PERFORMING ARTS

Break the Frame: Conversations with Women Filmmakers

by Kevin Smokler
Oxford Univ. May 2025. 296p. ISBN 9780197619766. $34.99. FILM
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Author and journalist Smokler (Brat Pack America: A Love Letter to ’80s Teen Movies) sits down for 24 interviews with women directors, from Barbara Kopple and Cheryl Dunye to Alice Wu and Erin Lee Carr. As an interviewer, Smokler projects genuine enthusiasm for championing women directors and their art, giving equal weight to feature and independent films, television episodes and series, documentaries, and music videos as works that can make statements, launch careers, or influence the broader culture. While these interviews give space for each director to discuss career struggles and the entrenched inequalities of the film industry, the conversations focus on and return to specific works, experiences, filmmaking approaches, and inspirations, an approach that highlights these directors’ successes in spite of the odds against them.

[CORRECTION NOTICE: We found an editorial error in the original review; this online version has been corrected.]

VERDICT A strong choice for any film collection. Smokler and his interviewees demonstrate just how profound an impact women directors have had on the cultural landscape, and readers who pick this up to dip into a discussion with a favorite director will likely walk away with new creators and works to explore.
Reviewed by Kathleen McCallister , Apr 01, 2025
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