Show Notes
On the very first episode of Directora, host and creator Stephanie Weber introduces herself and the premise of the entire podcast. This podcast celebrates the history of women in film, so it is only fitting that we start with the very beginning of the film industry and the woman believed to be the first female filmmaker in the world.
Her name was Alice Guy-Blaché, and she went from being an employee at a camera company in France to the writer, director, and producer of over 1,000 films. Yes, you read that right! She even made films in America in the early 1900s, when her film company set up a second location in the budding East Coast film industry in the United States. Her breakthroughs include the first narrative films, feminist satires, and films featuring the first all-Black casts. This is the astounding story of Alice Guy-Blaché, her contributions to cinema as a whole, and what happened to her towards the end of her life. While many of her films are lost to time, there are several that remain. Please follow us on Instagram (directora_podcast) and TikTok (directorapodcast) to see clips of her films as well as promotional posters and still images.
Welcome to Directora! I'm so happy you're here.
Special thanks to friends Joel Walkowski, John Campogna, Jeff LaPenna, Veronica Hetschinof, Marissa Hansen, Emily Roscoe Jones, Brock Alter, and Alex Van Beek for answering my questions up top. Thank you to Daisy Eagan for editing my script and to Amanda Rossman for the final sound mix. Special thanks to Brock Alter for the art and tech help. It took a village to make this first episode of Directora! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More from Directora
Why are there so many pregnancy horror films? And horror films where motherhood is made horrific by an evil child? I wanted to delve into domestic horror and why we've seen so many pregnancy horror films in recent years. Actress and producer Deborah Lee Smith joined me to talk about pregnancy fears - both in film and in real life - and the ways that these are reflected in movies. This was a GREAT conversation as we talked about all things pregnancy and motherhood as they relate to horror. I learned some things about reproductive healthcare that I didn't know! Listen to hear more.
For the month of October, Directora is all things women in horror - including talking to directors of cool new horror films! We talked to director Alison-Eve Hammersley about her new found footage horror film Erie. She talked about the process of making the film, what inspired it, and trends in horror that she would love to see more of. Erie is currently doing the festival circuit, so check it out if it is coming to a film festival near you!
Have you ever noticed that there are a lot of films featuring lesbian vampires? Or gay vampires in general? Where did that come from, and what films depict gay vampires best? This was a GREAT episode. There is a ten-minute history of vampires in film up top, followed by a hilarious and informative conversation with content creator and film lover Butch Noir. This is definitely one to listen to!
The 7th film for our 31-for-31 challenge this month, in which we watch a horror film directed by a woman for every day in October, is 1983's A Night to Dismember directed by Doris Wishman. It's a fascinating, low-budget, indie film for a lot of reasons: there are multiple versions, she did everything herself, and Wishman was best known for directing nudie films.
The Musical is a hilarious dark comedy in theaters now. The film stars Will Brill, Rob Lowe, and Gillian Jacobs. When middle school drama teacher Doug (Brill) gets his heart broken by fellow teacher Abigail (Jacobs), he gets petty revenge by writing and directing his students in an outrageous musical. Director Giselle Bonilla talks about the wild making of the film. This is a must-listen for any indie filmmaker out there! Bonilla's movie went through the ringer to get made, and it was well worth it. This film is hilarious! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.