Movies Similar to Maestras: The Long Journey of Women to the Podium

Stripper(1985)

A strippers' convention and a major contest. The movie focuses on a few strippers, each with her own strong motive to win.

The Other Side of the Ring(2021)

4 amazing women take us behind the scenes of the mostly male dominated world of professional wrestling.

Seeing is Believing: Women Direct(2017)

“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.

Les scandaleuses(2024)

Béatrice Dalle, Lio, Brigitte Fontaine, Corinne Masiero, Aïssa Maïga, Virginie Despentes, Maria Schneider, Gisèle Halimi, Juliette Gréco, and Adèle Haenel—these women lived on their own terms, defying conventions and embracing lives often deemed "scandalous." Labeled frivolous, hysterical, or simply too free and too loud, they faced criticism yet used controversy as a force for change, challenging norms and advancing women's rights. This documentary retraces seventy years of their bold and unconventional journeys, telling the story of the fearless women who shaped history and fought for a more equal world.

Citoyennes !(2024)

The Sun Queen(2023)

Chemical engineer and inventor Maria Telkes worked for nearly 50 years to harness the power of the sun, designing and building the world's first successful solar-heated modern residence and identifying a new chemical that could store solar heat like a battery. Telkes was undercut and thwarted by her (male) boss and colleagues at MIT, but she persevered. Upon her death in 1995 Telkes held more than 20 patents, and now she is recognized as a visionary pioneer in the field of sustainable energy whose work continues to shape how we power our lives today.

After the Game: A 20 Year Look at Three Former Athletes(2021)

Three women from a 1999 collegiate basketball team test their limits as they push to reach their athletic potential. Nearly 20 years later, they apply lessons learned from their playing days to different professional, off-the-court challenges.

The Doctor and the Prima Donna(1960)

Famous dancer and film actress Fong Nan (Mao Mei) desires both a career and a family after marrying an eminent doctor (Guan Shan), who, however, wants her to be a stay-at-home wife. They are on the brink of divorce when he finds out she secretly rehearses for her dance and movie…Taking inspirations from Hollywood musical films, the movie is beautifully directed and meticulously produced by Yuen Yang-an and his Sun Sun Film Enterprises. While most films at the time usually depict how grassroots people rise above adversity, this one tells the story of a famed actress who thrives for success and never gives up on her artistic ambition. This reflects that women's liberation and employment was a dominating theme in left-wing movies. The finale was shot in Eastman colour negative film, which was rare before mid-60s given the limited technical resources in Hong Kong film industry, and thus a valuable record in the city's cinematic history.

Women in Christ(2025)

More than a documentary—Women in Christ is a call to every woman who’s ever wondered if her story matters. It does. Because when we see these women, we see the Savior.

Girls Can't Surf(2021)

It’s the 1980s and the world of professional surfing is a circus of fluorescent colors, peroxide hair and radical male egos. "Girls Can't Surf" follows the journey of a band of renegade surfers who took on the male-dominated professional surfing world to achieve equality and change the sport forever. Featuring surfing greats Jodie Cooper, Frieda Zamba, Pauline Menczer, Lisa Andersen, Pam Burridge, Wendy Botha, Layne Beachley and more, "Girls Can't Surf" is a wild ride of clashing personalities, sexism, adventure and heartbreak, with each woman fighting against the odds to make their dreams of competing a reality.

Scars Unseen(2024)

Scars Unseen is a ‘triumph of the human spirit’ documentary following three women who have overcome domestic violence and are paying it forward. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the statistic of 1 in 4 women affected by domestic violence went up to 1 in 3 women. This inspiring documentary highlights each individual’s experience involving domestic violence, focusing not on the grim details of their trauma but rather on the tools and techniques that helped them to persevere on their healing journey. Scars Unseen aims to illuminate the power of healing, de-stigmatize victimhood, and encourage open communication about the causes, treatment, and prevention of abuse. This documentary focuses on the resiliency of three phenomenal women and encourages us all to be more trauma-informed. Scars Unseen is changing the conversation around domestic violence.

Nos Voix Pour Toutes(2024)

A charity event with renowned french artists brought together for the first time to offer the public new interpretations of the most emblematic titles linked to women's rights.

Sisters of Wrestling(2023)

Sisters of Wrestling paints an intimate portrait of Azaelle, LuFisto and Loue O'Farrell, three ring warriors for whom wrestling is both a passionate love and an outlet from everyday life.

Running with My Girls(2021)

Tired of watching local government ignore their communities’ interests, five diverse female activists decide to run for municipal office in Denver — one of the fastest gentrifying cities in the country.

Segunda II(2024)

Dream Canyon(2025)

A traveling sex worker named Dhalia becomes stranded in a small desert town in Idaho. She meets a group of locals willing to help, but only as long as she stays.

Out of a Jam(2015)

Recognizing the abundance of fruits available and poor socioeconomic condition of the women of Himachal Pradesh, Linnet Mushran sets up a small jam factory. Today it’s at the brink of becoming a pvt ltd company, and it’s run completely by a remarkable group of village women.

Des femmes au salon - Aux sources de l'émancipation féminine(2022)

Focusing on five of them, this documentary pays tribute to the wealthy women who, under the Ancien Régime, promoted scholars and artists, and paved the way for female emancipation through their intellectual independence.

To my sisters(2024)

Four women are on an existential journey in Morocco, connecting with local women from all walks of life bonding in sisterhood, and share their common quest for empowerment.

Leher - The Wave of Empowerment

A visual journey into the personal life and battles of a group of acid attack survivors in Delhi and suburbs against stigmas and prejudices in the Indian society