Films by women: At the Oscars, only 9 women were ever nominated for “best direction”
We know that#OscarsSoMaleand#OscarsSoWhiteare, but in recent years one has - at least occasionally - women in the categories of theHad who also won. In a category, however, it still looks mau. Since the Oscars awarded their first golden statue in 1929, over 400 directors have been nominated. But onlyNine womenwere ever recognized by the Academy with a nomination. But it comes even more shocking: of these nine women were onlyThree womenever with the Oscar for“Best Direction”excellent. And nobody can tell us that there are no other good ones apart from thesefemale directorsgab.
Films of women are not honored at the Oscars
In the night of2nd to March 3, 2025Become again theAgain and this year only one woman is nominated in the “Best Director” category. After Justine Triet was nominated for “Anatomy of a case” and Greta Gerwig was somehow forgotten for “Barbie”, 2025 Coralie Fargeat may have hopes for an Academy Award.
Before we look at the Oscars event dominated by men at the beginning of March, we will again devote ourselves to the nine extraordinaryDirectorAnd their nine films that were actually recognized by the Academy.
Okay, the first awarding of the Academy Awards took place in 1929, it was not until 1975 that a woman was nominated for an Oscar for the first time in the “Best Director” category - however, the first woman was only awarded in 2009. See our overview here.
1. Lina Wertmüller for “Seven Beauty” (1975)
It took 47 years, but in 1977Lina WertmüllerAs the first woman in the “Best Director” category, recognized with a nomination. Unfortunately, she didn't get the award, but in 2019 she received the Academy Honorary Award for her career - which she continued until her death in 2021.
The Italian feature film “Seven Beauty”, with the original title “Pasqualino Settenblellezze”, from 1975 is a typical work of the 1970s. He is loud, grotesque,And shows Italian fascism in a rough comparison to the Italian machismo. The petty criminal machine, played byGiancarlo Giannini,Stumbled through the fascist Italy to defend the pride of his family. He ends in a concentration camp in which he entered into a kind of BDSM relationship with a German supervisor.
A film that nobody would dare to write today. But Lina Wertmüller didn't care, she replies confidently: "If everything is allowed in love and in the war, everything is also allowed in the cinema." Unfortunately, there is no streaming service at the moment. You can watch it in Italian on YouTube, and when you keep your eyes open, it sometimes comes in the local arthouse cinema.
2. Jane Campion with “Das Piano” (1993)
After the groundbreaking nomination of Lina Wertmüller, women had to wait 20 years before another woman was recognized for her direction by the Academy. In 1994 gotJane CampionThe nomination for “best director” for the film “Das Piano”. She also could not take the coveted Oscar home with her, but the film was awarded the best script, and the two main actors also received an Oscar.
The historical drama “The Piano” from 1993 is about the silent piano player Ada(Holly Hunter),The mid -19th century was sent to New Zealand to marry a man who was arranged for her. Her beloved piano is sold to a friend of her husband. Now she wants to do everything to spend a few hours on the keys - even if she has to use her body.
“The piano” was actually restored in 2022 for a resolution of 4K and came back to the cinemas. This new version can actually beAmazon Prime Video Im Arthaus+ ChannelLooked at or borrowed from the regular subscription to Amazon Prime Video.
3. Sofia Coppola with “Lost in Translation - Between the Worlds” (2003)
Sofia CoppolaMaybe ours. As a daughter of the award -winning directorFrancis Ford CoppolaOf course, many doors were opened to her that she first used as an actress. But with “Lost in Translation” she has proven that she also deserves her place. Unfortunately, she also did not win the Oscar for “Best Director”, but took home the Oscar and a Golden Globe for “Best Screenplay”.
With her film “The Virgin Suicides”, which already has cult status today, Sofia Coppola made her breakthrough as a director. Four years later followed “Lost in Translation”, her first self-written feature film script. The film is a romantic-dramatic comedy withBilly MurrayIn the leading role as a middle-aged man, which is just going through his midlife crisis while he is supposed to turn a commercial in Tokyo. He is friends in his hotel with the young American Charlotte, played by, and both of them soon connects deep togetherness.
“Lost in Translation” can beAmazon Prime Videobe borrowed.
4. Kathryn Bigelow with “Deadly Command - The Hurt Lock” (2009)
After three nominations we are withKathrysn BigelowAnd “deadly command - The Hurt Locker” not only arrived in the mainstream, but also with the first woman who has ever won an Oscar for “best director”. In addition to the direction, the film also won Oscars for “Best Film” and “Best Screenplay”.
“Deadly command - The Hurt Lock” is a war film in which the psychological effects and trauma of the Iraq war is treated. The film follows a group of soldiers from a bomb command, who try to act as carefully as possible in the middle of the cruel war. When your leader dies on a mission, you have to get involved with a new superior. But with his ruthless nature, not only himself, but his entire team.
The Oscar winner can be on a prime channelAmazon Prime VideoTo be streamed: At the film tastic you can see the Award winner.
5. Greta Gerwig mit “Lady Bird” (2017)
Greta GerwigCan just do everything. She plays indie roles like in “Frances Ha”, Romcoms like in “Friendship Plus” and sci-fi as in “white noise”. She adapted scripts like, and with “Lady Bird” she writes her debut for her first solo director-for which she was immediately nominated for “Best Director”. In total, “Lady Bird” was able to get five Oscar nominations, including for “best film”.
“Lady Bird” is Greta Gerwig's half -autobiographical work, in which the rebellious teenager Lady Bird(Roan Guan)goes, which is her life between Catholic school, college applications and initial experiences with boys (here comesTimothée Chalametinto play). In addition, she has a difficult relationship with her mother and actually wants to leave her old home behind. But at some point she realizes that she doesn't hate her home as much as she actually thought.
“Lady Bird” can be bought and borrowed from Apple TV. Unfortunately, the coming-of-age film is not available free of charge at the moment.
6. Emerald Fennell mit “Promising Young Woman” (2020)
The year 2021 was a good Oscar year for women. Not just one, but wholetwoWomen were nominated for “best direction” this year. One of them isEmerald FennellWith your directorial debutthe concentrated star power brought with it. The Oscar for “Best Director” went to another woman (!) That evening, Emerald Fennel was able to get the Oscar for “Best Screenplay”. The film received a total of five Oscar nomination, including for “Best Film” and “Best Actress”.
The film was both written and shot by Emerald Fennell - and is based on experience not only from her, but by many women she knows. It's about Cassie (Carey Mulligan) that leads a murderous double life. She pretends to get drunk and then punishes the men who first try to "help" her, and then pass on her and rape her. She does all of this to avenge her friend that has been raped in the past - without the consequences for it.
“Promising Young Woman” can be bought and borrowed online in the Sky Store.
7. Chloé Zhao Mit “Nomadland” (2021)
We cannot be so sad about the loss of Emerald Fennell, because in 2021 the Oscar went to a woman for “Best Director”. And not just in any woman, but onChloé Zhao, the first woman of Asian origin to be nominated for “best director” and then even won! The filmAnd Chlé Zhao were also nominated for “best adapted script”, “Best Filntucht” and “Best Film”.
“Nomadland” is based on the book “Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century” and follows away, played by Frances McDormand, who lives in a caravan. After her husband died and she lost her house, she now travels through the USA alone and earns her money through part -time work. On her trip, she keeps meeting other nomadic people and gets to know a wide variety of stories. An authentic view of life between poverty and freedom.
“Nomadland” is on the streaming serviceDisney+Available, but can also be borrowed and bought from Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV.
8. Jane Campion mit “The Power of the Dog” (2022)
In 2022 there was another milestone in the film history of women.Jane CampionIs the first woman nominated for two Oscars. “The Power of the Dog” was able to convince the Academy so much in 2022 that the drama received a total of 22 Oscar nominations, including “Best Film” and “Best Adapted Script”. Jane Campion was also awarded the Oscar for her performance, and she became the third woman who has ever received an Oscar for “best director”.
“The Power of the Dog” is a modern western and at the same time a psychological drama based on the novel of the same name from 1967. The two brothers Phil (Benedict Cumberbatch) and George (Jesse Plemons) Take care of a farm together - but due to their character differences, there can hardly be any suffering. When George marries the widow Rose, she and her son Peter move to the farm and change the life of Phil forever. Power relationships begin to move, and a curious connection develops between Phil and Peter.
“The Power of the Dog” is a Netflix original and can therefore be free and probably foreverNetflixto be streamed.
8. Justine Triet with “Anatomy of a case” (2024)
For “anatomy of a case” with the German actress Sandra Hüller, Justine Triet, born in 1978Won in 2023 - in 2024 she was nominated for an Oscar in the “Best Director” category.
The drama deals with a tragedy that takes place in a remote chalet in the French Alps: The successful writer Sandra finds her husband and father of the son Samuel, Vincent, dead in the snow in front of the house - a court hearing should determine whether the death is an accident, murder or suicide. Sandra has to endure the most intimate questions about herself and her marriage, the life of her family, her sexuality and her life plan. “Anatomy of a case” is nominated for five Academy Awards.
“Anatomy of a case” runs in the stream at Amazon Prime Video.
9. Coralie Fargeat put “the substance”
“The Substance” is a body horror film in whichplays the main role. The 62-year-old actress won her first for her performance in January 2025as “best leading actress in a comedy or a musical”. Coralie Fargeeat was also nominated for the best direction at the Golden Globes, but went away empty -handed.
“The Substance” is Fargeat's first production with Hollywood stars, the 48-year-old director from France only gave her directorial debut seven years ago.
“The Substance” is Fargeat's first production with Hollywood stars, the 48-year-old director from France only gave her directorial debut seven years ago.
“The Substance” tells of Hollywood and in a rather drastic and visual manner: Aerobic trainer Elisabeth Sparkle () learns on her 50th birthday that your TV show should be discontinued. When she has a car accident shortly after the bad news and is in the hospital, an ominous provider “The Substance” offers her: a serum that creates a younger, more beautiful and “perfect” version of the user when injection, the two continue are connected. Elisabeth injects the serum and thus creates her younger I, Sue (Margaret Qually), who needs serum from Elisabeth's body to survive.
While Elisabeth is only a little more than a serum farm over time, Sue bases in the spotlight and does not allow Elisabeth to be a prescribed rest periods. It is almost clear that all of this can only end in a bloody showdown. “The Substance” is by no means suitable for people who can see no or little blood.
“The Substance” can be at Mubi or theMubi-Channel on Amazon Prime Videoto be streamed.
