Before getting into the list of movies, let’s start with some queer terminology that I’ll be using in this article! Firstly, sapphic refers to any womxn who is attracted to womxn. That includes lesbians, bisexuals, pansexuals, and those who prefer not to label. It is also inclusive of those who don’t fully identify as a woman but still feel femininity (for example, non-binary lesbians). Another term that may frequently be used as well is WLW, which stands for Womxn Loving Womxn. It means the same thing as sapphic and is interchangeable. These are blanket terms used to describe any sort of attraction between womxn.
Now, onto the film selections!
First, the French lesbian drama, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, directed by Celine Sciamma, starring Adele Haenel and Noemie Merlant. In this period piece set in the 18th century on a French island, Marianne (played by Merlant) is commissioned to paint a marriage portrait for former a convent member, Heloise (played by Haenel). However, it is revealed by Heloise’s mother that she refuses to be painted because she is hesitant to marry the man her sister was supposed to marry. Thus, Marianne has to secretly paint Heloise and ends up falling for her. This film is endearing and a beautiful portrayal of a slow-burn romance that makes the viewer feel comforted by the few and far between moments of dialogue and has poignant moments of heartbreak and love. In review, I would give this film four and a half stars as it is a film that lingers in your mind long after watching and begs a second and third watch. You can watch this film on Hulu with your subscription.
Second on the list is the American dramedy But I’m a Cheerleader, directed by Jamie Babbit, starring Natasha Lyonne. This film is a wonky, dark comedy about Megan (played by Lyonne), a high school cheerleader, who is discovered by her friends and family to be a lesbian and is sent off to True Directions, which is a conversion camp used to turn gay kids straight. The humor in this film comes from irony. There are instances where the exaggeration of the ridiculous procedures comes across as satirical and hilarious, for example, one of the ex-gay teachers at the camp is played by RuPaul and is very obviously still gay. This film has a way of taking a lighthearted approach to a heavy subject while still implying the dangers of the harmful practice of conversion therapy, making it a good watch and one of my personal favorites so far. You can watch it for free on Vudu with an account.
Third, we have Imagine Me and You, which is a British rom-com directed by Ol Parker, starring Lena Headey and Piper Perabo. It’s about Rachel (played by Perabo) who is about to get married to her fiancee when she notices a woman, Luce (played by Headey), in the audience at her wedding and immediately feels attracted to her. After learning Luce is a lesbian, Rachel has to decide whether she wants to remain in a stable but discontent marriage with her husband or begin a new romance with the woman she’s been falling for since meeting. It’s an adorably cheesy rom-com that is sure to delight and bring moments of joy, tears, and laughter to all audiences. There are no free options to watch this film but it can be rented or bought from Amazon and/or Redbox.
Lastly, The Handmaiden, which is a Korean drama directed by Park Chan-wook and stars Kim Min-hee and Kim Tae-ri. In this film, Korea is still under Japanese occupation in the 1930s and a young woman (played by Kim) is hired as a handmaiden for a Japanese heiress who lives in the countryside. However, the handmaiden is really a pickpocket who is posing as a handmaiden to sell the heiress off to a swindler so he can elope with her, rob her of her fortune, and lock her away in a madhouse. The plan starts smoothly but encounters an unexpected bump when the handmaiden begins to have strong feelings for the heiress. This dark and twisting film will leave you questioning everything and will have you thinking about it long after watching. It can be watched for free with an Amazon Prime account.
Hopefully, you enjoy these movies as much as I have and find that there is good WLW representation in film (although there should be more, of course) as well as more films beyond this list. Many more steps should be taken to have more inclusive films, but this is a good building block that Hollywood and the world should start from.
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