Hello TLL Community!

March is Women’s History Month! Even though The Light Leaks celebrates women and non-binary filmmakers year-round, we can never resist an opportunity to shine a spotlight on talented creators and their work. So this month’s What We’re Watching is 100% dedicated to Women Behind the Camera!

Last year we highlighted some of our favorite films and TV shows with women at the helm and we’re so excited to bring this theme back to highlight even more women in the industry! Check out our picks below for a list of the films and TV shows created, directed, and written by women that deserve your attention this month, and always:

The Broken Hearts Gallery (2020 written and directed by Natalie Krinsky) PG-13

by Brynna Arens, Editorial Lead

Natalie Krinsky’s The Broken Hearts Gallery is the kind of film where the heart and soul of the writer and director can be felt through the screen. The narrative feels so personal that it’s hard not to wonder how much of the film is based on real-life experiences, relationships, and friendships. This is one of the things I love about watching projects that were written and directed by the same person. They have a cohesive voice and vision that’s hard to replicate.

The Broken Hearts Gallery is a rom-com set in New York City – the best place for rom-coms in my opinion – that follows Lucy (Geraldine Viswanathan) as she uses her latest breakup as inspiration for an art gallery. Lucy holds on to everything from her past relationships (and I mean everything). Even though she’s moved on from the people that those objects represent, she holds on to them as mementos of the time they spent together. When she stumbles onto a hotel under construction that happens to have an incredibly attractive and single owner, Nick (Dacre Montgomery), inspiration strikes. With a newfound burst of energy and passion, Lucy hatches a plan to open a gallery of relationship mementos in the hotel lobby that just might be the answer to Nick’s struggling business.

Their budding relationship and killer chemistry draws me in as a fan of the classic friends to lovers dynamic. But Lucy’s story isn’t defined solely by her exciting romance! Writer and director Natalie Krinsky’s decision to also focus on Lucy’s strong friendships and career pursuits, like the Broken Hearts Gallery, truly make her a well-rounded character. The Broken Hearts Gallery is a great film not only because of the cast’s performances and the story, but also because of Krinsky’s creative talent. Krinsky and this film inspire me to embrace the creativity that can come from the little moments in life.

Starstruck (2021, Created by Rose Matafeo) TV-MA

by Róisín Chapman, Research Editor and Writer

Starstruck is the most realistic depiction of a fanfic you’ll ever come across, this TV show created and starring kiwi comedian Rose Matafeo follows Jessie (Matafeo), a twenty-something florist, cinema-worker, and nanny, living in London. On New Year's Eve Jessie sleeps with Tom Kapoor (Nikesh Patel), an A-List actor that she doesn’t initially recognise. Serendipitously, they keep bumping into each other by accident. However, in the wise words of Taylor Swift, “life makes love look hard” and they face many obstacles, including a messy PR relationship being forced on Tom, his relentless fanbase or Jessie’s own self-sabotage.

When I tell you the chemistry between Matafeo and Patel is unmatched, this whole show makes me tingle from head to toe! Even though they don’t have many scenes together throughout the first season, when they are together it leaves you yearning for more. They are both so naturally charismatic, the awkwardness and tension they create together gives flashbacks to when you have a new crush and you’re giddy but just oozing with shyness and fear of messing up.

To me, it is obvious that this screw-ball (rom) comedy is written and directed by women. All the emotional nuances of a woman’s life and friendship are beautifully woven through the series. When Jessie and Tom are not together, we see all of her wonderfully messy life. Jessie is messy, reckless and borderline dysfunctional as many of us are and we root for her because of this not in spite of it. Even if you can’t see yourself as her, you know a Jessie. Jessie’s flatmate, Kate (Emma Sidi, who is Matafeo’s real-life flatmate), is clearly used to her behaviour as she is always there the morning after to caution or encourage her depending on the situation. They bicker like siblings but always root for each other. Tom himself is the perfect man, I dare any person to watch this without immediately falling in love with him.

10 Things I hate About You (1999 Written By Karen McCullah and Kirsten Smith) PG 13

by Stacey Ramírez, Social Media and Editorial Editor

When Patrick Verona stepped onto the school bleachers in front of the whole school for a rendition of "Can't Take My Eyes Off You", I knew he was the kind of male character that had to be written by a woman, or in this case two women. Before either of them worked on films such as Legally Blond and The House Bunny, screenwriters Karen McCullah and Kirsten Smith first teamed up to work on 10 Things I Hate About You (1999). Starring Julia Stiles as Kat Stratford and Heath Ledger as Patrick Verona, this loose retelling of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, is set in a modern-day high school. Mysterious bad boy Patrick is paid to take out unapologetic protagonist Kat, so her younger sister Bianca (Larisa Oleynik) can be allowed to date Cameron (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). But what starts as just a random agreement leads to a budding romance between two unlikely characters.

I love that throughout the movie, even though Kat’s tested for her angsty ways she remains true to herself. There is so much I love about the protagonist. Kat's character throughout the film, is targeted for her angsty ways but always remains true to herself, and she’s also a reminder that it takes a lot of strength to be vulnerable.

Aside from the romantic plot, this movie holds one of the most realistic sister bonds I've seen on screen. Kat and Bianca, like the relationship I have with my own sisters, show that you can fight and disagree for a moment but loyalty is forever.

I'm a sucker for an enemies-to-lovers trope, and Stiles and Ledger's performance is captivating. The characters are written to be their own person, but also complement each other so well. I still find this film and its characters to make me laugh and cry. This movie is perfect for when you need something light hearted, funny and restore your hope in love.

But I’m a Cheerleader (1999, Directed by Jamie Babbit) R

by Nicole Lagos, Video Editor

One of the films that I never get tired of watching and recommending is But I’m a Cheerleader. Directed by Jamie Babbit, we are thrown into Megan’s (Natasha Lyonne) perfect world – or what seems to be so in her eyes. Who can blame her? She gets straight A’s, she has a jock boyfriend, and she’s a cheerleader! What she doesn’t know is that all of her loved ones conspire together and tell her the shocking news – Megan is gay and needs to go to the conversion therapy camp “True Directions”. Normally when I get to this part, people are a bit confused about how this is a comedy, and rightfully so, but I promise it’s a comedy. Soon we are introduced to everyone else at True Directions, including Graham (Clea DuVall), unashamed of her sexuality and soon-to-be Megan’s love interest.

Babbit does an amazing job of creating a silly and ridiculous world out of something as sensitive, and quite horrific, as conversion therapy. We are thrown into a world filled with stark blues and pinks, overly plastic-covered surfaces, and camp leaders who are blinded by their own delusion. Megan and the rest of the group are subjected to outlandish tasks in a “five-step program”, absurd enough that we can’t help but laugh. Every character shows a glimpse of their true self in this world, despite their efforts to hide it. The plastic flowers might be fake, but no one can fake who they are at True Directions.

Growing up queer, we’ve had to become used to being face-to-face with this rhetoric constantly, and Babbit gives us a space to make fun of and laugh at the ridiculousness of it. Most importantly, we root for Megan as she slowly becomes unapologetic of who she is. Babbitt also does a beautiful job of developing the romance between Megan and Graham – it’s very sweet and genuine. She shares with the viewer every small moment that says more than a line of dialogue ever could.

But I’m a Cheerleader is my favorite gay rom-com. Whether you want to have a laugh with some friends or you’re a hopeless romantic who hates admitting it, this cult-classic is the perfect movie for you.

Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado (2020, Directed by Cristina Costantini) TV-14

by Daniela Espinosa, Content Curation & Partnerships

A good TV personality is fun and entertaining enough to keep people glued to the TV long enough for their segment to end. A great TV personality is someone who lives in our hearts and becomes an icon for the culture – and that’s what Walter Mercado is to the Latinx community.

Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado is a heartwarming love letter to the iconic, gender non-conforming astrologer Walter Mercado, whose legacy as a spiritualist has only grown over time. For fans of Walter, it is a beautiful and intimate look into who they were beyond their television presence.
I was too young to have seen them in their prime as a celebrity astrologer, but the Walter I got to know would come on screen at the end of the news, sharing his daily report on what the stars had in store for us. I never missed those astrology segments, and I never imagined twenty years later I would also be practicing astrology and spirituality just like Walter did. As a kid, I was just simply fascinated by the huge cloaks, extravagant jewelry, and their aura.

Walter was very different from what Latinx entertainment usually looked like then, and still now. While that essence of difference eventually drove Walter to live a life of reclusivity, I’m so happy this documentary exists. To hear directly from the mysterious and fascinating Walter Mercado themself about their life’s work and how they understood the world around them through astrology was an experience unlike any other.

I’m not ashamed to admit I cried several times watching Mucho Mucho Amor. Director Cristina Costantini really outdid herself, creating such a beautiful tribute to who Walter was at his core. This quirky and lighthearted documentary is perfect for anyone who has an appreciation for the larger-than-life icon, or for anyone interested in astrology and spirituality. It’s full of mystery, nostalgia and above all, mucho mucho amor (as the wonderful Walter used to say)!