Celebrate International Women's Day with Beamafilm

Today is International Women’s Day so why not check out the stunning collection of films by women directors at Beamafilm. Whether it’s a movie or a documentary you're after, all you have to do is choose the appropriate drop-down menu from the top banner and scroll down to Women Directors.

Here’s a small selection of Beamafilm movies by women directors which also feature strong female main characters:

Call Jane, directed by Phyllis Nagy, takes a look at American abortion law in the 1960s and its effect on a married woman with an unwanted pregnancy. The movie is based on a real-life collective of activists who helped provide secret abortions in 1960s and ‘70s Chicago, calling themselves the Jane Collective. The movie stars Elizabeth Banks and Sigourney Weaver.

Another movie based on real events is Dare to Be Wild, directed by Vivienne De Courcy. It follows the story of landscape designer Mary Reynolds and her ambition to make a splash at the Chelsea Flower Show. What makes her garden different is that she uses only wild plants. From the lush green landscape of Ireland to African deserts and then the bustle of the show in London, the film’s settings provide a visual feast in the background of an inspiring story.

Rip Tide is a light-hearted movie directed by Rhiannon Bannenberg which follows Cora, a fashionista hiding out in Australia following a fashion faux pas. But life at her aunt’s beachside retreat lacks the five-star lifestyle she’s used to – it’s just all so back-to-basics. As time goes by the warmth of the community begins to grow on Cora and there’s even a promise of romance. Will she ever want to go home?

Lucky Grandma is an independent comedy directed by Sasie Sealy and follows the story of a newly widowed woman of 80, who is keen to live independently from her family. A fortune teller predicts a lucky day so she heads for the casino. Attracting the attention of some local gangsters, she finds herself caught up in a Chinatown gang war.  A story about immigrant life, ageing and unlikely friendships.

You may have come across Fiona Shaw’s novel Tell It to the Bees. The movie version of the book was directed by Annabel Jankel and released in 2018. It stars our very own Anna Paquin with Holliday Grainger. The story follows the growing connection between Lydia, recently separated, and Jean, the town doctor, when Lydia’s son takes an interest in Jean’s bee colonies. But this is 1950s rural Scotland and their relationship raises questions.

Madame Bovary is another movie inspired by a novel - this time it's the French classic by Gustave Flaubert. We follow the tragic story of Emma, an impulsive beauty who marries a small-town doctor in order to escape her father’s pig farm. But she soon becomes bored with her marriage. Enthralled by high society, she seeks stimulation elsewhere. This is a sumptuous period drama directed by Sophie Barthes and stars Mia Wasikowska.

Girls of the Sun is a French movie directed by Eva Husson. It follows a battalion of exceptional fighting women in Kurdistan who are countering the extremists who have taken over their town. Mathilde is the French journalist who spends time with the group to cover their story. An extraordinary movie that highlights what women from all over the world are fighting for: life and liberty.

7 March 2024

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