IT’S no secret that female directors are grossly underrepresented in Hollywood. For years, both movie stars and industry activists in the United States have been speaking out about the need to hire more female directors, but the film industry still has a long way to go: A recent study from San Diego State University’s Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film found that in 2016, only 7 percent of the year’s top films were directed by women. Even more depressingly, that number is actually down from 2015, when female directors made up 9 percent of the year’s total. So to celebrate International Women’s Day, Entertainment Weekly rounded up a few of their favorite films by female directors — all of which are available to stream. From horror flicks and rom-coms to documentaries and dramas, these movies are proof of the immense contributions female directors have made to film. Here below are some of the films on the recommended list. ‘American Honey’ by Andrea Arnold Arnold’s dreamy coming-of-age story follows a young girl named Star (Sasha Lane) as she travels around the country with a ragtag crew, selling magazines. It debuted at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, taking home the coveted Jury Prize. Where to stream: iTunes, Amazon, Google Play ‘The Babadook’ by Jennifer Kent This chilling horror flick tells the story of a single mother and her son, who are menaced by a malevolent presence. Where to stream: Netflix, iTunes, Amazon, Google Play ‘The Fits’ by Anna Rose Holmer This gorgeous and tense coming-of-age tale follows Toni (Royalty Hightower), an 11-year-old Cincinnati girl who trades boxing for dancing — only to watch as her new dance teammates mysteriously succumb to seizures and fainting spells. Where to stream: Amazon Prime, Google Play ‘Bend It Like Beckham’ by Gurinder Chadha Parminder Nagra stars in this 2002 classic comedy as a young British-Punjabi woman torn between her strict family and her love of football. It’s also the movie that launched Keira Knightley’s career. Where to stream: iTunes, Google Play, Amazon The Edge of Seventeen’ by Kelly Fremon Craig Fremon Craig made her directorial debut last year with this sharp high school comedy, starring Hailee Steinfeld as an acerbic teenager whose life is crumbling around her. Where to stream: iTunes, Amazon, Google Play ‘Belle’ by Amma Asante Gugu Mbatha-Raw stars in this lavish period drama as the illegitimate mixed-race daughter of an English nobleman. Where to stream: iTunes, Google Play, Amazon ‘The Gleaners and I’ by Agnès Varda One of the most celebrated documentaries of the last 20 years, Varda’s masterful film spotlights the “gleaners” of France, who scavenge for leftover food. Where to stream: Amazon Prime, Sundance Now, FilmStruck, Fandor ‘The Hurt Locker’ by Kathryn Bigelow With The Hurt Locker, Bigelow weaves a powerful tale of an American bomb disposal unit during the Iraq war; the film earned Bigelow an Oscar, making her the first female director to ever win the Academy Award for Best Director. Where to stream: Showtime, Google Play, iTunes, Amazon ‘The Iron Lady’ by Phyllida Lloyd Meryl Streep earned her third Oscar for this powerful portrayal of former U.K. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Where to stream: Vudu, Google Play, Amazon (SD-Agencies) |