Being Geek Chic is a blog about one woman navigating the male-dominated industries of production and tech. It's written by Elizabeth Giorgi, Founder, CEO and Director of Mighteor - one of the world's first internet video production companies. Learn more about Mighteor here.
This whole thing started with a mission: support female led films on opening weekend whenever possible.* If you want to read more about why, you can read that post here.
This time of year is an awkward thing: it’s when we are reminded that women don’t win awards in al the big ceremonies - but it’s not because women aren’t making movies - they just aren’t making as many as men. How do we move forward? By voting with our dollars to support the very few films that do feature, star and are written and directed by women at a time when blockbusters are getting all the attention. With that, here’s your December with ladies opening the weekend:
DECEMBER 2:
Things to Come (Directed and Written by Mia Hansen-Løve)
A philosophy teacher soldiers through the death of her mother, getting fired from her job, and dealing with a husband who is cheating on her.
Jackie (Starring Natalie Portman)
Following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy fights through grief and trauma to regain her faith, console her children, and define her husband’s historic legacy.
DECEMBER 9:
Miss Sloane (Starring Jessica Chastain)
In the world of political power-brokers, Sloane takes on the most powerful opponent of her career and will do whatever is required to win.
DECEMBER 16:
Rogue One (Starring Felicity Jones)
The Rebellion makes a risky move to steal the plans to the Death Star, setting up the epic saga to follow.
DECEMBER 23:
Julieta (Starring Emma Suárez and Adriana Ugarte)
After a casual encounter, a brokenhearted woman decides to confront her life and the most important events about her stranded daughter.
DECEMBER 30:
Toni Erdmann (Written and Directed by Maren Abe)
A father tries to reconnect with his adult daughter.
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One additional note before I go: I am not able to tell you if these movies are objectively good or feminist friendly, as I have not seen all of them. The point of this list is to give you a place to start. The truth is that we don’t have a lot to choose from, but part of the battle is giving you the information. Information is power. However, shared knowledge is also key. So if you see one of these films or have seen an early screening, please let us know if you recommend it or not in the comments.
This whole thing started with a mission: support female led films on opening weekend whenever possible.* If you want to read more about why, you can read that post here.
The awards season is about to begin while we gorge ourselves on holiday eating. It’s like a double whammy. Endless movies. Endless office cookies. Whatever your gluttony of the day may be, things are looking up for women (slightly) at the box office this month.
NOVEMBER 4:
What Happened Last Night (Directed and Written by Candice Cain)
Two college students, Danny and Sarah, are strangers until they wake up together after a night of partying. Told in reverse time order, the story follows what happened the night before.
NOVEMBER 11:
National Bird (Directed by Sonia Kennebeck)
This documentary follows the dramatic journey of three whistleblowers who are determined to break the silence around one of the most controversial current affairs issues of our time: the secret U.S. drone war.
Arrival (Starring Amy Adams)
Linguistics professor Louise Banks (Amy Adams) leads an elite team of investigators when humongous spaceships touch down in 12 locations around the world. As nations teeter on the verge of global war, Banks and her crew must race against time to find a way to communicate with the extraterrestrial visitors.
NOVEMBER 18:
The Edge of Seventeen (Written and Directed by Kelly Fremon Craig)
Everyone knows that growing up is hard, and life is no easier for high school junior Nadine, who is already at peak awkwardness when her all-star older brother Darian starts dating her best friend Krista. All at once, Nadine feels more alone than ever, until an unexpected friendship with a thoughtful teen gives her a glimmer of hope that things just might not be so terrible after all.
NOVEMBER 23:
Dear Zindagi (Directed by Gauri Shinde and Starring Alia Bhatt)
An unconventional thinker helps a budding cinematographer gain a new perspective on life.
Evolution (Written and Directed by Lucile Hadžihalilović)
In a hospital on an island populated solely by women and boys, Nicholas is subjected to a medical procedure. He senses everyone is lying to him, and with help from a young nurse, he learns the secret of what the women do on the beach at night.
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One additional note before I go: I am not able to tell you if these movies are objectively good or feminist friendly, as I have not seen all of them. The point of this list is to give you a place to start. The truth is that we don’t have a lot to choose from, but part of the battle is giving you the information. Information is power. However, shared knowledge is also key. So if you see one of these films or have seen an early screening, please let us know if you recommend it or not in the comments.
This whole thing started with a mission: support female led films on opening weekend whenever possible.* If you want to read more about why, you can read that post here.
This is late. But it’s better than never. And honestly, can you blame me? It’s been a rough couple of weeks for women at the box office. As in, they are hardly present. Normally, I wouldn’t put movies on this list that are only starring one woman in a principle role, as I’d look for at least two or one other major contribution on the crew, but this month was so paltry, I had to break my own rules.
Since I started doing this a little over a year ago, this is the worst its been. I hope it is never this bad again. Because if there was ever a case for why 7 or 8 movies would be released every weekend and there isn’t even ONE every week for a month that has a woman in a leadership role, then I would like to know what the excuse should be.
OCTOBER 7:
The Girl on the Train (Starring Emily Blunt)
A divorcee becomes entangled in a missing persons investigation that promises to send shockwaves throughout her life.
OCTOBER 14:
Certain Women (Written and Directed by Kelly Reichard and starring Michelle Williams, Kristen Stewart and Laura Dern)
The lives of three women intersect in small-town America, where each is imperfectly blazing a trail.
Aquarius (Starring Sonia Braga)
Clara, a 65-year-old widow and retired music critic, vows to live in her apartment until she dies after a developer buys all of the units around her.
OCTOBER 21:
The Whole Truth (Directed by Courtney Hunt and Starring Renée Zellweger)
A defense attorney works to get his teenage client acquitted of murdering his wealthy father.
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One additional note before I go: I am not able to tell you if these movies are objectively good or feminist friendly, as I have not seen all of them. The point of this list is to give you a place to start. The truth is that we don’t have a lot to choose from, but part of the battle is giving you the information. Information is power. However, shared knowledge is also key. So if you see one of these films or have seen an early screening, please let us know if you recommend it or not in the comments.
The things that often inspire me to sit down and start typing are a little bit… off. There is nothing I love writing about more than things that are a little weird, a little uncomfortable and yet all too ubiquitous to ignore. In fact, it’s not unusual for me to grab my laptop and start writing a sweet or touching film, only to abandon it after 30 minutes to pursue some strangely funny thought that entered my mind like a lost gnat.
This is exactly why I found myself compelled to write a film about dick pictures last year. I know I’ve told you about my adventure in Milan, Italy where I spent 10 days last year writing a film in the Wes Anderson Cafe. But what I didn’t tell you is that the film was about a recently single woman facing the realities of a dating world where intimacy is traded for smartphone photos of our private parts. In fact, it’s called Private Parts.
The funny thing about writing a movie about dick pictures is that while I’m really proud of the film, it’s kind of a hilarious phenomena to explain to my mentors and family why it’s doing so well in competition. In fact, this strangely saccharine script about dick pictures was not only the runner up at IndieFest, it was a finalist at the Seattle International Film Festival.
Just like my characters, I’m having to face that really bizarre experience of talking about my very intimate inspiration. Inevitably, if you tell people that your movie is about guys sending women pictures of their penises, people ask if you have received one. The answer is yes. And I think more of us have than we would ever admit. I’m not pretending to be a nun-wannabe over here. But I can tell you this: the number of times it was exciting is equal in measure to the number of times it was totally unexpected and a little bit gross.
And to be fair, it’s not as if I haven’t sent a scandalous photo of my own ever. I too have traded in intimacy with pixels.
To this day, I don’t know how I feel about sending sexy pictures back and forth with boyfriends or random partners. If I’m being totally honest, I always get more of a thrill from the weird gifs of my boyfriend’s face contorting one way or another than anything else. But these photos, they reveal something about how we form our relationships now that have never been part of our romantic entanglements before. And if you don’t believe me, you just need to know that there are now lawyers out there that have cease and desist letters on file for divorcees and the broken hearted to prevent their own private images from being saved or shared.
Alas, it turns out that our most private moments reveal some of the most profound truths of our humanity.
I’m proud of the script and if you live in Seattle, I’d love for you to join us for a live reading at SIFF in December! For those that don’t know: “SIFF Catalyst First Draft live script table read series, now in its fourth year, features unproduced scripts that were finalists in the 2016 Catalyst Screenplay Competition.”
Private Parts will be read December 14th. You can RSVP here. And maybe when it’s done, we can trade a few stories about our own adventures in exchanging our private parts.
This whole thing started with a mission: support female led films on opening weekend whenever possible.* If you want to read more about why, you can read that post here.
This is one of those depressing months that reminds me how much more work there is to do in terms of getting more women in leading roles. There is only ONE, ONE movie this entire month that stars a woman in the leading role and that woman is Meryl Streep. While I’m happy for Meryl, I’m a little depressed that this is the state of our cinema. The Intervention comes close, but ultimately, it’s an ensemble cast full of amazing women (and dudes) so it doesn’t reach the same threshold.
So let me make a plug for a movie I saw last weekend that had many great women in supporting roles: The Hunt for the Wilderpeople. While there was not a female lead, the women that served as supporting characters were funny, thoroughly thought out and talented beyond belief in their roles. So, if this list depresses you, go check that one out.
AUGUST 5TH:
Five Nights in Maine (Written and Directed by Maris Curran)
A young African American man, reeling from the tragic loss of his wife, travels to rural Maine to seek answers from his estranged mother-in-law, who is herself confronting guilt and grief over her daughter’s death.
AUGUST 12TH:
Florence Foster Jenkins (Starring Meryl Streep)
The story of Florence Foster Jenkins, a New York heiress who dreamed of becoming an opera singer, despite having a terrible singing voice.
Disorder (Written and Directed by Alice Winocour)
Vincent is an ex-soldier with PTSD who is hired to protect the wife and child of a wealthy Lebanese businessman while he’s out of town. Despite the apparent tranquility on Maryland, Vincent perceives an external threat
AUGUST 26TH:
The Intervention (Written and Directed by Clea DuVall)
A weekend getaway for four couples takes a sharp turn when one of the couples discovers the entire trip was orchestrated to host an intervention on their marriage.
Black Songbird (Written by Raquel Deloatch)
Blinded by ambition to find the killers of her childhood friends and advance her career, rookie journalist Knight Daye is recruited by the FBI to go undercover as a party hostess at a club that fronts for organize crime. Knight enters there glamorous world, but learns that there is something more sinister lurking behind all the glamour.
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One additional note before I go: I am not able to tell you if these movies are objectively good or feminist friendly, as I have not seen all of them. The point of this list is to give you a place to start. The truth is that we don’t have a lot to choose from, but part of the battle is giving you the information. Information is power. However, shared knowledge is also key. So if you see one of these films or have seen an early screening, please let us know if you recommend it or not in the comments.
