Feminism as a concept has gone in and out of vogue since the first suffragette demanded the right to vote, but throughout history there have always been remarkable women, prepared to claim their power in the name of a cause ('Ride to Freedom: The Rosa Parks Story', 'Veronica Guerin'), or just to rediscover their own self-worth ('Shirley Valentine', 'My Brilliant Career'). This collection does not only contain films about the political struggle of women to achieve equality ('Iron Jawed Angels'), if it did it would be a very short list because despite the fact that the rise of women in the workforce and in politics was one of the defining movements of the 20th century, very few films have been made on the subject - filmmaking being still a largely male-dominated pusuit. Now, as women are making films in greater numbers than ever, our own Niki Caro is a good example of someone ready and willing to tell a story about the oppression, and ultimate triumph of women in the 'post-feminist' 1980s ('North Country'). Perhaps women as an audience are now ready and willing to hear their own stories.
Shirley MacLaine and Anne Bancroft are estranged friends and dancers at the end of their careers, but they are brought back together by MacLaine's dau... Read more
Martin Scorsese directs a subtle masterpiece that transforms the struggle of one woman into a memorable symbol of liberation and courage. Stars Ellen... Read more
Based on R. J. Minney's book about real-life British war heroine Violet Szabo (Virginia McKenna) who parachuted into Nazi-occupied Europe as a secret... Read more