean, also starring Kathy Bates,

Matilda (1996), a story about a smart young girl (Mara Wilson), trapped in a world of a less smart authority figures,

Scream 1-4 (1996, 1997, 2000, and 2011), a tetralogy about a woman Sidney (Neve Campbell) who survives all attempts of a serial killer,

Secrets & Lies (1996), an adopted black woman, Hortense (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) looks for her biological white mother, Cynthia (Brenda Blethyn),

Secrets & Lies, 1996

Set It Off (1996), four black women from the inner city, Stony Newsom (Jada Pinkett), Cleo Sims (Queen Latifah), Frankie Sutton (Vivica A. Fox), and T.T. Williams (Kimberly Elise) rob banks, when the mistrust kicks in,

Boys on the Side (1995), three women – each with their own story – on a road trip, starring Whoopi Goldberg, Mary-Louise Parker and Drew Barrymore,

Dolores Claiborne (1995), a tale of an emotional reconnection between mother, Dolores Claiborne (Kathy Bates) and her daughter, Selena (Jennifer Jason Leigh) after years of domestic abuse from Dolores’ husband/Selena’s father,

Dolores Claiborne, 1995

La Flor de mi Secreto (The Flower of My Secret, 1995), an emotional struggle of a successful pulp writer, Amanda Gris/Leo Macias (Marisa Paredes),

Showgirls (1995), a story about an ambitious dancer, Nomi (Elizabeth Berkley) who wants to be top Las Vegas showgirl,

Strange Days (1995), co-starring Angela Bassett and Juliette Lewis; directed by Kathryn Bigelow,

Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995), a life of an awkward teenager, Dawn Wiener (Heather Matarazzo) in New Jersey,

Welcome to the Dollhouse, 1995

Muriel’s Wedding (1994), a tale of friendship between Abba-obsessed Muriel Heslop (Toni Colette) and foul-mouthed, newly disabled Rhonda Epinstalk (Rachel Griffiths),

The Last Seduction (1994), an abused, by super smart Bridget Gregory (Linda Fiorentino) steals her husband’s drug money and hides in a small town where she meets the perfect dupe for her next scheme;

The Last Seduction, 1994

Trois Couleurs: Rouge (1994), a model, Valentine (Irène Jacob) discovers her neighbour is keen on invading people’s privacy,

Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1993), a look at about Sissy Hankshaw (Uma Thurman) and her enormous thumbs travelling across the country,

Hocus Pocus (1993), three witch sisters, Winifred (Bette Midler), Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Mary Sanderson (Kathy Najimy) are resurrected in modern era to cast spells,

Hocus Pocus, 1993

Kika (1993), adventures of a young cosmetologist, Kika (Verónica Forqué),

Poetic Justice (1993), a world through the eyes of a poetess Justice (Janet Jackson),

Poetic Justice, 1993

The Real McCoy (1993), a freed bank robber, Karen McCoy (Kim Basinger) is forced to do one more heist,

Trois Couleurs: Bleu (Three Colours: Blue, 1993), Julie Vignon-de Courcy’s (Juliette Binoche) struggle to live her life after the loss of her husband and child,

Death Becomes Her (1992), two frenemies, Madeline Ashton (Meryl Streep) and Helen Sharp (Goldie Hawn), are bound for eternity,

Single White Female (1992), Hedra Carlson (Jennifer Jason Leigh) becomes obsessed with her roommate, Allison Jones (Bridget Fonda),

Da Hong Deng Long Gao Gao Gua (Raise the Red Lantern, 1991), a story of a fourth wife, Songlian (Li Gong), set in the 1920s China,

Raise of the Red Lantern, 1991

La Double Vie de Véronique (The Double Life of Véronique, 1991), two women, Weronika and Véronique (Irène Jacob), living in different cities are connected,

La Double vie de Véronique, 1991

Little Man Tate (1991), co-starring and directed by Jodie Foster,

Point Break (1991), directed by Kathryn Bigelow, also starring Lori Petty,

Tacones Lejanos (High Heels, 1991), a story about neglecting mother, Becky del Paramo (Marisa Paredes) and her neglected daughter, Rebeca Giner (Victoria Abril),

Alice (1990), about a New York socialite, Alice (Mia Farrow), who changes her lifestyle,

La Femme Nikita (1990), a convicted felon, Nikita (Anne Parillaud) becomes a top assassin,

Shirley Valentine (1989), a bored middle-aged housewife, Shirley Valentine (Pauline Collins) goes to Greece to rediscover herself,

Shirley Valentine, 1989

Steel Magnolias (1989), a story about female friendship, set in Louisiana, starring Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis and Julia Roberts,

When Harry Met Sally (1989), co-starring Meg Ryan and Carrie Fisher; written by Nora Ephron,

Another Woman (1988), an intellectual, Marion (Gena Rowlands) gets intrigued by confessions of an unknown woman, Hope (Mia Farrow),

Heathers (1988), a snobbish clique of popular Heathers (Lisanne Falk, Kim Walker and Shannen Doherty) is being destroyed by Veronica (Winona Ryder),

Mujeres al Borde de un Ataque de Nervios (Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, 1988), centres around Pepa (Carmen Maura), being abandoned by her married boyfriend and her effort tracking him down,

The Accused (1988), a story about a raped woman, Sarah Tobias (Jodie Foster) and her prosecutor, Kathryn Murphy (Kelly McGillis) seeking justice in court,

Working Girl (1988), a story about women in business and social mobility, starring Melanie Griffith and Sigourney Weaver,

Black Widow (1987), a cat and mouse plot about an investigator, Alexandra (Debra Winger), and a man-killing opportunist, Catherine (Theresa Russell),

Black Widow, 1987

Moonstruck (1987), Loretta Castorini (Cher) is torn between two men,

The Witches of Eastwick (1987), three local witches, Sukie Ridgemont (Michelle Pfeiffer), Jane Spotford (Susan Sarandon) and Alex Medford (Cher) in a relationship with the same man,

Pretty in Pink (1986), a low-income yet creative Andie (Molly Ringwald) is torn between two men,

Agnes of God (1985), a story about psychiatrist, Dr. Martha Livingston (Jane Fonda) who’s investigating a case about a nun, Sister Agnes (Meg Tilly) with a dead child,

Sweet Dreams (1985), a biopic about Patsy Cline (Jessica Lange),

Flashdance (1983), about a working-class welder/exotic dancer Alex Owens (Jennifer Beals) who wants to be a ballet dancer,

Terms of Endearment (1983), about an intense relationship between daughter, Emma Horton (Debra Winger) and mother, Aurora Greenway (Shirley MacLaine),

Terms of Endearment, 1983

Frances (1982), a tragic biopic about Frances Farmer (Jessica Lange), an actress who was more than her looks,

Christiane F. – Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo (1981), a biopic about a drug scene in the 1970s  Berlin, seen through the eyes of Christiane F. (Natja Brunckhorst),

Foxes (1980), a coming-of-age story about four friends, Jeanie (Jodie Foster), Annie (Cherie Curie), Madge (Marilyn Kagan) and Deidre (Kandice Stroh) in Los Angeles,

Ubij Me Nežno (1979), a pulp writer (Duša Počkaj) imagines her new story,

Autumn Sonata (1978), a story about a love-craving daughter, Eva (Liv Ullmann) and a self-absorbed mother, Charlotte Andergast (Ingrid Bergman),

Carrie (1976), Carrie’s (Sissy Spacek) telekinetic powers get unleashed after being humiliated,

The Stepford Wives (1975), after moving to suburbia, all of Joanna Eberhart’s (Katharine Ross) female neighbours seem strange,

The Stepford Wives, 1975

Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974), a mother and a widow, Alice Hyatt (Ellen Burstyn) wants to start a new life,

Viskningar Och Rop (Cries and Whispers, 1972), a tale about sibling’s resentment, set in the early 20^th century Sweden, starring Harriet Andersson, Kari Sylwan, Ingrid Thulin and Liv Ullmann,

Vampyros Lesbos (1971), a campy tale about lesbian vampire, Countess Nadine Carody (Soledad Miranda) and her new lover, Linda Westinghouse (Ewa Strömberg),

Persona (1966), a story about two women, a nurse, Alma (Bibi Andersson) and her patient, the mute actress Elisabet Vogler (Liv Ullmann), submerging into each other,

Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1965), three go-go dancers, Varla (Tura Satana), Rosie (Haji) and Billie (Lori Williams) try to scheme others for money,

The Sound of Music (1965), an ex-nun, Maria (Julie Andrews) becomes a governess to seven children and eventually marries their father,

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), a story about two showgirls, Lorelei Lee (Marilyn Monroe) and Dorothy Shaw (Jane Russell) who seek love and fortune,

All about Eve (1950), a story about an aging movie star, Margo Channing (Bette Davis) and her fan/ personal assistant/replacement, Eve Harrington (Anne Baxter).

All about Eve, 1950

The postmodern, Western culture is an ocular-centric or even somatophobic one: we observe the world around us and therefore, necessarily (or deliberately) distant ourselves from others to get a more “objective” view of it. As much as we watch others, others watch us back. Some social groups are more conditioned to be watched (e.g. women, PoC, LGBT+, refugees, animals, disabled persons), while others have the privilege of an uninterrupted and entitled goggling (i.e. members of hegemonic masculinity with their male gaze). Sight creates distance or space between people, but touch nullifies that because it establishes a physical meeting (“meating”) between two subjects, or a person and an object; one can feel the texture of things or the warmth of the other person’s skin. The sensory impression replaces the “rational” one.

Eyesight has the top position on how we learn about the world around us; it is the “civilised” method unlike touch that is regarded as less credible or unruly sense. Touch is more egalitarian than sight since the one who is touching is also being touched back. The act itself triggers so called skin-ego, where skin as the protective surface marks our physical boundary with the outside. With touch we transgress boundaries of ourselves, of our bodies. Touching also implies intimate cosiness (e.g. children, mother-child, lovers, close friends, family) and therefore must be cultivated – whom, what, where, how and when it is appropriate to touch.

To Somersault’s lead, a 16-years-old Heidi (wonderfully portrayed by Abbie Cornish), touch represents her hidden modus operandi; she is a haptic person. By caressing things and people, she is establishing communication and connection with the world. When touching other people is being done by a young and beautiful girl, men easily frame and shame those acts as sexual. However, the ultimate manifestation of touch is the sexual act so Heidi engages a lot in casual sex. More sexist or patriarchal viewers would label her as “slut”, focusing on her “angelic looks” or “sexual magnetism”, but all this reduces her haptic sexual agency to being a sexual prop for male consumption which is not the case in Somersault. Those descriptions just signal an inept stereotyping of women’s sexuality and sensuality.

Director Cate Shortland generously reveals Heidi’s haptic character by largely focusing on her hands – what they do, whom they touch. Heidi’s desire to touch is a feminist tactic that subverts the male gaze, a man’s social entitlement in an ocular-oriented culture to look at Others without being looked back. Men may eye her as an object, but her reaction is to touch them. And objects don’t react so now they are transformed into equal subjects of touching. But there is another aspect of subverting the gender of a person who touches. Along with the privilege of male gaze, men also exhibit the behaviour called “mantouching” which allows men of certain age, social class and power to touch others without any consequences. In her own gentle way, Heidi is changing that paradigm not to subordinate others but perhaps to destigmatise touch as a secondary sense.

Taking pleasure in touching can also be a proof that Heidi might be ASMR; she is soft-spoken, her caressing of things and people gives her satisfaction, she enjoys being undressed by someone else or being non-sexually touched, and she revels in personal attention from sexually ambiguous Joe (Sam Worthington) when he slowly washes her face. Regardless of the current cultural snub about ASMR (“does it exist or not?”) if any sensual activity gives women major enjoyment…

Somersault also excels visually with the blurry, dreamlike cinematography by Robert Humphreys and subtle soundtrack by Decoder Ring. It is a mesmerizing piece of cinema that celebrates Other types of senses.

Party Girl (2014, d.: M. Amachoukeli, C. Burger and S. Theis) is a French woman-centric film, focused on Angélique Litzenburger, a sixty-year-old unmarried cabaret dancer, who has decided to get married; however, she does not follow through with her marital plan. The film plot may sound simple, but the story narrative deals with the ‘marriage mandate’ (i.e. a societal urge for a woman to be married at some point) and reveals an implicit societal sexism, ageism and classism.

‘Marriage mandate’ is something every western woman is seduced by with the help of ideological mechanisms (e.g. media, education system, religion, family, peers) that serve as self-disciplinary tools. Instead of someone directly commanding “You as a woman should get married”, an inside voice within a woman’s head (‘patriarchal other’) is gently whispering ‘Maybe I should be getting married because it is ____‘ (time, everyone else is, I don’t want to be alone …). And this is exactly what is happening to Angélique. She is is getting old(er), despite her single marital status she has four grown-up children, none of which prepared or able to take care of her in the future – emotionally, financially and physically, but the most important fact is that her job as an unregistered cabaret dancer did not enable her pension or retirement benefits. By not being entitled to any kind of pension, she could only collect a welfare support and live on the edge of poverty.

Her decision to marry a man at her age is a survival tactic, used by people of her economic underprivileged group. Although aging alone is a lonely experience, for a woman it is more of an economic risk, especially for low-income women, who also originate in a low socioeconomic class and could not climb upon the social ladder due to their socioeconomic and cultural limitations. This is where old age and inadequate financial power, gained through a person’s lifespan, meet and create an unfavourable living situation. For an uneducated woman, employment options are limited; she can only do jobs that require manual skills – and that also includes sex work.

Credits: Denis Carot & Marie Masmonteil

There is no sex-shaming in what Angélique and other women do on their account; it is a paid job and should be respected as any other one. However, this is not how her life is viewed through the eyes of a handful of young male clients, her children and soon-to-be-husband, who benevolently judges her nomadic lifestyle (“I live where I work”) and her thirst for fun. Her home is more with her women co-workers and the place where she works (public sphere) than a house where a woman of her age should spend her time (domestic sphere). Fun and self-indulgence (e.g. drinking, partying) of an older woman are not a picture society wants to paint. Women should abandon their need to have fun, to be irresponsible, reckless and spontaneous, because they must constantly think about their financial future (wage gap and limited options for work are almost every woman’s reality) and care about the social stigma for not being too sexual.

By marrying a man, she would gain more of the economic stability. But economic powerfulness of her fiancée is tricky – she immediately slips into the role of a housewife, which is a symbolic reminder of her economic dependency. A housewife in a traditional household has no status and no power, when it comes to economic decisions and even personal matters. Here is an example where a man’s economic power spills over into the personal control over a woman. There is a scene where her fiancée scolds her in front of his friends for smoking in the house. Surprisingly, his friends take her side arguing that it is now her house too, so she can do whatever she wants. Her fiancée does not share this view. “It is my house”, he stresses, “She just moved in.” It is clear that economic power overshadowed the romance. But (hetero) romance has always been about power – those who have more economic power, possess more power to command and control the other partner, even in such a trivial matter as someone’s behaviour. In this particular case, gender is amplified with economic privilege, so it constitutes rather traditional dynamics between a woman and a man, where Angélique should obey.

Another angle of their traditional coupling is fiancée’s overall possessiveness over her. Not only does he want to control her economically, he wants to eradicate any signs of her being a sexual being for anyone else but him. He gets upset when she is innocently flirting with a much younger man, although they never defined their relationship as monogamous. His suffocating sexual possessiveness results in her rejecting him sexually – she cannot have sex with him. The lack of emotional connectedness and his patriarchal views on marriage and women detach her from her sexual self and him. Angélique as a cabaret dancer is also stereotyped as a sexual worker – he expects ‘a wild animal’ in the sack, but she is not. She likes to perform seductiveness, not to live it. She enjoys the erotic overture, not the banal manifestation. She caters men’s fantasies, not their carnal fulfilment.

At the end, she does not go through with the marriage and walks away alone in the night. The equation between her being in a traditional marriage and her being a single nomad did not add up in her mind. She would have given up her joyfulness, emotional and mental independence, sexual vigor and … herself.

Credits: Denis Carot & Marie Masmonteil

Party Girl caters the premise of marriage as being emotionally, sexually and personally unbeneficial for a woman. When a woman must abandon parts of herself that do not fit into the simplistic and use-value model of a monogamous wife-sacrificial mother-dutiful housekeeper, then becoming a traditional wife can be compared to a social death of a woman, slowly withering away as a spiritual, sexual, emotional and economic being.