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1960s – today

Women Directors

Filmmakers who brought women's inner lives and experience to the centre of cinema.

Women directed films from the first years of cinema, with Alice Guy-Blaché and Lois Weber among the pioneers, but for decades the industry shut them out. Agnès Varda in France, Larisa Shepitko in the USSR and Chantal Akerman in Belgium opened the way for a more visible generation in the 1970s and 80s, including Margarethe von Trotta, Lina Wertmüller, Jane Campion and Kathryn Bigelow, the first woman to win the Best Director Oscar in 2010. Today Greta Gerwig, Chloé Zhao, Céline Sciamma, Lynne Ramsay, Claire Denis and many others work at the highest level. The list is less a style than a history of people making room for themselves.

Where
Worldwide
When
1890s to the present, with growth from the 1970s
Key figures
Agnès Varda, Chantal Akerman, Jane Campion, Kathryn Bigelow, Sofia Coppola, Céline Sciamma, Claire Denis, Greta Gerwig
Landmark films
Cléo from 5 to 7 (1962), Jeanne Dielman (1975), The Piano (1993), The Hurt Locker (2008)
Legacy
Widened cinema's subjects and viewpoints, and keeps opening the industry

What to look for

  • A wide range of styles rather than one look
  • Women's experience, desire and work as frequent subjects
  • Often independent or festival-based, with growing access to larger budgets

Famous Directors

Agnès VardaFranceChantal AkermanBelgiumLarisa ShepitkoUSSRJane CampionNew ZealandKathryn BigelowUSAClaire DenisFranceLina WertmüllerItalyLucrecia MartelArgentinaMargarethe von TrottaGermanyLynne RamsayUKKelly ReichardtUSASofia CoppolaUSAAndrea ArnoldUKCéline SciammaFranceGreta GerwigUSAAgnieszka HollandPolandChloé ZhaoUSA (born in China)Jasmila ŽbanićBosnia and HerzegovinaJustine TrietFranceJulia DucournauFranceMira NairIndia / USAMárta MészárosHungaryMati DiopFrance / SenegalCarla SimónSpain
See all 61 directors
Ildikó EnyediHungaryAudrey DiwanFranceMaren AdeGermanyClaudia LlosaPeruAdina PintilieRomaniaAmanda KernellSwedenFeo AladagGermany (born in Austria)May el-ToukhyDenmark (Egyptian-Danish)Eva LibertadSpainMoufida TlatliTunisiaKaouther Ben HaniaTunisiaWanuri KahiuKenyaMaryam TouzaniMoroccoSafi FayeSenegalSarah MaldororFrance / AngolaRamata-Toulaye SySenegal / FranceTeona Strugar MitevskaNorth MacedoniaAthina Rachel TsangariGreeceRalitza PetrovaBulgariaBinka ZhelyazkovaBulgariaBlerta BasholliKosovoMaja MilošSerbiaÇiğdem VitrinelTurkeyCanan GeredeTurkeyAzra Deniz OkyayTurkeyLois WeberUSACatherine BreillatFranceAlice RohrwacherItalyAva DuVernayUSASarah PolleyCanadaGillian ArmstrongAustraliaNaomi KawaseJapanZoya AkhtarIndiaPayal KapadiaIndiaAparna SenIndiaDeepa MehtaCanada / IndiaNadine LabakiLebanon

Top 100 rated films

  1. Capernaum 2018 · Nadine Labaki · IMDb 8.4
  2. The Ascent 1977 · Larisa Shepitko · IMDb 8.2
  3. The Voice of Hind Rajab 2025 · Kaouther Ben Hania · IMDb 8.2
  4. 13th 2016 · Ava DuVernay · IMDb 8.2
  5. The Beaches of Agnès 2008 · Agnès Varda · IMDb 8.0
  6. Portrait of a Lady on Fire 2019 · Céline Sciamma · IMDb 8.0
  7. Quo Vadis, Aida? 2020 · Jasmila Žbanić · IMDb 8.0
  8. Cléo from 5 to 7 1962 · Agnès Varda · IMDb 7.8
  9. Faces Places 2017 · Agnès Varda · IMDb 7.8
  10. Hamnet 2025 · Chloé Zhao · IMDb 7.8
  11. The Gleaners and I 2000 · Agnès Varda · IMDb 7.7
  12. Seven Beauties 1975 · Lina Wertmüller · IMDb 7.7
  13. Love and Anarchy 1973 · Lina Wertmüller · IMDb 7.7
  14. The Promise 1995 · Margarethe von Trotta · IMDb 7.7
  15. Lost in Translation 2003 · Sofia Coppola · IMDb 7.7
  16. Little Women (2019) 2019 · Greta Gerwig · IMDb 7.7
  17. Water 2005 · Deepa Mehta · IMDb 7.7
  18. Le Bonheur 1965 · Agnès Varda · IMDb 7.6
  19. Daguerréotypes 1976 · Agnès Varda · IMDb 7.6
  20. Vagabond 1985 · Agnès Varda · IMDb 7.6
  21. Jacquot de Nantes 1991 · Agnès Varda · IMDb 7.6
  22. Anatomy of a Fall 2023 · Justine Triet · IMDb 7.6
  23. Earth (1998) 1998 · Deepa Mehta · IMDb 7.6
  24. We Were Young 1961 · Binka Zhelyazkova · IMDb 7.5
  25. Wings 1966 · Larisa Shepitko · IMDb 7.5
  26. Jeanne Dielman 1975 · Chantal Akerman · IMDb 7.5
  27. Swept Away 1974 · Lina Wertmüller · IMDb 7.5
  28. Europa Europa 1990 · Agnieszka Holland · IMDb 7.5
  29. Olivier, Olivier 1992 · Agnieszka Holland · IMDb 7.5
  30. On Body and Soul 2017 · Ildikó Enyedi · IMDb 7.5
  31. The Piano 1993 · Jane Campion · IMDb 7.5
  32. The Hurt Locker 2008 · Kathryn Bigelow · IMDb 7.5
  33. Ratcatcher 1999 · Lynne Ramsay · IMDb 7.5
  34. When We Leave 2010 · Feo Aladag · IMDb 7.5
  35. The Blue Caftan 2022 · Maryam Touzani · IMDb 7.5
  36. Godless 2016 · Ralitza Petrova · IMDb 7.5
  37. Happy as Lazzaro 2018 · Alice Rohrwacher · IMDb 7.5
  38. Selma 2014 · Ava DuVernay · IMDb 7.5
  39. Away from Her 2006 · Sarah Polley · IMDb 7.5
  40. Stories We Tell 2012 · Sarah Polley · IMDb 7.5
  41. Suspense 1913 · Lois Weber · IMDb 7.4
  42. One Sings, the Other Doesn't 1977 · Agnès Varda · IMDb 7.4
  43. Mur Murs 1981 · Agnès Varda · IMDb 7.4
  44. An Angel at My Table 1990 · Jane Campion · IMDb 7.4
  45. Zero Dark Thirty 2012 · Kathryn Bigelow · IMDb 7.4
  46. We Need to Talk About Kevin 2011 · Lynne Ramsay · IMDb 7.4
  47. Tomboy 2011 · Céline Sciamma · IMDb 7.4
  48. Lady Bird 2017 · Greta Gerwig · IMDb 7.4
  49. The Rider 2017 · Chloé Zhao · IMDb 7.4
  50. Happening 2021 · Audrey Diwan · IMDb 7.4
  51. Four Daughters 2023 · Kaouther Ben Hania · IMDb 7.4
  52. Sweet Bean 2015 · Naomi Kawase · IMDb 7.4
  53. Where Do We Go Now? 2011 · Nadine Labaki · IMDb 7.4
  54. News from Home 1977 · Chantal Akerman · IMDb 7.3
  55. Les Rendez-vous d'Anna 1978 · Chantal Akerman · IMDb 7.3
  56. The Seduction of Mimi 1972 · Lina Wertmüller · IMDb 7.3
  57. Marianne and Juliane 1981 · Margarethe von Trotta · IMDb 7.3
  58. The Secret Garden 1993 · Agnieszka Holland · IMDb 7.3
  59. Diary for My Children 1984 · Márta Mészáros · IMDb 7.3
  60. The Silences of the Palace 1994 · Moufida Tlatli · IMDb 7.3
  61. Little Women (1994) 1994 · Gillian Armstrong · IMDb 7.3
  62. Point Break 1991 · Kathryn Bigelow · IMDb 7.3
  63. Detroit 2017 · Kathryn Bigelow · IMDb 7.3
  64. Beau travail 1999 · Claire Denis · IMDb 7.3
  65. Chocolat 1988 · Claire Denis · IMDb 7.3
  66. Fish Tank 2009 · Andrea Arnold · IMDb 7.3
  67. Petite Maman 2021 · Céline Sciamma · IMDb 7.3
  68. Nomadland 2020 · Chloé Zhao · IMDb 7.3
  69. Toni Erdmann 2016 · Maren Ade · IMDb 7.3
  70. Deaf 2025 · Eva Libertad · IMDb 7.3
  71. God Exists, Her Name Is Petrunya 2019 · Teona Strugar Mitevska · IMDb 7.3
  72. La chimera 2023 · Alice Rohrwacher · IMDb 7.3
  73. Suzaku 1997 · Naomi Kawase · IMDb 7.3
  74. The Last Word 1973 · Binka Zhelyazkova · IMDb 7.2
  75. From the East 1993 · Chantal Akerman · IMDb 7.2
  76. Adoption 1975 · Márta Mészáros · IMDb 7.2
  77. Strange Days 1995 · Kathryn Bigelow · IMDb 7.2
  78. The Virgin Suicides 1999 · Sofia Coppola · IMDb 7.2
  79. Grbavica 2006 · Jasmila Žbanić · IMDb 7.2
  80. The Forest for the Trees 2003 · Maren Ade · IMDb 7.2
  81. Sami Blood 2016 · Amanda Kernell · IMDb 7.2
  82. Adam 2019 · Maryam Touzani · IMDb 7.2
  83. Origin 2023 · Ava DuVernay · IMDb 7.2
  84. Hannah Arendt 2012 · Margarethe von Trotta · IMDb 7.1
  85. Angry Harvest 1985 · Agnieszka Holland · IMDb 7.1
  86. Letter from My Village 1975 · Safi Faye · IMDb 7.1
  87. Mossane 1996 · Safi Faye · IMDb 7.1
  88. My Brilliant Career 1979 · Gillian Armstrong · IMDb 7.1
  89. 35 Shots of Rum 2008 · Claire Denis · IMDb 7.1
  90. Wendy and Lucy 2008 · Kelly Reichardt · IMDb 7.1
  91. First Cow 2019 · Kelly Reichardt · IMDb 7.1
  92. Cow 2021 · Andrea Arnold · IMDb 7.1
  93. Summer 1993 2017 · Carla Simón · IMDb 7.1
  94. Beauty and the Dogs 2017 · Kaouther Ben Hania · IMDb 7.1
  95. Pumzi 2009 · Wanuri Kahiu · IMDb 7.1
  96. Hive 2021 · Blerta Basholli · IMDb 7.1
  97. Fire 1996 · Deepa Mehta · IMDb 7.1
  98. Caramel 2007 · Nadine Labaki · IMDb 7.1
  99. La Pointe Courte 1955 · Agnès Varda · IMDb 7.0
  100. My Twentieth Century 1989 · Ildikó Enyedi · IMDb 7.0