I recently spent a great deal of time researching women in cinema and was pointed to this database of movies which were produced/directed by women, MoviesbyHer (defunct). If you are looking for something new to watch, I recommend starting here and supporting the women who are the unrecognized heroes of the motion picture industry.
SEDUCTION – The Cruel Woman – Germany Wanda is a dominatrix who runs a gallery in a building on the Hamburg waterfront, where audiences pay for the privilege of watching her humiliate her slaves. She is a business woman who smashes sexual stereotypes and social taboos with icy self-possession and an enigmatic smile. As artist she specializes in the staging of elaborate S & M fantasies and her affairs transgress the usual boundaries of personal and professional life. Along the way she leaves her German lesbian lover, a shoe fetishist, for an American “trainee,” and does more than step on the toes of the male performer who has broken the rules of the master-slave relationship by falling in love with her. (1985)
Masoch – Italy Aurora Rumelin is happy because the noble writer Leopold Sacher-Masoch has asked for her hand. Little by little the marriage goes into crisis mainly because Leopold asks his wife to beat him before sexual relations and to treat him like a slave. Both spouses have lovers and, in the end, the marriage ends in divorce. (1980)
The Ceremony – French dominatrix Catherine Robbe-Grillet, two close friends and two lovers share their thoughts on love, friendship, dominance and submission. (2014)
Venus in Fur – Thomas Novacheck is the writer-director of a new play, an adaptation of the 1870 novel Venus in Furs by Austrian author Leopold von Sacher-Masoch. Early in the movie, we learn that the book begins with a quote from the Book of Judith: “And the Lord hath smitten him and delivered him into a woman’s hands.” The subject of the play is sexual domination and submission. As the audition continues Vanda attacks the script as sexist, soft-core S&M pornography. Thomas at first defends it as a faithful adaptation of a literary classic about passion and desire. Vanda accuses Thomas of having his own masochistic fantasies, which he denies. However, as the film develops, he increasingly identifies with the masochistic male lead in the play. By the end of the film, he has become Vanda’s slave. (2013)
Dogs don’t wear Pants – In this sexually-charged thriller, a man develops an unexpected but powerful connection with a dominatrix. (2020)
No Men Beyond This Point – Imagine a world where, since 1953, women have been able to reproduce without men and they are no longer giving birth to male babies. Now, over 60 years later, this deadpan mockumentary follows the youngest man still alive – 37 years-old Andrew Myers. Working as a housekeeper for a family of women, Andrew finds himself at the center of a battle to prevent men from going extinct. (2016)
Preaching to the Perverted – U.K. A British sex comedy drama film written and directed by Stuart Urban. The film stars Guinevere Turner, screenwriter of American Psycho (and my own film as well), as Tanya Cheex, a New York dominatrix. Tom Bell plays Henry Harding MP and Christien Anholt plays Peter Emery. In addition, several well-known BDSM performance artists appear, including Chaos Clowns, Luci the Axle Grinder, also known as “Lucifire”, Miss Kimberly, The Fetish Nun, Suzi Woodroffe, and Tutu. While working for a conservative MP, an IT professional infiltrates a BDSM club and falls for the head dominatrix. (1997)
R100 – Japan A man in search of joy hires a bondage club to have dominatrices surprise him at random times. (2013)
The Secretary – A lot of kinky people I’ve discussed this movie with have hated it. I see it as two very broken people who together, make a glorious whole. I see the philosophy of Kintsugi in this film.
The Razors Edge – W. Somerset Maugham – This movie helped me define some of my core beliefs when I was a young 20-something that I still carry to this day. Here is Wabi sabi in all it’s glory.