Lizzie Borden

“We are the stories we tell ourselves.” Seeing is Believing: Women Direct is a documentary series about directors, leaders… who happen to be women.Audiences will hear directly from women who are on the front lines of the field: from major award winners to NYU students, festival darlings to frustrated auteurs. They will discover the pathways to successful creativity as well as how these filmmakers drive through obstacles creative, cultural, and professional. The film ultimately will act as a toolbox for any filmmaker as well as “peer to peer mentorship” for any person who is looking for creative or professional guidance as they move toward their own dreams of being a visual storyteller.

In the years before Ronald Reagan took office, Manhattan was in ruins. But true art has never come from comfort, and it was precisely those dire circumstances that inspired artists like Jim Jarmusch, Lizzy Borden, and Amos Poe to produce some of their best works. Taking their cues from punk rock and new wave music, these young maverick filmmakers confronted viewers with a stark reality that stood in powerful contrast to the escapist product being churned out by Hollywood.

Four women filmmakers examine sexuality in this anthology. Segment 1 is entitled "Let's Talk About Sex" and is the story of an aspiring actress whose day job is as a phone-sex operator. Tiring of listening to callers' fantasies, she finds a caller who is willing to listen to hers. Segment 2 is called "Taboo Palor" and tells the story of two lesbians, who, for variety, pick up a man for sex. He ends up getting more than he bargained for. Segment 3 is "Wonton Soup." Here an Australian-Chinese man tries to rekindle his affair with a Chinese woman by returning to their roots: both in the kitchen and in the bedroom.

An Atlanta prosecutor sets her own trap for a sex offender who poses as a famous photographer.

Softcore anthology film containing stories: "Brush Strokes"; "Shrink Rap"; "Doubletalk"; "The Leda"; "My Secret Moments"; "Life Is For The Taking"; "The Diaries"; "Love The One You're With"; and "My Better Half".

Softcore anthology film containing stories: "Brush Strokes"; "Shrink Rap"; "Doubletalk"; "The Leda"; "My Secret Moments"; "Life Is For The Taking"; "The Diaries"; "Love The One You're With"; and "My Better Half".

Documentary about women in the film industry. Numerous notable actresses and female directors share their thoughts.

A lesbian college graduate, trying to bankroll her own photography business, works as a high-priced New York City escort.

A lesbian college graduate, trying to bankroll her own photography business, works as a high-priced New York City escort.

A lesbian college graduate, trying to bankroll her own photography business, works as a high-priced New York City escort.

A lesbian college graduate, trying to bankroll her own photography business, works as a high-priced New York City escort.

A lesbian college graduate, trying to bankroll her own photography business, works as a high-priced New York City escort.

In near-future New York, 10 years after the “social-democratic war of liberation,” diverse groups of women organize a feminist uprising as equality remains unfulfilled.

In near-future New York, 10 years after the “social-democratic war of liberation,” diverse groups of women organize a feminist uprising as equality remains unfulfilled.

In near-future New York, 10 years after the “social-democratic war of liberation,” diverse groups of women organize a feminist uprising as equality remains unfulfilled.

In near-future New York, 10 years after the “social-democratic war of liberation,” diverse groups of women organize a feminist uprising as equality remains unfulfilled.

A group of misfits sets out from Los Angeles for a destination they never arrive at.

Over three silent sequences, the short film shows moments of sustained, internal tension just before an emotional outburst on the part of the protagonists.

In this experimental film, Borden explores the dynamics among the members of a woman’s group. As she interviews people who know them, such as Joan Jonas, the group shoots ‘artistic’ scenes of themselves – but Borden feels they aren’t fully grappling with issues of sexuality and politics. Are they a serious group – or just friends? After showing an early edit of the film to the group, its members, upset, close ranks. Undeterred, Borden incorporates the group’s arguments into another edit, filming larger groups commenting both on the original one and on consciousness-raising groups in general. Uncredited voices include those of Barbara Kruger and Kathryn Bigelow.