Maryam Keshavarz - Circumstance
Keshavarz helms this transgressive piece of queer cinema set in modern-day Iran, telling the story of two best friends who experiment with sex and partying. The shared sexual repression and the scorching desire to unshackle themselves from it are felt throughout. The hidden parties feel cramped, immediately establishing physical intimacy but with the caveat of lacking the societal freedom to do so. Meanwhile, a scene depicting dubbing a sex film emits high-wattage eroticism without showing any graphic imagery. But sex in this film does not exist in a bubble. The fight for sexual freedom is part of a larger political context, one that foes against the state and its imposed moral codes. The depiction of a character’s intensifying Islamic fundamentalism is gradual and complex, never losing the said character’s humanity. It is a sobering reminder of the homophobia that runs deep in Iranian society. Streaming on The Criterion Channel.

Vera Farmiga - Higher Ground
Crises of faith are not always manifested in the largest of gestures. Sometimes, they show up in minute details of life when doubt can unravel you. In her directorial debut, Farmiga explores the life of Corinne, a fundamentalist Christian whose belief in her church is rocked by a tragedy involving a close friend. The film dwells in the pacified exterior of a tightly-knit religious community, with scenes capturing the mundanity of daily life. And yet, these scenes are the environment that slowly forms the cracks in Corinne’s devotion to her church. The act of quoting a Bible verse could be a tool for empowerment for Corinne in one moment and then a way to remind her of the patriarchal nature of her religion in the next. These moments are brief yet piercing.  The depiction of her journey towards self-determination is skilfully nuanced. Sometimes, the act of leaving one’s church is not through a dramatic exit but through a slow slipping away. Streaming on Tubi.

Kelly Reichardt - Meek’s Cutoff
Setting her own path in the American frontier, Reichardt breaks conventions of the Western genre to chart her own adventure. Telling the story of a group of settlers in the Oregon High Desert, we witness their creeping descent towards desperation. The decision to focus on the wives instead of their decision-making husbands heightens the helplessness of the situation. But Reichardt takes the subversion even further: the wives, despite their conflicting dispositions, are in no way lacking agency. The film invests much time in focusing on the part they do for the whole group to survive. The stakes within the group are even more heightened when they hold a Native American captive to serve as their guide. As they proceed towards the last leg of their quest,  Mrs. Tetherow’s beautifully realized growth towards respect for the native becomes the film’s beating heart. Streaming on fuboTV, Showtime, AMC+, Kanopy, and DirecTV.

Dee Rees - Pariah
In this semi-autobiographical film, Rees follows the life of Alike, a 17-year-old lesbian Black girl who starts to assert her gender identity. Coming to terms with one’s own identity can unfortunately feel like walking on eggshells. Through Rees’ keen eye on observing human behavior, we get an intimate portrait of how Alike negotiates her presence within the constricting bounds of her environment. The smallest nuance in human behavior is given importance because the impactful shifts in one’s life happens in the unsaid moments, especially with Alike’s relationship to her queerness. Visual proximity becomes our key to understanding how even the smallest of interactions could mean a multitude of emotions. The film tracks her arc through alternating music and silence, emphasizing Alike’s soulfulness despite her tacit façade. Rees’ thoughtful exploration of Alike’s blossoming is both inward yet expansive. Streaming on HBO Max and DirecTV.

Larysa Kondracki - The Whistleblower
Violence and impunity is at the core of Kondracki’s gripping thriller. Based on true events, the film tells the story of a police officer who discovers a sex trafficking ring involving international peacekeepers on the ground of post-war Bosnia & Herzegovina. Kondacki’s choice to not shy away from its grim subject matter gives the film its potency. A disturbing scene depicting graphic abuse is shown at length and in clear detail, making us feel the shattering defeat of the experience from the. But just in time for the worst part of the ordeal, the camera shifts focus and instead dwells on the face of a spectator. Kondracki understands the act of reenactment and its significance without fully tilting into exploitation. It is always done with care and comes from a place of empathy. The result is a film that is maddening with purpose and aggression. Streaming on Prime Video, fuboTV, The Roku Channel, VUDU, Tubi TV, and Kanopy.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

• Sarah Smith - Arthur Christmas
• Miranda July - The Future
• Agnieszka Holland - In Darkness
• Angelina Jolie - In the Land of Blood and Honey
• Lynne Ramsay - We Need to Talk About Kevin

What would your dream ballot look like?