Yes, She Can: 9 Films by (and about) women we’re excited about in 2016
updated the Monday, October 31, 2016
9 female-centric films made by women, and about women, we’re loving in 2016.
“And perhaps,” the inimitable Cate Blanchett pointedly critiqued about the lack of substantial female-lead roles in film, “those of us in the industry who are still foolishly clinging to the idea that female films, with women at the center, are a niche experience – they are not. Audiences want to see them, and in fact, they earn money”. And she is right, of course.
2015 was a pivotal year for women in film. For one, we saw strong female leads dominating in both commercial (Jennifer Lawrence in The Hunger Games) and critically-acclaimed (Cate Blanchett in Carol) films. Even the latest film in the Star Wars franchise featured a lead female role with Rey, a beautifully woven and intriguing character. And, of course, things are slowly shifting even for women of colour. Actresses like Viola Davis are redefining what a lead ‘Hollywood actress’ should and can look like, with her lead role in the popular How to Get Away with Murder series and her 2015 Emmy win, where she emotionally addressed the very real barriers she faces as an African-American actress in a predominantly white, male industry.
Times are clearly changing, where female characters are not just the side dish to complement the main male-driven plot line. No longer the damsel in distress or the stereotypical bimbo or ‘the crazy girlfriend’ archetypes that have dominated much of film, the women we see in film today are strong, raw, beautifully complex, diverse and also save the day. We love the fact that 2016, if anything, has continued on this positive trajectory, with female leads in hugely commercial films like the all-female Ghostbusters cast. These may be small steps, but hey – they are baby steps worth celebrating, and a sign of a paradigm shift in thinking. Here’s to celebrating diverse women in film, because our stories and our voices are profound and worth being heard.
Head up to the gallery above to check out the top 9 movie picks made by women about women. Diverse in its genres, casting, and stories, we’re confident you’ll find something you’ll love, whether you’re up for a thriller (The Girl on the Train), a historical interracial romance flick like A United Kingdom by acclaimed female director Amma Assante, or even a good ol’ rom-com (Bridget Jones’s Baby).
Sarah Khan
