top of page

Top 10 Movies Celebrating Women You Can Watch on Women’s Day

With the movie industries dishing out majority of the movies catering to alpha male superiority or anti hero fandom, today we bring to you a list of some of the best movies centered around strong female leads, celebrating womanhood, some way ahead of their times, but absolute gems.


1.Parched (2015)


This is the story of four women from the parched heartland of Rajasthan. In a small village, these ordinary women unapologetically discuss men, their desires and share a bittersweet tale of their lives, their struggles with their demons and stage their own personal wars.


2.Iron Jawed angels(2004)


This Hilary Swank starrer, focuses on American suffragist leaders Alice Paul and Lucy Burns, as they revolutionized the American feminist movement in Washington, DC to grant women the right to vote. There is poignancy here in the outline of what happened. Although its melodramatic aesthetic lacks the subversion much earlier ‘women’s films’ possessed.


3.Bandit Queen


This lauded Indian drama by Shekhar Kapur, focuses on the life of Phoolan Devi, a revered criminal who eventually went on to become a politician. The film details the hardships that Phoolan faced in her youth as a female member of a lower caste. Subject to sexual abuse at the hands of numerous men, Phoolan isn't treated with respect until she falls in with a gang led by Vikram Mallah. Later, Phoolan forms her own gang and gains a remarkable level of notoriety across India. Seema Biswas plays the role of Phoolan Devi with an élan.


4.Frida


The story of artist Frida Kahlo and her husband Diego Rivera, the large-than-life painters who became the most acclaimed artists in Mexican history, and whose tempestuous love affair, landmark journeys to America, and outrageous personalities made them legendary.


5.Margherita with a straw


Laila is a rebellious young woman who suffers from cerebral palsy, and the movie focuses on her journey as she moves from India to study in New York and finds love in a foreign land. The film also explores Laila’s experiences and coming to terms with her sexual orientation.


6.Set if off


Lida 'Stony' Newsom (Jada Pinkett Smith), Cleopatra 'Cleo' Sims (Queen Latifah), Francesca 'Frankie' Sutton (Vivica A. Fox) and Tisean 'T.T.' Williams (Kimberly Elise) are four female inner city Southern Californian childhood friends. Now adults, "Set It Off" focuses on life's series of unfortunate events and taking vengeance on life with an Uzi in hand. They embark on a series of robberies in the Southern California banking district to fund their escape from a life surrounded by tragedy, poverty, and despair.


7.That girl in Yellow Boots


This is a brilliant thriller tracing the journey of a British woman, Ruth (Kalki Koechlin) who comes to Mumbai in search of her father- a man she barely knew but cannot forget, due to a mysterious letter asking her to look for him. Torn between several schisms, Mumbai becomes an alien but strangely familiar backdrop for Ruth’s quest.


8. Roma


With ten nominations at the 91st Academy Awards, this black-and-white movie is a must-watch for every feminist. Written, directed, and produced by The Prisoner of Azkaban director Alfonso Cuarón. Set against the backdrop of Colonia Roma in Mexico City, the movie follows the lives of two women and their infallible strength in the face of adversities, including being abandoned by the men in their lives.


9.Pink


Amid the tornado that was the “Me Too" movement, this movie made ‘no means no’ mainstream. Although there’s not much to be found in the courtroom drama, it does raise pertinent questions on consent and sexual assault. It’s a gripping film, deeply moving, shakes you to the core, and reiterates the importance of informed consent.


10.The witch



The Witch (stylized as The Witch) is a 2015 period supernatural horror film written and directed by Robert Eggers in his feature directorial debut. A 17th-century New England folktale, this spooky picture is more than a supernatural horror—it’s an exercise in female rebellion during a time when anyone “different” was declared a witch.


Which of this is your favorite movie, let us know in the comment. If you enjoyed what you’ve read, please share.

Like this column? Sign up to subscribe to email alerts and you'll never miss a post.



16 views0 comments

Comentários


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
soma.JPG

Somya Pandey

Writer

Somya Pandey is an engineer by profession and a storyteller by heart

bottom of page