NOVEMBER PLAYLIST:
The Directorial Debut
This month’s focus is on the "directorial debut.” A filmmaker’s first feature crucially positions a director, introducing their creative voice to audiences and critics alike. The buzz generated by a feature debut can gain recognition and acclaim (and a second film) because of its fresh perspective and a unique cinematic style - despite - or perhaps because of - the novice helmer.
Here we highlight our favorite directorial debuts by prolific female filmmakers. These debuts showcase the directors’ distinct styles and themes that will reoccur, and are fine-tuned, in later works. Our November picks span a variety of genres — drama, romance, western, action, and comedy.
Some of the most beloved films in the American film canon are directorial debuts: Citizen Kane (Orson Welles), Eraserhead (David Lynch), Slacker (Richard Linklater), Get Out (Jordan Peele), El Mariachi (Robert Rodriguez). We hope this female driven playlist adds to the popular canon of lauded directorial debuts.
Liliana Marmolejo, the Playlist & Social Media Editor of WomenDo, is a comedy writer/screenwriter from Los Angeles (okay, Alhambra). If you need her, she’s probably crying in a movie theater right now.
