Girl Week 2019: Wonderful Women of the Decade


Dell over at Dell on Movies is celebrating another Girl Week! It's where we highlight the wonderful woman in films. This time around, I figured I would look at the past decade and highlight the women that are behind the camera in various capacities instead of in front. Here are some women I feel made a huge difference these past 10 Years. I'll be listing the credentials of their work that I have seen, or plan to if it's a 2019 release.


Dee Rees - Director: Pariah (2011) Bessie (2015) Mudbound (2017)
I think Dee Rees is one of the most interesting directors out there right now. She came out strong with a lovely film representing the LGBTQ+ community, then brought her talents to TV, then only a few years ago gave us the wonderful Mudbound. Carey Mulligan mentioned once that if Dee Rees were a man, she'd be directing Star Wars. Here's hoping studios toss as much money at her as possible because she deserves every penny of it. 


Mindy Kaling - Writer: The Mindy Project (2012-2017) Late Night (2019) and published author.
I adore Mindy Kaling. I think she's so sweet and funny. I read both of her books and I always keep an eye out for her new projects. I haven't seen her current project, Four Weddings and Funeral on Hulu, but when I re-sign up for that service, I'll definitely check it out. She's always reliably funny. 


Greta Gerwig - Writer/Director: Frances Ha (2012) Mistress America (2015) Lady Bird (2017) Little Women (2019)
Gerwig has been an indie darling over the past few years but she's rightfully earned it. Lady Bird especially proved that not only is she a solid writer, but an excellent director to. I'm looking forward to see what she does with Little Women next month.


Rachel Morrison - Cinematographer: Sound of my Voice (2011) Fruitvale Station (2013) Cake (2014) Dope (2015) Mudbound (2017) Black Panther (2018) Seberg (2019)
Morrison was someone I'm embarrassed to admit I didn't know of until Mudbound came out. She earned her first Oscar nomination for Cinematography and became the first woman to do so. That's amazing, and I realized just how much of her work I had seen and enjoyed. If anything, she made me more mindful of looking at all the credits for those behind the scenes.


Lynne Ramsay - Director: We Need To Talk About Kevin (2011) You Were Never Really Here (2017)
Lynne Ramsay is directing films that get her thiiiiis close to the Oscars but they have yet to nominate her. She was robbed of an Oscar nom for Kevin and she directed Joaquin Phoenix in a way Todd Phillips could never dream of. I always pay attention to what she has coming up.


Haifaa Al-Mansour - Director: Wadjda (2012)
I haven't seen nearly enough of her work but I loved Wadjda and reading what she had to go through to make that movie in her native Saudi Arabia - including sometimes having to give said directions over walkie talkie is unbelievable. She's directing an episode of a mini series - The Good Lord Bird coming out next year that I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for.


Ava DuVernay - Director: Middle of Nowhere (2012) Selma (2014) 13th (2016) A Wrinkle in Time (2019) When They See Us (2019)
13th is one of the best docs of the decade. I also loved Middle of Nowhere when I was FINALLY able to see it after years of waiting for it after the festival circuit. DuVernay's voice is always one I want to listen to.


Mica Levi - Composer: Under The Skin (2013) Jackie (2016) Marjorie Prime (2017)
There are several spots where films are sorely missing women but composers is certainly at the top. Levi composed one of the best scores of the decade in Jackie and her music also elevated the other two films of hers I've seen


Jenji Kohan - Showrunner/Producer: Orange is the New Black (2013-2019)
Jenji has produced plenty of other things aside from OITNB, but that is the show I specifically want to talk about. She created a show with the most diverse cast of women on television and I'm so happy she did.



There are so many more to list. Who are your favorites?

Comments

  1. Replies
    1. 🤲🤲🤲🤲🤲🤲🤲🤲

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  2. Excellent post! I’m glad to see Rachel Morrison here because cinematographers don’t always get the praises they deserve and her work is fantastic.

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    Replies
    1. No they don't, and yes hers is. I hate that I didn't know her name before a few years ago.

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  3. Love this post. Thanks for highlighting some women whose work we admire but don't necessarily know their names. Great work!

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  4. Preach girlfriend. This was a damn good decade for women. Lynne Ramsay's We Need to Talk about Kevin is a great film as kudos to mentioning Rachel Morrison as I like her work as a cinematographer. Mica Levi is an amazing composer.

    I want to give shout out to Sofia Coppola for Somewhere and The Beguiled as well as Ruth Carter for her work as a costume designer as those costumes in Black Panther raised the bar for what clothes could be in superhero films.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ugh Ruth Carter, I should've included her in here! Damn it. lol

      I almost penned Coppola in here.

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  5. Yaaas! Love this list. Mindy Kaling in particular has risen so quickly from playing an almost too annoying character on The Office to someone I adore!

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  6. Am I one of the Wonderful Women of the Decade?

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  7. Amazing post! "Carey Mulligan mentioned once that if Dee Rees were a man, she'd be directing Star Wars." That hurts because it's so true. I'm totally in love with Mindy. lol And I'll never forget Mica's score to Jackie - it was truly haunting and moving.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It really is. Dee Rees deserves to direct whatever the hell she wants to.

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  8. Good for you to showcase some strong women who create films.

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  9. Frances Ha and We Need To Talk About Kevin are probably my favorites of those films. I still find myself thinking about the characters!

    I would add Céline Sciamma who wrote and directed Girlhood (2014) and upcoming Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019).
    Kelly Reichardt has been busy in the 2010s. Certain Women (2016) is her best for me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. One of my good friends swore up and down I would hate Frances Ha because it reminded him of a Woody Allen film and he knows I hate those, and I ended up liking it. I was so shocked.

      I haven't seen Celine's work, I've had Girlhood in my Netflix queue for ages, but I definitely plan on seeing Portrait of a Lady on Fire.

      I've seen a lot of Kelly's work and I just don't care for it. I've tried. lol. I'll continue trying, but I haven't loved anything she's done yet.

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  10. Love this! I’m such an admirer of so many of the women listed her. Love the shout outs for Morrison and Levi, and Lynne Ramsay… I just want her to make more and more films. I love her vision so much.

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    Replies
    1. I do too, she's just wonderful and she was robbed of a Best Director Oscar for We Need To Talk About Kevin.

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