Female Filmmakers

[exte]

LOL

While I readily admit that Strange Days devolves into a plot-driven mess by the end, the point-of-view scenes were rivetting and a technical achievement. The murder POV is one of the most (deliberately) horrific scenes I have seen in any movie. However, perhaps you are right, not quite Criterion quality...(Although it is mentioned in the Sight & Sound article on films of the past 25 years. "Ridley Scott's 1982 Blade Runner (at number seven) stands alone here for the blockbuster cinema of spectacle that reshaped the world's media industries in the 1980s and 1990s. You'd have to go down to fiftieth place to find another example: Kathryn Bigelow's Strange Days.")


How about the new Canadian film, Elles étaient cinq by Ghyslaine Côté? I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Here's the link to that article: http://www.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/200 ... times.html

[mmiesner]

I was just wondering if anybody knows of the possibility of any other Catherine Breillat films possibly being dropped in with this. I just know that 'Dirty Like an Angel' is not on DVD... I would like to see more of her stuff, and the 'Fat Girl' disc is one of the most underrated gems of the collection in my opinion.

Other than that, I would LOVE to see some Maya Deren, I've suggested a set of her stuff similar to the 'by Brakhage' disc a couple of times but never heard anything about it. It would have been brilliant to release her shorts along with 'In the Mirror of Maya Deren' but I believe that got it's own release. Damn.

[anvilscepe]

Wonderful additions would be Nancy Savoca's "Household Saints" or Lucrecia Martel's "La Cienaga". Although already out on DVD with some great extras, it still would be nice to add it to the collection. Perhaps "La Nina Santa"?

The latter would also be the first Spanish language film in the collection.

[Matt]

Well, exactly as I thought, we have titles announced or released for 7 out of 12 months of 2005 and not a single woman director yet. The last film added to the CC to be directed by a woman was Breillat's Fat Girl in October 2004, which itself was the first female-directed film added to the CC since The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum (co-directed by Volker Schlöndorff and Margarethe von Trotta) in February of 2003.

Tsk.

[mmiesner]

i have to completely agree with matt that this is a tragic occurence. after watching 'in the mirror of maya deren' last night i am more in the mood for her stuff than ever, but i'd also love to see maybe some lina wertmuller or just plain SOMETHING by a woman in the collection.

[tavernier]

Koch Lorber has announced a six-disc Lina Wertmuller set (for release August 9) containing five films: Seven Beauties, Swept Away, Summer Night, Carolina, and The Nymph and Fernando. There will also be a disc of extras (interviews, etc.) along with an essay about Wertmuller by her biggest fan, John Simon.
I guess that means no Criterions of Wertmuller in the foreseeable future.

[Cinephrenic]

I think we'll certainly get Jane Champion's An Angel at My Table as a woman director and a Fine Line film this year.

[peerpee]

Let's hope Criterion spell it "Campion"!

[Cinephrenic]

So your saying I could easily get a job there.

[peerpee]

it's "you're" not "your"

[mmiesner]

burn.

thanks for mentioning it so i didn't have to.

[Jean-Luc Garbo]

John Simon likes Wertmuller? I'm surprised. Kudos to Koch for bringing out so much Wertmuller. I never would have thought she'd be too marketable in America!

[What A Disgrace]

Koch Lorber has announced a six-disc Lina Wertmuller set (for release August 9) containing five films: Seven Beauties, Swept Away, Summer Night, Carolina, and The Nymph and Fernando. There will also be a disc of extras (interviews, etc.) along with an essay about Wertmuller by her biggest fan, John Simon.
I guess that means no Criterions of Wertmuller in the foreseeable future.

I wouldn't count Wertmuller out of the collection just yet. Seduction of Mimi (which, I believe, is a New Line title?) and Love and Anarchy aren't being included in that box, and they're not exactly considered minor films.

[Ted Todorov]

Still, considering Koch-Lorber's penchant for less than optimal PAL to NTSC converted transfers, I am bitterly disappointed that Criterion didn't get the rights to Swept Away. They were obviously up for grabs (last DVD was from Wellspring), so Criterion could have bought them. Same with The Umbrellas of Cherbourg.

I have a very hard time believing that Koch-Lorber has deeper pockets than Criterion -- so why is Criterion letting go such obviously Criterion-worthy titles indeed both were Criterion LDs!!??

Ted

[Michael Kerpan]

My favorite Hong Kong film maker. ;~}

I don't think any of her films have been released on DVD here. Her "July Rhapsody" (which has Anita Mui's last performance) is a masterpiece. Her semi-autobiographical "song of Exile" (starring a young Maggie Cheung) is out of print even in Hong Kong -- but is reputedly another masterpiece.

A two disc set of her distinctively humanistic two-part historical "epic" ("Romance of Book and Sword" and "Princess Fragrance" -- currently only available on VCD) might not be amiss either.

[leo goldsmith]

Song of the Exile is excellent and badly needs a release made with some care. As does Boat People.

[denti alligator]

So, um, this never really panned out, did it? I mean, what did we get? One Breillat and one Campion? That's it.

[ianungstad]

Don't forget Koppel and Harlan County USA

[Gregory]

The statement was that "a few more women" would be "inserted" into the collection" in 2005. Fat Girl was 2004 and Harlan County USA is coming in May 2006 presumably. So Campion was the only woman director with a release from Criterion that year.

[Brian Oblivious]

The quote never specified women directors. We got Jane Fonda, Linda Darnell, Oja Kodar, Chantal Goya, Cate Blanchett, Katrin Cartlidge, Candy Clark, Maria Schell, and (in a double dose) Gene Tierney all introduced into the collection last year. Isn't that enough for ya?

[Cinesimilitude]

But she does say filmmakers in the line above that quote, and right before it she says Mizoguchi. I think the argument here is that we want to see more films from a female perspective, and in most cases, actresses don't have enough creative input to portray that, It still comes down to what the man thinks, the male director.

[ben d banana]

That needed an emoticon? Really?

[Mise En Scene]

I saw "Two Friends" (Campion) last night and thought it was wonderful. The last 13 or so minutes gained so much power from the rhythm, structure, and acting from the rest of the film.

I haven't listened to the commentary on the R1 "In the Cut" (I don't know if "Holy Smoke" has a commentary) so I'm not aware of the conditions that has resulted in a drop off in quality, in my eyes, in Campion's work (was she a gun-for-hire?).

[zedz]

I saw "Two Friends" (Campion) last night and thought it was wonderful. The last 13 or so minutes gained so much power from the rhythm, structure, and acting from the rest of the film.

I haven't listened to the commentary on the R1 "In the Cut" (I don't know if "Holy Smoke" has a commentary) so I'm not aware of the conditions that has resulted in a drop off in quality, in my eyes, in Campion's work (was she a gun-for-hire?).

Agreed and agreed. Two Friends is a terrific, inventive little film, and one of the most successful to use this particular gimmick. In the 90s she really seemed to lose most of what made her an individual filmmaker in those early shorts and first few features. Holy Smoke? Holy shit!

[Mise En Scene]

She's done only two shorts since "In the Cut." Here's to hoping she finds her muse (or rather, her muse seeks her out and talks some sense into her).

And, I see that the girl who played Louise in "Two Friends" hasn't acted in anything else. I thought she was terrific.