Cinema Her Way: The Book Release for Gen Z’s New Wave of Feminists 

Films led by female directors have been a long journey of painful losses of credit, recognition and validation. In a male dominant industry starting within the 1890’s and film’s life-changing arrival to society, women have always struggled to make their deserving mark. However, within the last few, prominent decades they have become more seen within their practice (finally). Author Marya E. Gates has joined this strive for fierce, female awareness and has written a book – ‘Cinema Her Way: Visionary Female Directors in Their Own Words’ to prove female worth within cinema. 

Gates is a film critic based in Chicago known for her feminist outlook within the creative industry. In 2015 she spent a year watching films directed exclusively by women in a project called ‘A year with women’. Now, 10 years later, she has created a book with this same, written narrative. 

The novel’s structure takes the reader through a handful of comprehensive interviews with an array of female directors. Iconic film pioneers involved in the writings include Dame Jane Campion (The Piano), Mira Nair (Queen of Katwe) and Susan Seidelman (Smithereens) The interviews consist of conversations around the shared, constant struggles these female leads faced along with their successful, creative processes. 

As well as writings upon current manufacturers within film, the book also makes notes on the historical timeline of past creators. These were women who grinded for the pathway to aid the female force within film today. 

The visual element is also notable within the book. Creative, gaudy illustrations curated by Alex Kittle sit alongside the writing. Kittle’s approach to the book’s sketches include using digital illustration as a ‘zine’ artist. This provides a visionary space for a generation of readers who need to have fast absorbing information that they can graze over, giving this book the correct checklist for a Gen Z audience.  

Where deep, factual information is so frequently absorbed via a quick fix online this book offers a physical space to congratulate women of the time, who are fighting for their deserved light as well as confidently navigating the business of cinema. 

Overall, ‘Cinema Her Way: Visionary Female Directors in Their Own Words’ is the new feminist uprising piece of literature for your bookshelf. Those with a deep interest in film, success, and facing battles head on, will relish in this celebration of female talent. The volume will hit bookstores globally within the novel’s release month of March 2025, published by Rizzoli.