Today, March 8, 2026, in honor of International Women's Day, I am sharing this playlist with you. I have selected 20 films that tell the story of Women and their history in cinema and society, tracing the path that leads them from being a passive object of the (male) gaze to becoming an active subject of a new and alternative perspective on the world.
This journey spans from the serpentine dances of Annabelle Moore and the pioneering work of Alice Guy, the first female director, to the intricate animated silhouettes of Lotte Reiniger and the surrealist, feminist cinema of Germaine Dulac.
The selection also includes films made by men that reflect the traditional roles assigned to women in both film and society—including some "spicy" early 20th-century scenes—as well as tales drawn from popular culture, such as Cinderella and Bluebeard. These are particularly compelling for how they intertwine with our collective imagination.
I hope this reminds us that "male" and "female" are social roles, and that no one should be forced to play a part they have not chosen for themselves. Ultimately, the history of women in cinema is the history of humanity’s broader journey toward freedom, equality, and democracy.
In this playlist I have selected 20 films for you that tell the story of Women and their history in cinema and society, along that path that
