On Christmas Eve I'm reposting my list of short Christmas films directed by women. For all who celebrate, Merry Christmas!

Really fascinating analysis of interracial dynamics in POOL OF LONDON and THE STORY OF A THREE-DAY PASS. Both films are very worthwhile viewing, and I was really interested to read a comparison.

Finally the Kinuyo Tanaka box set is coming! Though I think it would have been worthy of a proper Criterion release, I’ll take what I can get. Also Sara Gomez! www.criterion.com/current/post...

"Born exactly a year apart, sisters Valentina and Zinaida Brumberg worked together their entire careers in the Soviet animation industry, becoming known as the 'grandmothers of Russian animation' for their work in the fairytale genre."

I wrote about James Wong Howe for @criterion.bsky.social once: www.criterion.com/current/post...

Last year for Pride I made a list of queer films directed by women from 1912 to today. Here it is if anyone wants to revisit it. Some are obvious, some less well know, some more queer coded, others explicitly about the LGBT+ experience. Happy Pride 💗💜💙 letterboxd.com/nannina/list...

Top 5 George Cukor films 5. MY FAIR LADY 4. DINNER AT EIGHT 3. WHAT PRICE HOLLYWOOD? 2. BORN YESTERDAY 1. HOLIDAY

I hope when award comes SINNERS is still in the conversation. It’s such a beautifully crafted film, direction, cinematography, music, production & costume design, special effects, editing & the performances (I genuinely forgot Michael B Jordan was playing both Smoke & Stack) are all fantastic.

This is really exciting! Sarah Maldoror is so important both to the history of women filmmakers, and to African film, as well as just making beautiful, politically engaged films. These aren’t films you can see otherwise, make the effort to get to MOMA in May.

Always a pleasure to talk geekily with Mr @dfaggiani.bsky.social. This time the subject was FIREFLY, most specifically, the masterpiece of episodic television that is "Jaynestown". Give it a listen!

Read www.nytimes.com/2025/03/24/w...

A fantastic well researched article that makes you think, "What might have been..." I think it is also relevant to note that Claudette Colbert had experience with a woman director, having starred in Dorothy Arzner's HONOR AMONG LOVERS. Definitely take the time to read!

For those who like and use @letterboxd.social lists here is my Women's History Month Criterion Channel Collection on Letterboxd. Glad so many people have found and enjoyed this post, I hope it leads to much happy viewing! letterboxd.com/nannina/list...

I have to say I'm disappointed the Criterion Channel didn't take the opportunity to highlight women directors in March for women's history month. They could even have used the films they already had. So here's my Women's History Month Criterion Channel Collection. 31 films, for each day of March.

I missed Criterion Channel's Feb announcement so have only just seen they have a huge selection of Sara Gomez's films! Restored with subtitles! Including her 1977 feature ONE WAY OR ANOTHER which I only saw in terrible condition without subtitles on youtube. www.criterionchannel.com/sara-gomez-s...

Opinion. Mine. If I have to fund it myself, set up my own foundation, or campaign personally, there should be an urgency to restore lesser/unknown classic Black films—aka "race films"—that are neglected or considered underwhelming. Black classic films are just as valuable to the history of cinema.

As there are 12 days of Christmas you have plenty of time to explore these short Christmas films, directed by women. They are artistic, weird, funny, beautiful, surreal & bite-sized, well worth your time. Enjoy!

As we approach the holiday I want to share some Christmas shorts directed by women. Czech animator Hermina Tyrlova, created wonderful worlds of wool & string. A stop motion innovator, her career spanned almost 60 years, 1927-86. Here is her delightful SNOWMAN (1966) www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtNo...

I started the day in freezing muddy water… I am finishing the day in clean hot water. Supervised by Ms Dorothy Arzner

Fantastic article about a fascinating renaissance woman, who reinvented herself at every decade, excelling in all areas musical. Give it a read. www.nytimes.com/2024/11/12/a...

For Pride month I've been slowly putting together a list of Queer films directed by women. I came up with 35, from 1912 to last year (over half from before 2000). All meaningful to me. It is by no means comprehensive, but I hope it makes for enjoyable exploration! letterboxd.com/nannina/list...

Mr @dfaggiani.bsky.social let me join him for 2 of my favorite films on male friendship, both (not coincidentally) directed by women: Ida Lupino's THE HITCH-HIKER & Kathryn Bigelow's POINT BREAK. A great double feature & we had a lot of fun talking about them! Give it a listen! youtu.be/CpC_mEq3_AI

New episode of The EscapeGoat Podcast! In which I am joined by @nannina.bsky.social to talk about two classic movies, The Hitch-Hiker (1953) and Point Break (1991). Enjoy!!! open.spotify.com/episode/4wdZ...

Listening to "Heart Food" and holy crap, Judee Sill where have you been my whole life?! This is an incredible album! www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8eh...

When I'm not researching women directors of years gone by, I'm collaborating with a woman director researching Shaker Sisters of years gone by for a feature film project. Here's an article on the 250th anniversary of the Shakers, it mentions our film. berkshiremag.com/spring-24/th...

I had so much fun talking with @lhbizness.bsky.social & @karenmpeterson.bsky.social on @citizendamepod.bsky.social about the directing career of the incredible Kinuyo Tanaka. Also watch her films on Criterion Channel, they are stunningly beautiful & powerful. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/c...

Reminder to new users here: Though Dorothy Arzner was the only woman director working solo within the studio system of Golden Age Hollywood, directors like Esther Eng, Eloyce Gist, Dorothy Davenport were also making films in the US in the 30s & racism is very much a factor in Eng & Gist's erasure.

Today's the great Ida Lupino's birthday! Acting from her youth, she became a pioneer in indie filmmaking. Writing, producing & directing films on controversial subjects, she was very careful to keep the censors on her side, giving her remarkable freedom in what she was able to put on screen.

Mornin’ (My co-worker was very anxious as I was taking this because I was just balancing the cup on my knee)

My favorite first time watches of 2023 HONOR AMONG LOVERS (1931) LOVE LETTER (1953) THE BLUE DAHLIA (1946) STRANGE DAYS (1995) A LETTER TO THREE WIVES (1949) BARBIE (2023) ROAD HOUSE (1948) WAY DOWN WEST (1927)

In advance of the holiday thought I'd share some Christmas films directed by women, starting with Marie Menken's LIGHTS from 1966. An abstract short film capturing the NY holiday displays at night. Only 6 minutes, turn your own lights off, sit back & let it wash over you. youtu.be/X5eCJ_vBEoo?...

Maple, pecan, walnut, hickory nut pie. The maple is from my next door neighbors (best maple syrup anywhere) and the hickory nuts were foraged from some trees near where I like to go for walks. Looking forward to seeing how it came out tomorrow!

Anyone have any advice about making a Movie Trivia Pub Quiz, that is good for both casual film goers and film geeks? I've been asked to, and it's remarkably hard to calibrate the questions right, so it's not too easy, but not impossible either. Happy for any pointers!

Going through what's leaving Criterion & came across A DREAM IS WHAT YOU WAKE UP FROM, it is a fascinating Docu-hybrid film, unlike any I've seen, & it can't be watched anywhere else. Do yourself a favor and watch it before it leaves, it's only an hour. www.criterionchannel.com/leaving-octo...

In 1926 the Tragedies of the Osage Hills opened. It depicted the same murders as Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon & was directed/ co-produced by James Young Deer-himself of Native North American heritage. The film is now considered lost.

The clickbait version of this is GenZ are prudes, but the actual study is saying that teens want to see a variety of authentic relationships depicted, not just romantic. I remember feeling as a teen that adults were far more obsessed with teen sexlives than teens were. variety.com/2023/tv/news...

Visiting LA & have decided SPEED is a documentary about LA public transit… it won’t get you where you need to go, & the subway is cavernous, empty, & unfinished. Honestly, if people actually used the subway it wouldn’t be bad, but it’s truly unnerving to be the ONLY person in a subway car.

Just rewatched D.E.B.S. for the 1st time since finding it in the New Releases of my video store in 2005 & oh my goodness it's silly & I love it. What I find incredibly telling is the reaction of the male critics at the time… sorry my dudes the movie with the sexy lesbian spies was not made for you.

Man, MURDER IN MESOPOTAMIA has one of Agatha Christie's most cold blooded, vindictive, cruel, manipulative, sadistic murderers, and then last paragraph the narrator's like: eh… sometimes I feel sorry for them, and maybe the victim had it coming…

Ummm this UK Blu-Ray of HONOR AMONG LOVERS looks awesome… "Dorothy Arzner & WAAC: a selection of short films directed by Arzner for the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps during World War II" among other special features. I have the French Blu, & hopefully there'll be a US one, but I'm sorely tempted.

Just watched ep 8 of ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING, and will definitely have "… … … WHICH OF THE PICKWICK TRIPLETS DID IT…" stuck in my head all week. I am not upset about this, just an observation.

Happy Birthday to the greatest action star of the 90s... Also POINT BREAK is just the best action movie ever made.

Absorbing watching Buster Keaton's COLLEGE last night. There's a lot to delight, so many stunts pay off beautifully for the end, but there is a blackface scene. The scene ends though with Keaton being found out by the other waiters & chased out of the kitchen & job by Black actors wielding knives.

JEWEL ROBBERY is the most Pre-Code film ever to pre-code.

Now I feel it is my duty to find this 1910 silent film... https://m.imdb.com/title/tt1397200/?ref_=tt_mv_desc

"Do you know Wim? He likes cities and I like him" In honor of Wim Wender's birthday here is Sibylle Baier's delightful song about how much Wim likes cities. https://youtu.be/F69WiWN56W0

Unlike you, I get my news from a reliable source. https://bsky.app/profile/tlawson.bsky.social/post/3k4jztcgfuw25

On Sylvia Sidney's birthday I feel the need to say that she put in one of the greatest performances of all time in Dorothy Arzner's MERRILY WE GO TO HELL. It is subtle, heartbreaking, and gorgeous.

If “I’m Just Ken” doesn’t win Best Original Song at the 2024 Oscars I will lose all faith in the Academy, and the award show will be meaningless.

Hey, Citizen Dame is on Bluesky! Give @citizendamepod.bsky.social a follow!