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An epic and eclectic 14-hour journey through the vast, brilliant but all-too-often-neglected realm of female-directed cinema, Mark Cousins’ documentary is a must-see for film lovers.

Both an elegant riposte to the male-dominated film canon and a far-reaching celebration of cinema, Women Make Film uses its expansive canvas to sketch an alternative history of the artform: one focused solely on the varied and virtuosic work of female filmmakers, be they acknowledged titans such as Agnès Varda and Kira Muratova or the many historically overlooked auteurs whose works are ripe for rediscovery.

Following the free-associative approach of his similarly ambitious documentary The Story of Film: An Odyssey, Cousins (The Eyes of Orson Welles, MIFF 2018) enlists Adjoa Andoh, Jane Fonda, Kerry Fox, Thandie Newton, Tilda Swinton, Sharmila Tagore and Debra Winger to narrate a deep dive into how 183 female filmmakers – hailing from six continents and over 120 years of cinematic history – have approached everything from the building blocks of visual composition and narrative to portrayals of bodies, dreams and memory.

“An astonishing achievement, Mark Cousins’ expertly assembled documentary provides both cracking entertainment and eye-opening education … One can’t help but be moved by this wealth of cinematic mastery, stricken by how many of these women have been forgotten and determined to seek out even more.” – Empire

This film will be screened in multiple parts.