The Best Docos By Women, About Women

If you're a movie lover who wants to support women behind the camera, these documentaries by women and about women are the way to go. Whether you're looking to get more information on women throughout history, women who made history, or just women otherwise living their lives in this wild world, these documentaries fit the bill.

While women directors are still left out of the conversation when it comes to narrative films — in more ways than one — women directors are killing it in the documentary scene. As a point of comparison, the first woman director to win the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, Nancy Hamilton, won all the way back in 1955 for a film about Helen Keller. The first — and only — woman to win the award for Best Director was Kathryn Bigelow 55 years later in 2010.

Thankfully, many more directors have followed in Hamilton's footsteps and the footsteps of many other women filmmakers over the years, making acclaimed films about other amazing ladies. The following are 18 of the best documentaries by women and about women on topics ranging from art to politics, and activism to Beyoncé.