In Her View: Women Documentary Filmmakers at HOME
Tom Grieve, Cinema Editor
The history of nonfiction cinema is dominated by male names and male voices. This January HOME look back over that history in order to highlight women documentary filmmakers — both trailblazers and contemporary voices — who have produced work that deserves to be raised up and recognised.
The season starts with Shirley Clarke’s seminal 1967 verité depiction of gay African-American hustler Jason Holliday, Portrait of Jason, running through Barbara Kopple’s Reagan-era labour doc, American Dream, all the way to The Swirl, Herrero Garvin’s lyrical 2016 documentary about the sociological and ecological effects of torrential flooding in El Remolino, Mexico.
The curated selection of films reaches Brazil, India and Mexico, touching upon a broad range of subjects, each approached with different styles. It is a season to demonstrate the quality, breadth and artistry of women filmmakers who have worked and continue to work in documentary cinema, highlighting new voices, whilst reminding us of those who paved the way.
