Eight Women Directors Creating Films with Insightful Narratives
Katya Abedian is a self-taught South African-Iranian director, writer, and photographer whose work is driven by a passion for highlighting stories of the human spirit and the power of resilience.
Katya made her directorial debut in 2018 with a short film titled Skin Diver, which premiered in Cape Town.
Her latest film, Growing Pains, is a short film she created in just 48 hours in 2018.
The film received several awards at the 48-Hour Film Festival, including Best Original Score, Editing, Art Direction, and Cinematography. With nuanced depictions of pain, the film leaves its interpretation open to the audience, inviting them to reflect on which "growing pains" it references. Beautifully styled and cathartic, the film brings light to shadowy realities.
Keziah Quarcoo is a London-based photographer and director who specializes in creating engaging, emotive, and authentic stories. She is passionate about empowering people through visibility.
Her film Joy as an Act of Resistance, created with Nadine Ijewere for i-D Magazine, exudes a carefree energy that resonates deeply in these challenging times, where joy and presence can serve as acts of resistance. In 2019, Keziah was recognized by the British Fashion Council as a nominee for "NEW WAVE: Creatives" - a list of 100 of the most innovative and inspiring young creative talents from around the world.
Onyinyechukwu Akametalu is a Nigerian-American director, writer, and content creator based in Los Angeles, California. Her work focuses on representing the underrepresented, expanding narratives, bridging gaps, and educating through entertainment.
She made her directorial debut in 2018 with the short film Wild Gyal, a coming-of-age story inspired by her experiences growing up in the Nigerian-American community.
Her follow-up, Dear Dark-Skinned Black Girl, is a love letter to dark-skinned women who have endured generations of colorism. The film serves as an ode to self-love and empowerment. Addressing colorism as a global issue affecting women of color across cultures, Onyinyechukwu's message is clear: love yourself in spite of it.
Amirah Tajdin is a Kenyan artist and filmmaker. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Rhodes University in South Africa and Goucher College in Maryland, USA. She currently divides her time between Africa and the Middle East, balancing freelance commercial directing work locally and internationally.
Her short film Sisterhood: Action, created for Girls Who Code, was a Tribeca X Award finalist in 2019. The film follows a group of teenage girls on the eve of their sixteenth birthdays. Stranded on a cruise ship, they pass the time by playing a game in which each imagines how they will change the world 16 years later, at the age of 32, by reflecting on the changes they want to see in the world today.
Gale Maimane is a Johannesburg-based director and photographer. Her approach to both film and photography is eclectic, offbeat, and deeply intentional. Her raw style shines through in her candid, in-the-moment documentation of unforgettable moments that carry incredible depth.
Her short film, Me, is a collaboration with fashion designer Nao Serati and musician Zoe Modiga. Me is based on a song from Modiga's debut album, Yellow: The Novel.
The film is a tender exploration of how the act of dressing is, first and foremost, a way to please oneself. It was featured at the Bokeh South African Fashion Film Festival.
Olivia Lifungula is a Belgian-Congolese photographer and filmmaker based in London. Her work explores themes of intimacy, beauty, and the construction and portrayal of Black femininity in art and media.
At Dawn You Leave, Olivia's directorial debut, is a tale of love that evolves from initial indifference to desire, passion, and obsession. This experimental, poetic short film delves into the layers of love and obsession, capturing melancholic visions and rhythms. The film draws inspiration from the works of Kashmiri-American poet Agha Shahid Ali.
Ng’endo Mukii is a Kenyan film director best known for Yellow Fever, her graduate project from the Royal College of Art. The film explores Western influences on African women’s beauty ideals. Her work often focuses on relationships, the tension between perception and reality, and the use of moving images to express unspoken truths.
Yellow Fever blends her memories with interviews featuring family members, combining drawing, painting, and real footage. It examines colorism—an effect of Western and mainstream media beauty ideals—and its impact on African women, as well as women globally.
The title of the film is inspired by Fela Kuti's song Yellow Fever, which critiques women who use skin-bleaching products (as the reduction of melanin causes the skin to take on a yellowish tone). The film has received numerous awards.
Zandile Tisani, known as Zandi T, is a Johannesburg-based filmmaker with a background in fine art, styling, and photography. She has a strong focus on screenwriting and directing.
Zandi's documentary film Highlands explores Johannesburg's relationship with water. The film offers a captivating personal perspective on Johannesburg, a contemporary megalopolis shaped by its human and political history. Zandi combines a deep understanding of narrative with a dedication to creating powerful imagery.
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