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Herstory in Flim: Home

From films directed by women to films that definitely pass the Bechdel Test, check out these on-screen adventures!

So Many Films!

The films on display celebrate women directors - and also films that pass the Bechdel Test! Curious about the test? Check it out at the Bechdel Test Movie List, or take a look at selected scholarly articles that reference it.

And don't forget to check out some books while you're here!

Looking for more information? Check out our Herstory page!

Directed by Women

Brave: Princess Merida, determined to chart her own course, must rely on her wits and her archery skills to undo a curse in this animated film directed by Brenda Chapman, Mark Andrews, and Steve Purcell.

Chisholm '72: Unbought & Unbossed: Delve into Shirley Chisholm's life and activism in this documentary directed by Shola Lynch.

Daughters of the Dust: A large African-American family prepares to leave Georgia's Sea Islands and move north in this award-winning, trailblazing film directed by Julie Dash.

FridaJulie Taymor directs this biopic of the one and only Frida Kahlo.

The Iron Lady: Phyllida Lloyd directs this biopic of Margaret Thatcher, the Iron Lady and the United Kingdom's first female Prime Minister. 

Julie & Julia: Nora Ephron directs this tale of struggling food writer Julie and great chef Julia Childs, as Julie works her way through Julia's cookbook, coming to know her in the process.

A League of Their Own: Penny Marshall directs this fictionalized tale of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League!

Miss Representation: Explore representations of women in media in this documentary directed by Jennifer Siebel Newsom and Kimblerlee Acquaro.

Orlando: Sally Potter directs this interpretation of Virginia Woolf's Orlando: A Biography, about an English nobleman (played by Tilda Swinton) who defies the laws of nature.

Persepolis: Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud direct this tale of the young daughter of Marxist intellectuals coming of age in Revolutionary Iran. It is based on Satrapi's award-winning graphic novel of the same name!

The Piano: Jane Campion directs this tale of a mute pianist whose love can be won only through her piano.

Selma: This film, which tells the story of the campaign for voting rights that culminated in the Selma to Montgomery March, was directed by Ava DuVernay.

Suffragette: Young mother Maude is galvanized to action for women's suffrage by the militant suffragette Emmaline Pankhurst in this film directed by Sarah Gavron and based on British suffrage workers.

Whale Rider: Despite opposition, Pai trains to lead her people in this film directed by Niki Caro. The film score was also composed by a woman!

Zero Dark Thirty: Kathryn Bigelow directs this award-winning tale of the hunt for Osama Bin Laden. 

Passing the Bechdel Test

9 to 5: Three secretaries bond over shared resentment of their sexist employer.

All About Eve: Eve is bound for Broadway glory, and no one will stop her - not the women she'll need to get there, and not the critic who sees through her.

Big EyesWalter Keane's famous for his big-eyed paintings - but he's not the artist. It's his wife, Margaret - and somehow, she's going to get credit for her work.

The Color Purple: This film, based on Alice Walker's award-winning novel of the same title, tells the story of two sisters and their disparate lives after they are forcefully separated.

Doubt: Sister Aloysius takes on the world in this film based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning play.

Erin Brockovich: Single mother Erin Brockovich takes on the corporations in this film based on a true story.

Funny Girl: This musical based on the life of Ziegfield Girl and comedian Fanny Brice stars Barbara Streisand. 

The Heat: Two radically different law enforcement officers - a Boston cop and an FBI agent - are forced to team up to bring down a drug lord in this film starring Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy.

Hidden Figures: Three African-American women use their mathematical genius to help propel the United States to the moon in this adaption of Margot Lee Shetterly's book of the same title.

Jackie: Jackie Kennedy must struggle through grief and trauma in the public eye following the assassination of her husband, President John F. Kennedy.

The Joy Luck Club: Mothers and daughters gather and change and play mahjongg in this film based on Amy Tan's novel of the same title.

Legally Blonde: Fashion-forward Elle takes on law school after her boyfriend dumps her.

Mad Max: Fury Road: In a desolate world where water is scarce (and rationed), Imperator Furiosa and a group of captive women rise up against tyranny, with Max along for the ride.

Mildred Pierce: Mildred will do anything for her daughter - even murder. You may also like the 2012 remake.

Norma Rae: Norma Rae takes on the world as she works to unionize the mill where she works.

Selena: Follow the meteoric rise of Chicana sensation Selena Quintanilla in this biopic starring Jennifer López.

Thelma & Louise: What starts out as an adventure turns into a run from the police as two longtime friends tour the country.

Todo Sobre Mi Madre: Manuela must remake her life when her son is killed in an accident in this film directed by Pedro Almódovar.

Volver: Raimunda copes with secrets, lies, and ghosts while trying to protect her daughter in this award-winning Almódovar film.

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