In Her Voice: Women Directors Talk Directing

In Her Voice, by Melissa Silverstein, is the first book that takes the words and experiences of a diverse group of celebrated women film directors and puts their voices front and center. This unique volume of interviews presents more than 40 feature and documentary directors from around the world including Debra Granik (Winter’s Bone), Courtney Hunt (Frozen River), Callie Khouri (Mad Money), Sally Potter (Rage), Lone Scherfig (An Education) and Lynn Shelton (Humpday).

In Her Voice is available in paperback and Kindle from Amazon. 

If you would like to purchase a PDF version of the book, email: melissa@womenandhollywood.com.

Praise for In Her Voice :

This is a book which says the time for women film directors has come. Each woman is full of insight, vision, courage, edge and a story they need to tell. Huge gratitude to Melissa Silverstein who has done a great service to these directors and to all women directors to come.

— Eve Ensler,  Writer, In The Body of  The World; Founder of V-Day

Women and Hollywood founder and feminist Melissa Silverstein has staked out her territory, and enriched the field, first with her blog and now with this smart, savvy collection of interviews with women directors . . . In Her Voice brings together first-hand accounts of what it’s like to be on the front lines of women’s filmmaking—and behind the camera, too.

—Thelma Adams

Melissa Silverstein’s media-savvy collection of interviews is an eye-opener. So many talented and accomplished women can only pave the way for more. For me, the revelation is the extraordinary range of interests among these directors, and their incredible ingenuity in getting their projects to the screen. This enterprise fills a huge gap and, unlike a hard-copy book, which starts and stops, In Her Voice will be an ongoing record of information and celebration.

—Molly Haskell, film critic and author, From Reverence to Rape: The Treatment of Women in the Movies (1974; revised and reissued in 1987) and Frankly, My Dear: “Gone with the Wind” Revisited

The contributions of women directors in Hollywood is one of the most over-looked and under-appreciated aspects of the film industry. Melissa Silverstein has compiled a fascinating and illuminating array of interviews of some of the most exciting voices of our time. Kudos!

—Angela Robinson, director, D.E.B.S., Herbie Fully Loaded

I have followed Melissa’s blog ever since she drove a petition to express outrage at the lack female driven films selected for the Cannes film festival this year. The tide is turning but every female director who gets to play ball in Hollywood from now on will owe a debt of gratitude to Melissa’s passionate activism on our behalf.

—Rachel Ward, director, Beautiful Kate

Smart and uplifting, this book is a siren call to women to get behind the camera.

—Kate Muir, Chief Film Critic of The Times UK

Melissa has created an incredibly inspiring piece for any filmmaker—not only women. That said, Melissa’s book is a great source to learn from other women’s experiences and perseverance—for the young or well seasoned!

—Brenda Chapman, co-director, Brave

As a director who began making films in an era without any female role models in Hollywood, I wish I could have had this inspiring collection of interviews by women directors. Their collective experience and advice about the process sends an empowering and passionate message to any woman who wants to enter the business. Just go do it!

—Chris Hegedus, co-director, The War Room

In Her Voice is inspiring in the best, unsentimental sense—smart conversations with working directors who have forged ahead, defying obstacles, to create films that range from the visionary to the crowd-pleasing, and are sometimes both.

—Caryn James, critic