Women's Studies Films in the MRC

Films are sorted by topic,
click on a topic from the table below to see a list of films
to return to this film list while browsing, click on the topic title
African American/African Studies	Labor
Age	Latin American Studies/Spanish Language Films
Artists/Writers/Performers	Lesbian and Gay Issues
Asian	Media Images/ Stereotypes/Identity
Education	Middle East Studies
Family/Marriage	Religion
Feature Films	Sexuality, Gender, and Reproduction
Jewish Studies	Violence

African American/African Studies

Alice Walker Dir. Matteo Bellinelli, 1992. Dist. by California Newsreel, 30 min., black and white.	Alice Walker discusses her life, contemporary America, the "womanist" perspective, and reads from her poetry.
The American Experience: Ida B. Wells--A Passion for Justice 1989. Dist. by WGBH Educational Foundation, 60 min.	A documentary on the African-American woman journalist who was a prominent fighter against racism and sexism and founded the first anti-lynching society in the world. Toni Morrison reads from Wells's works in this film, which includes interviews and photographs.
Covered Dir. Cheick Oumar Sissoko, 1990. Dist. by Tania Kamal-Eldin, 25 min. In English with parts in Arabic with English subtitles	This documentary examines the reasons behind the increased veiling occurring in Egypt. Intimate interviews set against a backdrop of compelling footage reveal the complex motives of Egyptian women choosing to wear veils.
Daughters of the Dust Dir. Julie Dash, 1992. Dist. by Kino International, 113 min.	Story of a large African-American family as they prepare to move North from the Sea Islands off the coast of Georgia at the dawn of the 20th century.
A Door On the Sky Dir. Faridah bin al-Yazid, 1989. Dist. by Arab Film Distribution, 107 minutes. In Arabic and French, subtitles in English.	A young woman struggles between her Morroccan heritage and adopted French culture. Social commentary on issues relating to the NorthAfrican-French culture clash.
Ethnic Notions Dir. Marlon Riggs, 1986. Dist. by California Newsreel, 58 min.	Covering more than one hundred years of United States history, traces the evolution of Black American caricatures and their role in political and social conflicts concerning race.
Eve's Bayou Dir. Kasi Lemmons, 1997. Dist. by Trimark Home Video, 108 min.	Roz Batiste is a beautiful and dedicated mother of three, who is forced to admit that her family is falling apart due to her philandering husband Louis. Her younger daughter, Eve, witnesses one of her father's infidelities. Unable to find the understanding she is looking for Eve decides to take matters into her own hands.
Fighting For Our Lives 1990. Dist. by Center for Women Policy Studies, 29 min.	Portrays the strengths and strategies of women of color who are leaders in confronting HIV disease. Presents images of self-empowerment by describing six women-led programs in various parts of the U.S.
Finzan (A Dance for the Heroes) Dir. Cheick Oumar Sissoko, 1990. Dist. by California Newsreel, 114 minutes. In Bambara with English subtitles	This feature film depicts two Malian women who struggle to control their lives in a patriarchal traditional society. Sissoko uses stock characters in Malian folk tradition to satirize men in the story.
Freedom Bags Dir. Stanley Nelson, 1990. Dist. by Filmmakers Library, 32 min.	This documentary explores the lives of African-American women who migrated North from the rural South during the first three decades of the twentieth century. With little education and scarce jobs, most became domestic workers. Interviews with former domestic workers, photographs, and footage discuss their encounters with racism, sexual harassment, separation from loved ones, and forming relationships with other workers.
In Search of the American Dream: Inspirations Dir. Robert E. Frye, 1990. Dist. by Films for the Humanities & Sciences, 52 min.	In this documentary Haskell Ward interviews African-American leaders of low-income neighborhoods in Philadelphia. They discuss and look for solutions to the issues of urban violence, crime, child care, teenage pregnancy, economic inequities, and community development.
Living Images: A Woman's Work 1993. Dist. by Telecine, 30 min.	This film follows the progress of several UNICEF cooperatives in upper Egypt, funded by loans that women themselves back. The women create self-sufficient work projects by training each other in various crafts.
The Long Walk Home Dir. Richard Pearce, 1993. Dist. by Miramax, 98 min.	This feature film stars Whoopi Goldberg as a domestic worker who takes part in the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott, although she must walk nine miles every day to the home of her employer, played by Sissy Spacek. The film explores the subjects of race, labor, and the relationships between women, men, and children.
Mandela
Masai Women Dir. Chris Curling, 1975. Dist. by Films Inc., 52 min. 8 sec. In English and Masai with English subtitles.	The work of anthropologist Melissa Llewelyn-Davies explores the world of Masai women: circumcision, marriage, companionship with co-wives, and heavy labor in a society in which women cannot hold property.
Toni Morrison: A Conversation With Toni Morrison Dir. Matteo Bellinelli, 1992. Dist. by California Newsreel, 25 min.	Morrison reads from her two novels, Beloved [and] Jazz and discusses her views of the contributions made to American literature by the experiences of African Americans.
My Heart is My Witness Dir. Louise CarreIn, 1996. Dist. by Women Make Movies, 56 min. French with English subtitles.	Dramatization of correspondence and interviews with women from Africa and the Middle East about the condition of women in their countries.
Gloria Naylor : A Conversation With Gloria Naylor Dir. Matteo Bellinelli, 1992. California Newsreel, 21 min. In black and white.	Gloria Naylor reads from her works and discusses the value and difficulty of maintaining an African American identity in a world dominated by whites.
On My Own: The Traditions of Daisy Turner Dir. Jane C. Beck and Wes Graff, 1986. Dist by Filmakers Library, 28 min.	Folklorist Jane C. Beck uses interviews and photographs to explore the life of Daisy Turner, a 102-year-old African-American woman and the daughter of an ex-slave who moved his family to Vermont. Turner tells stories and sings songs about her heritage.
A Question of Color Dir. Kathe Sandler, 1992. Dist. by Califronia Newsreel, 58 min.	This documentary explores the issue of color consciousness within the African-American community. Images of beauty often embody Euro-American ideals and have negative effects on the self-image and lives of African Americans. This film particularly emphasizes these effects on African-American women.
Rites Dir. Penny Dedman, 1991. Dist. by Filmmakers Library, 52 min.	Documentary discusses female genital mutilation in Africa and interviews African women attempting to stop this practice. Although the film attempts to show both sides of this issue, it includes some questionably propagandistic animation sequences and acting.
Two Dollars and a Dream Dir. Stanley Nelson, 1988. Dist by Filmakers Library, 56 min.	This documentary explores the life of Madame C.J. Walker, America's first self-made woman millionaire, who made a fortune in skin and hair products for African Americans in the early 1900s. The film includes photographs, footage from the period, and interviews with former employees of Walker.
Under the African Sun: Program 5--Women Artists Dir. Gerhard Meyer, 1995. Dist by The Right Picture Corportation, 30 min.	This documentary profiles and interviews black South African women artists working in sculpture and the visual arts. Much of the time is spent looking at the art.
Wild Women Don't Have the Blues Dir. Christine Dall, 1989. Dist. by California Newsreel, 58 min.	This documentary follows the development and historical background of blues music through the lives of women blues singers. Interviews, photographs, and footage document the lives of such singers as Ma Rainey, Ethel WAters, Bessie Smith, Alberta Hunter, and Ida Cox.
Women of South Africa
Yoruba Performance Videotape by Henry John Drewal, 1990. Dist. by Instructional Media Services, 30 min.	Drewal videotapes several dances and other public ceremonial performances by Yoruba-speaking people. Many of these performers are women, community elders and child initiates. Drewal provides limited narration.

Age

The Films of Jane Campion Dir. Jane Campion, 199?. Dist. by Women Make Movies, 49 min.	Peel concerns a family outing in Australia which results in an intrigue of awesome belligerence. Passionless Moments is a series of ten short, whimsical films portraying the inner world of ordinary people. A Girl's Own Story concerns girlhood, Beatlemania, and growing up in the sixties.
Girls Town Dir. Jim McKay, 1996. Dist. by Evergreen Entertainment, 90 min.	High-school friends who have shared the many challenges of growing up are faced with a tragedy a few weeks before graduation.
Mothers and Daughters in Midlife: The Era of Good Feeling
Number Our Days Dir. Lynne Littman, 1977. Dist. by Direct Cinema Limited, 29 min.	In this documentary based upon Barbara Myerhoff's fieldwork, Myerhoff and Littman turn ethnography back upon the ethnographer. Myerhoff researches the lives of elderly East European Jews living in a California ghetto. She explores their interactions with each other, with the outside community, and with their own selves.
Silent Pioneers: Gay and Lesbian Elders Dir. Lucy Winer, 1984. Dist. by Filmakers Library, 42 min.	This documentary uses interviews to explore the lives of several elderly lesbians and gay men. They discuss such issues as coming out, family, community, relationships, and the effects of age on their lives.
Tell Me a Riddle Dir. Lee Grant, 1980, based on novella by Tille Olsen. Dist. by Media Home Entertainment, 94 min.	In this feature film, the culmination of a woman's lifelong assertion of independence and individuality occurs simultaneously with the diagnosis of cancer. Flashbacks explore the development of her identity and relationships with husband and children.

Artists/Writers/Performers

Isabel Allende: The Woman's Voice in Latin-American Literature Dir. Steve Kotton, 1994. Dist. by Films for the Humanities & Sciences, 56 min.	In this documentary, Chilean novelist Allende discusses the personal and political events that led to the beginning of and continue to inform her writing.
The American Experience: Ida B. Wells--A Passion for Justice 1989. Dist. by WGBH Educational Foundation, 60 min.	A documentary on the African-American woman journalist who was a prominent fighter against racism and sexism and founded the first anti-lynching society in the world. Toni Morrison reads from Wells's works in this film, which includes interviews and photographs.
Anais Nin Women's Collective lecture, January 28, 1973. 120 min.	A videotaped lecture and question-and-answer session in which Nin discusses the creation of identities for women: "Second birth is the creation of ourselves." She discusses an emotional and psychic journey "to equalize the life outside."
Ay, Carmela! Dir. Carlos Saura, based on play by J. Sanchis Sinisterra, 1991. Dist. by Prestige, 105 min. Spanish and Italian with English subtitles.	In this feature film that takes place in 1938 Civil War Spain, two Republican performers are taken prisoner by the Fascist army. Carmela makes the choice between saving their lives with a pro-Fascist show and preserving her patriotism.
Cría! (The Secret of Anna) Dir. Carlos Saura, 1976. Dist. by Video del Sol, 1 hour 10 sec. Spanish with English subtitles.	In this feature film, a young girl's secret about the death of her father reveals a complex array of emotions about her family, her mother's death, and her own stifled impulses.
Dance, Girl, Dance Dir. Dorothy Arzner, 1940. Dist. by Turner Home Entertainment, 89 min.	This explores the lives of two showgirls, as they are affected by money, sexuality, relationships with other women and men, and artistic ideals.
Danzón Dir. Maria Rojo, 1991. Dist. by Columbia Tristar Homevideo, 103 min. Spanish with English subtitles.	In this feature film, a woman travels to Veracruz in search of her missing dance partner. Along the way, she begins to redefine her relationships with other people and herself.
Daughters of the Anasazi Dir. John Anthony, 1990. Dist. by Interpark, 28 min.	This documentary shows the Anasazi art of Acoma pottery, as fully demonstrated by Lucy Lewis and her daughters Emma and Delores, descendants of the Anasazi in New Mexico. The film documents their relationships with the pottery's history and meaning.
Dirty Dancing Dir. Emile Ardolino, 1988. Dist. by Vestron Video, 105 min.	In this coming-of-age feature film, a young woman vacationing in the Catskills in the '50s learns not only about herself and her own family, but also about the people who live and work at the summer resort.
The Displaced Person Dir. Glenn Jordan, 1977. Dist. by Perspective Films, 58 min.	An adaptation of the short story of the same title by Flannery O'Connor. Portrays the difficulties of integration experienced by a Polish refugee who arrives with his family at a Georgia farm in the 1940's.
The Films of Jane Campion Dir. Jane Campion, 199?. Dist. by Women Make Movies, 49 min.	Peel concerns a family outing in Australia which results in an intrigue of awesome belligerence. Passionless Moments is a series of ten short, whimsical films portraying the inner world of ordinary people. A Girl's Own Story concerns girlhood, Beatlemania, and growing up in the sixties.
Frida Dir. Paul Leduc, 1985. Dist. by Connoisseur Video Collection, 108 min. Spanish with English subtitles.	This feature film, full of visual images and mostly unspoken, depicts the art, politics, and relationships of Frida Kahlo, Mexican painter.
Georgia O'Keefe 1977. Dist. by Home Vision, 60 min.	Explores the life and work of Georgia O'Keeffe.
Hidden Faces Dir. Lin Longinotto and Claire Hunt, 1990. Dist. by Women Make Movies, 52 min.	Southern Egyptian expatriate Safaa Fathay interviews and uses the writings of Nawal El Saadawi in order to discuss the issues of family, work, sexuality, and religion in the lives of Egyptian women.
Improper Conduct (Mauvaise Conduite) Dir. Nestor Almendros, Orlando Jiminez Leal, 1984. Dist. by Cinevista Video, 110 min. French/Spanish with English subtitles.	This documentary is a compilation of interviews with Cuban intellectuals and homosexuals persecuted under the Castro regime.
The Jilting of Granny Weatherall Dir. Randa Haines, 1980. Dist. by Coronet Films & Video, 57 min.	Based on the story of the same title by Katherine Anne Porter, about a matriarch who on her deathbed struggles to resolve tormenting memories of her past.
Like Water for Chocolate Dir. Alfonso Arau, based on the novel by Laura Esquivel, 1994. Dist. by Madera CineVideo, 105 min. Spanish with English subtitles.	In this feature film, a woman uses cooking to express her forbidden feelings about her lover, family, sexuality, and self.
Maria: Indian Pottery Maker of San Ildefonso Dir. Rick Krepela, 198?. Dist. by Interpark, 27 min.	Maria Martinez demonstrates how to make a type of Native American pottery. Daughters of the Anasazi is a much better film, because it relates culture to people. This film speaks of general "Indian" art without specifying what people.
Measures of Distance Dir. Mona Hatoum, 1988. Dist. by Women Makes Movies, 15 min.	Hatoum integrates taped conversations and photos, scholarly research and personal life into this short film that explores the thoughts of a Palestinian woman: her mother, whose letter Hatoum reads.
Nicholasa Mohr Nov. 21, 1991, lecture at Drew. 120 min.	Mohr, a fiction writer, delivers a lecture entitled "Personal Odyssey Into Fiction," about her formative experiences as a Puerto Rican woman writer.
On My Own: The Traditions of Daisy Turner Dir. Jane C. Beck and Wes Graff, 1986. Dist by Filmakers Library, 28 min.	Folklorist Jane C. Beck uses interviews and photographs to explore the life of Daisy Turner, a 102-year-old African-American woman and the daughter of an ex-slave who moved his family to Vermont. Turner tells stories and sings songs about her heritage.
Portrait of an Onnagata Dir. Tineke Hulsbergen, 1994. Dist. by Films for the Humanities and Sciences, 30 min.	This documentary explores a brief history of Kabuki theatre, a Japanese art form founded by a woman but now performed exclusively by men. The film profiles the life of an Onnagata, a male actor who portrays female characters. Art and gender become intertwined.
Songs of Sappho Dir. Peter Steadman, 1988. Dist. by The New York Greek Drama Company, 25 min. In Ancient Greek with English subtitles.	Andrea Goodman stars as Sappho in a production of Sappho's poems set to music.
Sweetie Dir. Jane Campion, 1990. Dist. by International Video Entertainment Inc., 97 min.	This film explores the relationships between sisters, parents and children, and lovers. Fault lines erupt when members of a family attempt to assert themselves, sometimes at the cost of other members' happiness.
Tell Me a Riddle Dir. Lee Grant, 1980, based on novella by Tille Olsen. Dist. by Media Home Entertainment, 94 min.	In this feature film, the culmination of a woman's lifelong assertion of independence and individuality occurs simultaneously with the diagnosis of cancer. Flashbacks explore the development of her identity and relationships with husband and children.
Under the African Sun: Program 5--Women Artists Dir. Gerhard Meyer, 1995. Dist by The Right Picture Corporation, 30 min.	This documentary profiles and interviews black South African women artists working in sculpture and the visual arts. Much of the time is spent looking at the art.
Wild Women Don't Have the Blues Dir. Christine Dall, 1989. Dist. by California Newsreel, 58 min.	This documentary follows the development and historical background of blues music through the lives of women blues singers. Interviews, photographs, and footage document the lives of such singers as Ma Rainey, Ethel WAters, Bessie Smith, Alberta Hunter, and Ida Cox.
Women Who Made Movies Dir. Gwendolyn Foster-Dixon, Wheeler Dixon, 1990. Dist. by VCI, 56 min.	Reveals the work of little-recognized American women film directors during the 1896-1950 period using extended clips of rare film footage. Traces the careers of such filmmakers as Alice Guy Blache, Ida Lupino, Ruth Ann Baldwin, Leni Riefenstahl, Lois Weber, and many more.
Yoruba Performance Videotape by Henry John Drewal, 1990. Dist. by Instructional Media Services, 30 min.	Drewal videotapes several dances and other public ceremonial performances by Yoruba-speaking people. Many of these performers are women, community elders and child initiates. Drewal provides limited narration.

Asian

Fire Dir. Deepa Mehta, 1994. Dist. by Zeitgeist Films, 104 min.	Banned in India, this film was the first to confront lesbianism in that country.
Gift of a Girl: Female Infanticide 1997. Filmakers Library, 24 min.	Explores female infanticide in southern India.
An Initiation Kut for a Korean Shaman Dir. Diana S. Lee, 1991. University of Hawaii Press, 37 min.	This documentary based on the work of anthropologist Laurel Kendall follows the initation of a Korean shaman. In Korea, all shamans are women, who receive spirits. Most of their customers are women, who engage shamans to ward away poverty and family disaster.
The Japanese Family: Early Summer (Bakushu) Dir. Yasujiro Ozu, 1951. Dist. by Janus Films, 135 min. Japanese with English subtitles.	This feature film explores the lives of a young working woman and her family. Although they want her to marry a man they have selected, she wishes to keep her job, a result of the social changes that accompanied WWII.
The Japanese Family: Mother (Okaasan) Dir. Mikio Naruse 1952. Dist. by Janus Films, 98 min. Japanese with English subtitles.	This feature film depicts the life of a woman and her family after WWII, after her husband and son dies and she becomes her children's sole support.
Made in India 1998. Dist. by Women Make Movies, 55 min.	A portrait of the women's organization in India, called SEWA, that holds to the simple yet radical belief that poor women need organizing, not welfare. Inspired by the political, economic and moral model advocated by Gandhi, SEWA has grown since it founding to a membership of 217,000 and its bank now has assets of over $4 million.
Made in Thailand 1999. Dist. by Women Make Movies, 33 min.	A documentary about women factory workers in Thailand and their struggle to organize unions.
The Makioka Sisters Dir. Kon Ichikawa, 1983, based on the novel by Junichiro Tanizaki. Dist. by Toho Co. Ltd., 140 min. In Japanese with English subtitles.	In this feature film, four sisters living in Osaka in 1938 try to work out their problems with each other, marriage, work, and social changes.
Osaka Elegy Dir. Kenji Mizoguchi, 1936. Dist. by SVS Inc., 75 min. In Japanese with English subtitles.	Feature film about a young working woman in Osaka who must deal with an embezzling father, sexual harassment from her boss, and abandonment by the man she wants to marry. A critique of society's treatment of women.
Portrait of an Onnagata Dir. Tineke Hulsbergen, 1994. Dist. by Films for the Humanities and Sciences, 30 min.	This documentary explores a brief history of Kabuki theatre, a Japanese art form founded by a woman but now performed exclusively by men. The film profiles the life of an Onnagata, a male actor who portrays female characters. Art and gender become intertwined.
Rashomon Dir. Akira Kurosawa, 1950. Dist. by Embassy Home Entertainment, 83 min. In Japanese with English subtitles.	This feature film uses multiple perspectives to explore a rape and murder through the eyes of the perpetrator, a woman, her husband, and the story's narrator.
Slaying the Dragon Dir. Deborah Gee, 1987. Dist. by National Asian American Telecommunications Association, 60 min.	This documentary traces the development of media images of Asian American women over the course of history. Anti-Asian sentiment over immigration and war have contributed to the negative portrayal of Asian American women as dragon ladies, passive lotuses, geishas, and the model minority. Film clips and interviews with Asian American actors and social scientists cover the social stereotypes that these media images create.
A Taxing Woman Dir. Juzo Itami, 1987. Dist. by Fox/Lorber Homevideo, 127 min. In Japanese with English subtitles.	In this feature film that parodies action films, the heroine is a first-rate tax auditor-turned-inspector who turns her talents to rounding up a millionaire tax evader.
Twenty-Four Eyes (Nijushi no hitomi) Dir. Keisuke Kinoshita, 1954, based on novel by Sakae Tsuboi. Dist. by Japan Society, 155 min. In Japanese with English subtitles.	Feature film about a woman grade-school teacher and her students in a Japanese village who must confront the issues of poverty, gender roles, war, and social breakdown over the period of twenty years.

Education

To Empower Women: The Beijing Women's Conference 1999. Off Center Video, 28 min.	This United Nations conference developed a strong platform on action for equality, development and peace. Women from around the world tell of conditions in their countries and how they are trying to change them. Five planks from the platform--poverty, education, economics, human rights and armed conflict are emphasized.
The New Jersey Project. Madison, N.J.: Media Resource Center, Drew University, 1991	Eleven separate videorecordings of: Elizabeth Higginbotham; Alison Bernstein; Kenneth Goings; Sue Rosser; Panel on Curriculum Studies; Interviews; Susan Van Dyne; Ruth Sidel; Paula Rothenberg and Wendy Kolmar; Suming Up; Lynn Webber.
Women World Leaders Dir. Laura Liswood, 1996. Dist. by Women's Leadership Project, 30 min.	Weaves the common threads of fifteen female political figures: their experiences, values, accomplishments, joys, tragedies and mistakes into a forthright and honest look at women in the highest echelons of power.

Family/Marriage

Antonia's Line Dir. Willy Stassen, 1995. Dist. by BMG Video, 102 min, Dutch with English subtitles.	A portrait of a family and a community, of mothers and daughters, and of one indomitable woman.
The Arabs: A Living History--Family Ties Dir. Colin Luke, ?. Dist. by Landmark Films Inc., 50 min.	In this documentary journalist Nadia Hijab documents the changing roles of Arab women and their work, family lives, and education.
The Bigamist Dir. Ida Lupino, 199?. Dist. by Matinee Classics, 80 min.	This film noir deals with such issues as infertility, adoption, infidelity, women's work, and unmarried mothers.
Black Widow Dir. Bob Rafelson, 1987. Dist. by CBS/Fox Video, 101 min.	In this feature film, a woman federal agent investigates the mysterious deaths of several wealthy men, whose only common feature was marriage to the same woman.
Breaking Silence Dir. Theresa Tollini, 198?. Dist. by Future Educational Films, 59 min.	Educates the general public on the problems of incest and the effect that it has on the family.
Christopher Strong Dir.Dorothy Arzner, 1989. Dist. by Turner Home Entertainmentl, 77 min.	Hepburn portrays a record-breaking flyer who falls hopelessly in love with a married man (Colin Clive). Though madly in love, he can't divorce his good natured and caring wife (Billie Burke).
Clotheslines Dir. Roberta Cantow, 1981. Dist. by Filmaker's Library, 32 min.	Illustrates the love-hate relationship women have with the task of cleaning the family's clothes.
Cría! (The Secret of Anna) Dir. Carlos Saura, 1976. Dist. by Video del Sol, 1 hour 10 sec. Spanish with English subtitles.	In this feature film, a young girl's secret about the death of her father reveals a complex array of emotions about her family, her mother's death, and her own stifled impulses.
Daughters of the Dust Dir. Julie Dash, 1992. Dist. by Kino International, 113 min.	Story of a large African-American family as they prepare to move North from the Sea Islands off the coast of Georgia at the dawn of the 20th century.
Daughters of Dykes Dir. Amilca Palmer, 1994. Dist. by Women Make Movies, 14 min.	Five daughters of lesbian mothers talk about their views and their relationships with their mothers and other people in their lives.
Dirty Dancing Dir. Emile Ardolino, 1988. Dist. by Vestron Video, 105 min.	In this coming-of-age feature film, a young woman vacationing in the Catskills in the '50s learns not only about herself and her own family, but also about the people who live and work at the summer resort.
The Double Life of Ernesto Gomez Gomez Dir. Alejandro Galindo, 1999. Dist. by Filmakers Library, 54 min. English and Spanish with English subtitles and voice over in English.	Documentary focusing on the odyssey of Guillermo Morales Paga´n, the son of Puerto Rican freedom fighters Dylcia Paga´n and William Morales.
Dreams of Hind and Camilia Dir. Mohamed Khan, 1991?. Dist. by Arab Film Distribution, 110 min. Arabic with English subtitles.	This feature film follows the hopes of two best friends who try to change their lives and attain emotional and financial freedom. On the way, they must face issues of labor, sexuality, motherhood, and marriage.
Erendira Dir. Guy Guerra, 1983, based on story from the book One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Dist. by Media Home Entertainment, 103 min. Spanish with English subtitles.	In this feature film, a young woman is exploited as a prostitute by her grandmother, the "witch." The film plays upon the fairy-tale genre with several twists.
Eve's Bayou Dir. Kasi Lemmons, 1997. Dist. by Trimark Home Video, 108 min.	Roz Batiste is a beautiful and dedicated mother of three, who is forced to admit that her family is falling apart due to her philandering husband Louis. Her younger daughter, Eve, witnesses one of her father's infidelities. Unable to find the understanding she is looking for Eve decides to take matters into her own hands.
Fatal Attraction Dir. Adiran Lyne, 1987. Dist. by Paramount Pictures, 120 min.	In this thriller, a psychotic professional woman stalks the family of her lover, a selfish professional excuse for a man.
The Films of Jane Campion Dir. Jane Campion, 199?. Dist. by Women Make Movies, 49 min.	Peel concerns a family outing in Australia which results in an intrigue of awesome belligerence. Passionless Moments is a series of ten short, whimsical films portraying the inner world of ordinary people. A Girl's Own Story concerns girlhood, Beatlemania, and growing up in the sixties.
Finzan (A Dance for the Heroes) Dir. Cheick Oumar Sissoko. Dist. by California Newsreel, 1990. 114 min. Bambara with English subtitles.	This feature film depicts two Malian women who struggle to control their lives in a patriarchal traditional society. Sissoko uses stock characters in Malian folk tradition to satirize men in the story.
Hester Street Dir. Joan Micklin Silver, 1974. Dist. by First Run Features, 89 min.	This feature film documents the American immigrant experience, as seen by Gitl, who tries to preserve the traditional Russian Jewish way of life despite opposition from her Americanized husband.
Hidden Faces Dir. Lin Longinotto and Claire Hunt, 1990. Dist. by Women Make Movies, 52 min.	Southern Egyptian expatriate Safaa Fathay interviews and uses the writings of Nawal El Saadawi in order to discuss the issues of family, work, sexuality, and religion in the lives of Egyptian women.
The Holy Innocents (Los Santos Inocentes) Dir. Mario Camus, 1986. Dist. by Karl Lorimar Home Video, 108 min. Spanish with English subtitles.	In this feature film, a peasant family in mid-'60s Northern Spain tries to contend with the selfish and dangerous whims of the landowners.
In Search of the American Dream: Inspirations Dir. Robert E. Frye, 1990. Dist. by Films for the Humanities & Sciences, 52 min.	In this documentary Haskell Ward interviews African-American leaders of low-income neighborhoods in Philadelphia. They discuss and look for solutions to the issues of urban violence, crime, child care, teenage pregnancy, economic inequities, and community development.
The Japanese Family: Early Summer (Bakushu) Dir. Yasujiro Ozu, 1951. Dist. by Janus Films, 135 min. Japanese with English subtitles.	This feature film explores the lives of a young working woman and her family, who wishes her to marry a man they have selected.
The Japanese Family: Mother (Okaasan) Dir. Mikio Naruse 1952. Dist. by Janus Films, 98 min. Japanese with English subtitles.	This feature film depicts the life of a woman and her family after WWII, after her husband and son dies and she becomes her children's sole support.
A Jury of Her Peers 1981. Dist. by Films Incorporated, 30 min.	Dramatizes the short story by Susan Glaspell about the isolation and oppression of a farmwoman in rural America in 1900.
Like Water for Chocolate Dir. Alfonso Arav, ?. Dist. by Touchstone Home Video, 105 min. Spanish with English subtitles.	In this feature film, a woman uses cooking to express her forbidden feelings about her lover, family, sexuality, and self. Based on the novel by Laura Esquivel.
The Long Walk Home Dir. Richard Pearce, 1993. Dist. by Miramax, 98 min.	This feature film stars Whoopi Goldberg as a domestic worker who takes part in the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott, although she must walk nine miles every day to the home of her employer, played by Sissy Spacek. The film explores the subjects of race, labor, and the relationships between women, men, and children.
The Makioka Sisters Dir. Kon Ichikawa, 1983, based on the novel by Junichiro Tanizaki. Dist. by Toho Co. Ltd., 140 min. Japanese with English subtitles.	In this feature film, four sisters living in Osaka in 1938 try to work out their problems with each other, marriage, work, and social changes.
The Marriage of Maria Braun Dir. Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1986. Dist. by RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video, ?. German with English subtitles.	In this feature film, a German war bride attempts to reconcile the shift in power, her relationship with her imprisoned husband, and the men for whom she is a prostitute in the aftermath of WWII.
Masai Women Dir. Chris Curling, 1975. Dist. by ?, 52 min. 8 sec. English and Masai with English subtitles.	The work of anthropologist Melissa Llewelyn-Davies explores the world of Masai women: circumcision, marriage, companionship with co-wives, and heavy labor in a society in which women cannot hold property.
Measures of Distance Dir. Mona Hatoum, 1988. Dist. by Women Makes Movies, 15 min.	Hatoum integrates taped conversations and photos, scholarly research and personal life into this short film that explores the thoughts of a Palestinian woman: her mother, whose letter Hatoum reads.
The Mountain Dir. Hanna Elias, 1991. Dist. by Hanna Elias, 34 min. Arabic with English subtitles.	In this short narrative film, two women cross generational lines and social boundaries. A grandmother helps her granddaughter to elope, her only way to avoid an arranged marriage she does not want.
Naguib Mahfouz: Al-Sharida (The Wanderer) Dir. Ashraf Fahmy, 1985. Dist. by Abel Aziz el Zoghby Films, 91 min. Arabic with English subtitles.	In this feature film, a female lawyer contends with her domineering, weak-minded husband over her rights to work and to control her body and with his mistress over her ability as a wife.
The Official Story Dir. Luis Puenzo, 1985. Dist. by Pacific Arts Video, 112 min. Spanish with English subtitles.	In this feature film, an Argentinian teacher's growing political knowledge leads her to realize that her adopted daughter may have been forcefully taken from "los desaparecidos" during political purges in the mid-'70s.
Osaka Elegy Dir. Kenji Mizoguchi. SVS Inc., 1936. 75 min. Japanese with English subtitles.	Feature film about a young working woman in Osaka who must deal with an embezzling father, sexual harassment from her boss, and abandonment by the man she wants to marry. A critique of society's treatment of women.
Overseas (Outremer) Dir. Brigitte Roüan, 1992. Dist. by Fox Lorber Homevideo, 96 min. French with English subtitles.	This feature film explores one by one the lives of three French sisters living privileged lives in Algeria. Their stories show different relationships with each other and with marriage, and an increasing degree of involvement with Algerian resistance.
The Story of Mothers and Daughters Dir. Gary Weimberg, 1997. Dist. by Mothers & Daughters, 72 min.	Over 500 women were interviewed for this film about mother/daughter relationships.
Sweetie Dir. Jane Campion, 1990. Dist. by International Video Entertainment Inc., 97 min.	This feature film explores the relationships between sisters, parents and children, and lovers. Fault lines erupt when members of a family attempt to assert themselves, sometimes at the cost of other members' happiness.
Tell Me a Riddle Dir. Lee Grant, 1980, based on novella by Tille Olsen. Dist. by Media Home Entertainment, 94 min.	In this feature film, the culmination of a woman's lifelong assertion of independence and individuality occurs simultaneously with the diagnosis of cancer. Flashbacks explore the development of her identity and relationships with husband and children.
What Have I Done to Deserve This? (Qué he hecho yo para merecer esto!? Dir. Pedro Almodóvar, 1984. Dist. by Cinevista Video, 100 min. Spanish with English subtitles.	In this feature film, a homemaker and domestic servant who works an 18-hour day confronts the vagaries of contemporary life in Spain.

Feature Films

Ay, Carmela! Dir. Carlos Saura, based on play by J. Sanchis Sinisterra, 1991. Dist. by Prestige, 105 min. Spanish and Italian with English subtitles.	In this feature film that takes place in 1938 Civil War Spain, two Republican performers are taken prisoner by the Fascist army. Carmela makes the choice between saving their lives with a pro-Fascist show and preserving her patriotism.
The Bigamist Dir. Ida Lupino. Dist. by Matinee Classics, 80 min.	This film noir deals with such issues as infertility, adoption, infidelity, women's work, and unmarried mothers.
Black Widow Dir. Bob Rafelson, 1987. Dist. by CBS/Fox Video, 101 min.	In this feature film, a woman federal agent investigates the mysterious deaths of several wealthy men, whose only common feature was marriage to the same woman.
Camila Dir. Maria-Luisa Bemberg, 1984. Dist. by Embassy Home Entertainment, 105 min. Spanish with English subtitles.	In this feature film based on a true story, a socialite from Buenos Aires runs away with a Jesuit priest. They attempt to live peacefully in a rural village, but politics and social mores interfere.
Carrie Dir. Brian De Palma, 1976. Dist. by MGM Home Entertainment, 98 min., DVD.	"Carrie White is a shy young girl who doesn't make friends easily. Another girl who has been banned from the prom for her continued aggressive behaviour plans a trick to embarrass Carrie in front of the whole school. What she doesn't realise is that Carrie is gifted, and you really don't want to get her angry"--Internet Movie Database.
Christopher Strong Dir.Dorothy Arzner, 1989. Dist. by Turner Home Entertainmentl, 77 min.	Hepburn portrays a record-breaking flyer who falls hopelessly in love with a married man (Colin Clive). Though madly in love, he can't divorce his good natured and caring wife (Billie Burke).
Cría! (The Secret of Anna) Dir. Carlos Saura, 1976. Dist. by Video del Sol, 1 hour 10 sec. Spanish with English subtitles.	In this feature film, a young girl's secret about the death of her father reveals a complex array of emotions about her family, her mother's death, and her own stifled impulses.
The Crying Game Dir. Neil Jordan, 1997. Dist. by Avid Home Entertainment, 112 min.	A haunting, humorous and shocking romantic thriller about Irish terrorists, their hostage and the hostage's exotic girlfriend.
Dance, Girl, Dance Dir. Dorothy Arzner, 1940. Dist. by Turner Home Entertainment, 89 min.	This explores the lives of two showgirls, as they are affected by money, sexuality, relationships with other women and men, and artistic ideals.
Danzón Dir. Maria Rojo, 1991. Dist. by Columbia Tristar Homevideo, 103 min. Spanish with English subtitles.	In this feature film, a woman travels to Veracruz in search of her missing dance partner. Along the way, she begins to redefine her relationships with other people and herself.
Dirty Dancing Dir. Emile Ardolino, 1988. Dist. by Vestron Video, 105 min.	In this coming-of-age feature film, a young woman vacationing in the Catskills in the '50s learns not only about herself and her own family, but also about the people who live and work at the summer resort.
The Displaced Person Dir. Glenn Jordon, 1977. Dist. by Perspective Films, 58 min.	An adaptation of the short story of the same title by Flannery O'Connor. Portrays the difficulties of integration experienced by a Polish refugee who arrives with his family at a Georgia farm in the 1940's.
Doña Barbara Dir. Fernando de Fuentes, 1943, based on novel by Rómulo Gallegos. Dist. by Condor Video, 138 min. Spanish with English subtitles.	This feature film is a classic example of the mythical dichotomy between civilized, moral, man and "merciless Doña Barbara, devourer of men."
Doña Perfecta Dir. Alejandro Galindo, 1985. Dist. by Isela Vega Video, 115 min. Spanish with English subtitles. No picture for 9 min. 26 sec	Adaptation of Benito Perez Galdos's novel of the same title.
Door on the Sky Dir. Farida Ben Lyazid, 1989. Dist. by Arab Film Distribution, 107 min. French and Arabic with English subtitles.	The death of her father makes a woman rethink her relationships with her French lover, Islam, and the sufferings of women around her. The three converge in the founding of a women's shelter.
Dreams of Hind and Camilia Dir. Mohamed Khan, 1991. Dist. by Arab Film Distribution, 110 min. Arabic with English subtitles.	This feature film follows the hopes of two best friends who try to change their lives and attain emotional and financial freedom. On the way, they must face issues of labor, sexuality, motherhood, and marriage.
Eating: A Very Serious Comedy About Women and Food Dir. Henry Jaglom, 1993. Dist. by Paramount, 110 min.	As women at a trendy Southern California birthday party talk about food, what they say reveals what they think about life, love, men and each other.
Erendira Dir. Guy Guerra, 1983. Dist. by Media Home Entertainment, 103 min. Spanish with English subtitles.	A young woman is exploited as a prostitute by her grandmother, the "witch." The film plays upon the fairy-tale genre with several twists. Based on story from the book One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
Eve's Bayou Dir. Kasi Lemmons, 1997. Dist. by Trimark Home Video, 108 min.	Roz Batiste is a beautiful and dedicated mother of three, who is forced to admit that her family is falling apart due to her philandering husband Louis. Her younger daughter, Eve, witnesses one of her father's infidelities. Unable to find the understanding she is looking for Eve decides to take matters into her own hands.
Fatal Attraction Dir. Adiran Lyne, 1987. Dist. by Paramount Pictures, 120 min.	In this thriller, a psychotic professional woman stalks the family of her lover, a selfish professional excuse for a man.
Finzan (A Dance for the Heroes) Dir. Cheick Oumar Sissoko. Dist. by California Newsreel, 1990. 114 min. Bambara with English subtitles.	This feature film depicts two Malian women who struggle to control their lives in a patriarchal traditional society. Sissoko uses stock characters in Malian folk tradition to satirize men in the story.
Frida Dir. Paul Leduc, 1985. Dist. by Connoisseur Video Collection, 108 min. Spanish with English subtitles.	This feature film, full of visual images and mostly unspoken, depicts the art, politics, and relationships of Frida Kahlo, Mexican painter.
Girl Friends Dir. Claudia Weill, 1993. Dist. by Warner Home Video, 88 min.	Aspiring photographer, Susan, and poet, Anne, share an apartment in Manhattan until Anne makes the decision to marry and move out. Relationships in Susan's life, after Anne leaves the apartment, are explored.
The Harder They Come Dir. Perry Henzell, 1973. Dist. by PolyGram Video, 93 min.	Cliff is the hero of this saga: a country boy who is ruthlessly exploited, first by his employer, then by the producer of his hit record, and who at last becomes a pot-pushing desperado in an effort to live up to the code of his favorite movie heroes.
Hester Street Dir. Joan Micklin Silver, 1974. Dist. by First Run Features, 89 min. English and Yiddish? with English subtitles.	This feature film documents the American immigrant experience, as seen by Gitl, who tries to preserve the traditional Russian Jewish way of life despite opposition from her Americanized husband.
The Hitchhiker Dir. Ida Lupino, 1993. Dist. By Sinister Cinema, 71 min.	While on their way to a fishing area, two men pick up a hitchhiker -- not knowing that he is a sadistic and psychopathic killer.
The Holy Innocents (Los Santos Inocentes) Dir. Mario Camus, 1986. Dist. by Karl Lorimar Home Video, 108 min. Spanish with English subtitles.	In this feature film, a peasant family in mid-'60s Northern Spain tries to contend with the selfish and dangerous whims of the landowners.
The Japanese Family: Early Summer (Bakushu) Dir. Yasujiro Ozu, 1951. Dist. by Janus Films, 135 min. Japanese with English subtitles.	This feature film explores the lives of a young working woman and her family, who wishes her to marry a man they have selected.
The Japanese Family: Mother (Okaasan) Dir. Mikio Naruse 1952. Dist. by Janus Films, 98 min. Japanese with English subtitles.	This feature film depicts the life of a woman and her family after WWII, after her husband and son dies and she becomes her children's sole support.
The Jilting of Granny Weatherall Dir. Randa Haines, 1980. Coronet Films & video, 57 min.	Based on the story of the same title by Katherine Anne Porter, about a matriarch who on her deathbed struggles to resolve tormenting memories of her past.
Kiss of the Spider Woman Dir. Hector Babenco, 1985. Dist. by Charter Entertainment, 120 min.	In this feature film, a political prisoner and gay window dresser share a cell. They find that their vastly different lives and dreams conflict but also mesh in crucial ways. Based on novel by Manel Puig.
Like Water for Chocolate Dir. Alfonso Arav, 1994. Dist. by Touchstone Home Video, 105 min. Spanish with English subtitles.	In this feature film, a woman uses cooking to express her forbidden feelings about her lover, family, sexuality, and self. Based on the novel by Laura Esquivel.
The Long Walk Home Dir. Richard Pearce, 1993. Dist. by Miramax, 98 min.	This feature film stars Whoopi Goldberg as a domestic worker who takes part in the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott, although she must walk nine miles every day to the home of her employer, played by Sissy Spacek. The film explores the subjects of race, labor, and the relationships between women, men, and children.
Lucia Dir. Humberto Solas, 198?. Dist. by Icaic, 160 min. Spanish with English subtitles.	This feature film depicts the personal lives of three different women named Lucia in 1895, 1932, and 196... against the backdrop of war and political agitation.
The Makioka Sisters Dir. Kon Ichikawa, 1983. Dist. by Toho Co. Ltd., 140 min. Japanese with English subtitles.	In this feature film, four sisters living in Osaka in 1938 try to work out their problems with each other, marriage, work, and social changes. Based on the novel by Junichiro Tanizaki.
The Marriage of Maria Braun Dir. Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1979. Dist. by RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video, 120 min. German with English subtitles.	In this feature film, a German war bride attempts to reconcile the shift in power, her relationship with her imprisoned husband, and the men for whom she is a prostitute in the aftermath of WWII.
Mississippi Masala Dir. Mira Nair, 1992. Dist. by Columbia TriStar Home Video, 118 min.	In this exotic and erotic interracial love story, an African American businessman falls for a beautiful Indian immigrant, only to encounter shock and outrage from both families.
The Mountain Dir. Hanna Elias, 1991. Dist. by Hanna Elias, 34 min. In Arabic with English subtitles.	In this short narrative film, two women cross generational lines and social boundaries. A grandmother helps her granddaughter to elope, her only way to avoid an arranged marriage she does not want.
Naguib Mahfouz: Al-Sharida (The Wanderer) Dir. Ashraf Fahmy, 1985. Dist. by Abel Aziz el Zoghby Films, 91 min. Arabic with English subtitles	In this feature film, a female lawyer contends with her domineering, weak-minded husband over her rights to work and to control her body and with his mistress over her ability as a wife.
Osaka Elegy Dir. Kenji Mizoguchi, 1936. SVS Inc., 75 min. Japanese with English subtitles.	Feature film about a young working woman in Osaka who must deal with an embezzling father, sexual harassment from her boss, and abandonment by the man she wants to marry. A critique of society's treatment of women.
Overseas (Outremer) Dir. Brigitte Roüan, 1992. Dist. by Fox Lorber Homevideo, 96 min. French with English subtitles.	This feature film explores one by one the lives of three French sisters living privileged lives in Algeria. Their stories show different relationships with each other and with marriage, and an increasing degree of involvement with Algerian resistance.
Platoon Dir. Oliver Stone, 2000?. Dist. by MGM Home Entertaiment, 119 min.	Platoon is the story of every soldier whose innocence was lost in the war-torn jungles of Vietnam. Chris Taylor arrives in Vietnam and quickly discovers that his worst enemies are not just the Viet Cong, but gnawing fear, physical exhaustion and the anger growing within himself.
Pubis Angelical de Manuel Puig Dir. Raul de la Torre, 1982. Dist. by Condor Video, 117 min. Spanish with English subtitles.	In this feature film, an Argentinian woman dying of cancer dreams and reflects upon the political events in her life and her disappointment with men.
Rashomon Dir. Akira Kurosawa, 1950. Dist. by Embassy Home Entertainment, 83 min. Japanese with English subtitles.	This feature film uses multiple perspectives to explore a rape and murder through the eyes of the perpetrator, a woman, her husband, and the story's narrator.
Rear Window Dir. Alfred Hitchcock, 1954. Dist. by MCA/Universal Home Video, 113 min.	This feature film uses the theme of voyeurism to explore the relationships behind and in front of the camera, when a photojournalist witnesses from his apartment what might be a murder.
Sweetie Dir. Jane Campion, 1990. Dist. by International Video Entertainment Inc., 97 min.	This film explores the relationships between sisters, parents and children, and lovers. Fault lines erupt when members of a family attempt to assert themselves, sometimes at the cost of other members' happiness.
Tacones Lejanos Dir. Pedro Almodóvar, 1991. Dist. by Columbia Tristar Home Video, 115 min. Spanish.	The husband of a TV anchorwoman, ex-lover of her long-estranged singer-actress mother, is mysteriously killed, and both mother and daughter come under suspicion in a frenzied investigation filled with romantic mix-ups and mistaken identities.
A Taxing Woman Dir. Juzo Itami, 1987. Dist. by Fox/Lorber Home Video, 127 min. Japanese with English subtitles.	In this feature film that parodies action films, the heroine is a first-rate tax auditor-turned-inspector who turns her talents to rounding up a millionaire tax evader.
Tell Me a Riddle Dir. Lee Grant, 1980. Dist. by Media Home Entertainment, 94 min.	In this feature film, the culmination of a woman's lifelong assertion of independence and individuality occurs simultaneously with the diagnosis of cancer. Flashbacks explore the development of her identity and relationships with husband and children. Based on novella by Tille Olsen.
Thelma and Louise Dir. Ridley Scott, 1991. Dist. by MGM/UA, 130 min.	Thelma, a homemaker unhappy with her boorish husband, and Louise, a waitress and Thelma's mentor. Two best friends take an unexpected road trip, running from the law. This buddy-type feature film explores the issues of rape, violence, relationships, and friendship.
Tootsie Dir. Sydney Pollack, 2001. Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment, 116 min.	Michael Dorsey is an out-of-work actor who makes himself up as a woman to get a job. When his girlfriend, Sandy, fails an audition for a soap opera, Michael dresses up as "Dorothy Michaels" and lands the part. All goes well until "Dorothy" falls in love with beautiful co-star, Julie, and Julie's father, Les, falls for "Dorothy."
Twenty-Four Eyes (Nijushi no hitomi) Dir. Keisuke Kinoshita, 1954. Dist. by Japan Society, 155 min. Japanese with English subtitles.	Feature film about a woman grade-school teacher and her students in a Japanese village who must confront the issues of poverty, gender roles, war, and social breakdown over the period of twenty years. Based on novel by Sakae Tsuboi.
Vertigo Dir. Alfred Hitchcock, 1958. MCA/ Universal Home Video, 128 min.	Scottie Ferguson, a San Francisco police detective is forced to retire when a freak accident gives him a severe case of acrophobia. Ferguson is hired by a rich shipbuilder to follow his wife who is behaving suspiciously and might be planning suicide. He falls in love with her, she is later murdered and Ferguson becomes demonic in his desire to re-create her in another woman. Based on the novel D'entre les morts by Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac.
Welcome to the Dollhouse Dir. Todd Solondz, 1996. Columbia TriStar Home Video, 87 min.	Eleven-year-old Dawn "Wienerdog" Wiener is a junior high geek who just wants to be popular. Teased by her classmates and tormented by the school bully, Dawn develops an improbable plan to seduce the star of a high-school garage band.
What Have I Done to Deserve This? (Qué he hecho yo para merecer esto!? Dir. Pedro Almodóvar, 1984. Dist. by Cinevista Video, 100 min. Spanish with English subtitles.	In this feature film, a homemaker and domestic servant who works an 18-hour day confronts the vagaries of contemporary life in Spain.
When Night is Falling Dir. Patricia Rozema, 1996. Dist. by Evergreen Entertainment, 94 min.	The story of a teacher at a conservative religious college named Camille whose life is turned upside down when, through a chance encounter, she meets a beautiful circus performer named Petra. Walking an emotional high-wire between the familiar past and the forbidden future, Camille must choose between the love she cannot forget and the desire she cannot resist.
The Wild Party Dir. Dorothy Arzner, 192?. Dist. by Paramount Pictures, 115 min.
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown Dir. Pedro Almodóvar, 1988. Dist. by Orion Home Video, 88 min., Spanish with English subtitles.	This feature comedy depicts the confused lives of a television actress and all the people entangled with her.

Jewish Studies

Courage to Care Dir. Robert Gardner, 1986. Dist. by Anti-Defamation League, 28 min. 30 sec.	This documentary features many women and one man who describe their efforts to save the lives of European Jews during the Holocaust. Includes photographs and commentary by Elie Wiesel.
Daughters of Abraham: A Fight to Survive? Dir. Richard Trayler-Smith, 1988. Dist. by Landmark Films Inc., 30 min.	This documentary profiles the lives of Tamar, a Kibbutznik and officer in the Israeli Denfense Force, and Zoe, a Palestinian who cannot leave the West Bank to visit her husband in Germany.
Daughters of Abraham: Frontiers of War Dir. Richard Trayler-smith, 1988. Dist. by Landmark Films Inc., 30 min.	This documentary interviews Geula Cohen, a freedom fighter, member of the Israeli parliament, and founder of her own political party. Her political stance is that only Palestinians who accept Zionism can stay in Israel.
Daughters of Abraham: Stateless in Gaza Dir. Richard Trayler-Smith, 1988. Dist. by Landmark films Inc., 27 min.	In this documentary, Mary Khass talks about her life as a Palestinian Quaker and pacifist who forms nursery schools and groups in refugee camps in the West Bank and Gaza. She works for political autonomy and peace.
Hester Street Dir. Joan Micklin Silver, 1974. Dist. by First Run Features, 89 min.	This feature film documents the American immigrant experience, as seen by Gitl, who tries to preserve the traditional Russian Jewish way of life despite opposition from her Americanized husband.
Image Before My Eyes Dir. Josh Waletzky, 1985. Dist. by Almi Home Video Corp., 105 min.	This documentary uses photos, interviews, and home movies to recreate the life and culture of Jewish Poland before the Holocaust. At the time, it was the largest and most important center of Jewish culture in the world.
In Her Own Time Dir. Lynne Littman, 1985. Dist. by Direct Cinema Limited, 60 min.	This film is the last collaboration of Littman and anthropologist Barbara Myerhoff, whose fieldwork researches the Orthodox Jewish community of Fairfax in Los Angeles. The film integrates Myerhoff's fight with cancer and reevaluation of religion with the lives of the people she works with.
The Last Seven Months of Anne Frank Dir. Willy Lindwer, 1988. Dist. by Audio-Visual-Arts and Productions, 90 min.	This documentary uses photos and interviews with women acquainted with the Frank family in order to reconstruct World War II Amsterdam and the concentration camps.
Number Our Days Dir. Lynne Littman, 1977. Dist. by Direct Cinema Limited, 29 min.	In this documentary based upon Barbara Myerhoff's fieldwork, Myerhoff and Littman turn ethnography back upon the ethnographer. Myerhoff researches the lives of elderly East European Jews living in a California ghetto. She explores their interactions with each other, with the outside community, and with their own selves.
Tell Me a Riddle Dir. Lee Grant, 1980. Dist. by Media Home Entertainment, 94 min.	In this feature film, the culmination of a woman's lifelong assertion of independence and individuality occurs simultaneously with the diagnosis of cancer. Flashbacks explore the development of her identity and relationships with husband and children. Based on novella by Tille Olsen.

Labor

Americas: In Women's Hands--The Changing Roles of Women Dir. Rachel Field, Juan Mandelbaum, 1993. Dist. by The Annenberg/CPB Collection, 60 min.	This documentary explores the political mobilization of women in Chile that began in the 1960s and has continued to the present. Interviews, photographs, and film footage document the changes women have been making in family roles, labor, and politics.
The Arabs: A Living History--Family Ties Dir. Colin Luke, ?. Dist. by Landmark Films Inc., 50 min.	In this documentary journalist Nadia Hijab documents the changing roles of Arab women and their work, family lives, and education.
Arab Women at Work Dir. Maureen Ali, 1990s?. Dist. by United Nations Development Programme, 30 min.	This documentary explores the lives of women living and working in the Arab world. They perform 84% of the work in rural areas, yet women there earn an overall 75% of men's wages. The film follows women in rural agricultural and urban industrial and professional work.
The Bigamist Dir. Ida Lupino. Dist. by Matinee Classics, 80 min.	This film noir shows why a man might marry two women. It deals with such issues as infertility, adoption, infidelity, women's work, and unmarried mothers.
Black Widow Dir. Bob Rafelson, 1987. Dist. by CBS/Fox Video, 101 min.	In this feature film, a woman federal agent investigates the mysterious deaths of several wealthy men, whose only common feature was marriage to the same woman.
Cultural Boundaries and Cyber Space 2000. Dist. by Women's Learning Partnership, 30 min.	Leading women in politics, law and education from the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere describe their unique experiences and perspectives on women's empowerment and leadersip in their communities, and ways in which they use information and communication technologies (ICTs) to organize and educate.
Dirty Dancing Dir. Emile Ardolino, 1988. Dist. by Vestron Video, 105 min.	In this coming-of-age feature film, a young woman vacationing in the Catskills in the '50s learns not only about herself and her own family, but also about the people who live and work at the summer resort.
Dreams of Hind and Camilia Dir. Mohamed Khan, 1991?. Dist. by Arab Film Distribution, 110 min. Arabic with English subtitles.	This feature film follows the hopes of two best friends who try to change their lives and attain emotional and financial freedom. On the way, they must face issues of labor, sexuality, motherhood, and marriage.
Eye on New York: Prostitution--The Boldest Profession CBS production, 1975?. 30 min.	This taped television program presents prostitution as a crime perpetrated by greedy women who victimize gullible customers and the over-taxed legal system and economy. Methods of inquiry are interviews with prostitutes and secret filming of planted "customers" and officers in plainclothes performing "sweeps."
Finzan (A Dance for the Heroes) Dir. Cheick Oumar Sissoko. Dist. by California Newsreel, 1990. 114 minutes. Bambara with English subtitles.	This feature film depicts two Malian women who struggle to control their lives in a patriarchal traditional society. Sissoko uses stock characters in Malian folk tradition to satirize men in the story.
Freedom Bags Dir. Stanley Nelson, 1990. Dist. by Filmmakers Library, 32 min.	This documentary explores the lives of African-American women who migrated North from the rural South during the first three decades of the twentieth century. With little education and scarce jobs, most became domestic workers. Interviews with former domestic workers, photographs, and footage discuss their encounters with racism, sexual harassment, separation from loved ones, and forming relationships with other workers.
Hidden Faces Dir. Lin Longinotto and Claire Hunt, 1990. Dist. by Women Make Movies, 52 min.	Southern Egyptian expatriate Safaa Fathay interviews and uses the writings of Nawal El Saadawi in order to discuss the issues of family, work, sexuality, and religion in the lives of Egyptian women.
The Holy Innocents (Los Santos Inocentes) Dir. Mario Camus, 1986. Dist. by Karl Lorimar Home Video, 108 min. Spanish with English subtitles.	In this feature film, a peasant family in mid-'60s Northern Spain tries to contend with the selfish and dangerous whims of the landowners.
The Japanese Family: Early Summer (Bakushu) Dir. Yasujiro Ozu, 1951. Dist. by Janus Films, 135 min. Japanese with English subtitles.	This feature film explores the lives of a young working woman and her family, who wish her to marry a man they have selected.
The Japanese Family: Mother (Okaasan) Dir. Mikio Naruse 1952. Dist. by Janus Films, 98 min. Japanese with English subtitles.	This feature film depicts the life of a woman and her family after WWII, after her husband and son dies and she becomes her children's sole support.
A Jury of Her Peers 1981. Dist. by Films Incorporated, 30 min.	Dramatizes the short story by Susan Glaspell about the isolation and oppression of a farmwoman in rural America in 1900.
The Life and Times of Rosie the Riveter Dir. Connie Field, 1999. Dist. by Direct Cinema Ltd, 65 min.	Five women reminisce about their jobs and working conditions during World War II.
Living Images: A Woman's Work 1993. Dist. by Telecine, 30 min.	This film follows the progress of several UNICEF cooperatives in upper Egypt, funded by loans that women themselves back. The women create self-sufficient work projects by training each other in various crafts.
The Long Walk Home Dir. Richard Pearce. Dist. by Miramax, 1993. 98 min	This feature film stars Whoopi Goldberg as a domestic worker who takes part in the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott, although she must walk nine miles every day to the home of her employer, played by Sissy Spacek. The film explores the subjects of race, labor, and the relationships between women, men, and children.
Lucia Dir. Humberto Solas, 198?. Dist. by Icaic, 160 min. Spanish with English subtitles.	This feature film depicts the personal lives of three different women named Lucia in 1895, 1932, and 196... against the backdrop of war and political agitation.
Made in India 1998. Dist. by Women Make Movies, 55 min.	A portrait of the women's organization in India, called SEWA, that holds to the simple yet radical belief that poor women need organizing, not welfare. Inspired by the political, economic and moral model advocated by Gandhi, SEWA has grown since it founding to a membership of 217,000 and its bank now has assets of over $4 million.
Made in Thailand 1999. Dist. by Women Make Movies, 33 min.	A documentary about women factory workers in Thailand and their struggle to organize unions.
Naguib Mahfouz: Al-Sharida (The Wanderer) Dir. Ashraf Fahmy, 1985. Dist. by Abel Aziz el Zoghby Films, 91 min. Arabic with English subtitles.	In this feature film, a female lawyer contends with her domineering, weak-minded husband over her rights to work and to control her body and with his mistress over her ability as a wife.