10 Films About Influential Women that Will Make You Believe in Yourself

The heroines of the films from our selection are at the same time inherent in wisdom, power and charm. We watch and get inspired!

The world famous Princess Diana could have celebrated her birthday on July 1. Such strong-minded women appear more and more often and become heroines in popular culture, including through cinema. Together with the online cinema KION, they collected the top 10 films about bright and influential women who managed to make a significant contribution to world development.

“Diana: A Love Story” (2013)

Oliver Hirschbigel’s dramatic melodrama about the romance of a British princess and a simple doctor, which does not claim to be historical.

Princess Diana is one of the most popular women of the era, even during her lifetime she was called “the princess of human hearts”. She was confessed in love, it seems, by everyone: from the Prince of England to sheikhs and billionaires. After breaking up with Charles, Diana devotes herself to community service. One day she meets a 36-year-old cardiac surgeon – this novel will become “the love of her life.”

“Joy” (2015)

An inspirational biopic about the inventor of the super mop from David O. Russell.

In the center of the story is a heroine from a large family, in which no one really appreciates her, and everyone hangs on her neck. The girl works several jobs, barely making ends meet. There is no time to dream of a happy and carefree life – you need to earn money. Joy gradually turns into the founder of a business dynasty and changes the attitude towards her relatives, thereby making the life of thousands of people easier. This is a story about the path of a strong-willed and purposeful girl to dizzying success.

“Victoria and Abdul” (2017)

English costume drama by Stephen Frears.

The story revolves around Queen Victoria of Great Britain, played by Judy Dench, who ascended the throne at the age of 18. Subsequently, she became the Empress of India, and Abdul Karim, a young and handsome youth, appeared among her subjects. Gradually, the guy gains influence at court. Despite the intrigues against him, Abdul and Victoria begin to communicate and find many topics for endless conversations. The story of how a great woman began to trust an ordinary guy. But what did Abdul get interested in Victoria?

“The Iron Lady” (2011)

Meryl Streep as British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

The film begins with a period in the life of the politician after retirement, now her children have left, her husband has died, and she herself suffers from dementia. However, memories of different periods of life remained with Margaret. So what was she afraid of, what she dreamed of and what was in the soul of the “iron lady”?

“Radioactive” (2019)

The history of the great and forever entered the history of the Curies.

Maria Sklodowska-Curie is the first female Nobel laureate. Even in her youth, the girl decided to devote her life to science, and together with her husband, she begins to study radiation. This is a story not only about great discoveries that changed the world, but also a tragic love story that cannot be remembered. Rosamund Pike played the main role in the motion picture.

“La vie en Rose” (2014)

French singer Edith Piaf (Marion Cotillard) lived a short but dazzling life.

Her biography is the story of a sickly girl who grew up in the slums of Paris without maternal love, who became a world legend and passed away at the height of her fame and adoration by the public. She is the same age as Frank Sinatra, personifying the romance of Europe. In the USSR, Edith Piaf became a folk legend, whose records were constantly scarce to meet the demand of buyers. So how was her music born?

“Secretariat” (2010)

Baoipik about a horse whose rider played an important role in its fate in the 70s.

The horse named Secretariat was able to accomplish the impossible in 1973 – to win three consecutive prestigious races from the “Triple Crown” series. This is a story about the meeting of two opposites, each of which faces its own fears, but goes forward and overcomes difficulties on its way. A rider with a share of adventurism showed that there is a place for women in men’s equestrian sports.

“Erin Brockovich” (2000)

Steven Soderbergh in the early 2000s releases films based on real events.

The focus is on human rights activist Erin Brockovich, who has been fighting for the rights of residents of the Hinckley community (California, USA) for several years with her last strength, who are threatened by the plans of a giant corporation to poison the city’s groundwater. The main role is played by Julia Roberts, and the real Brockovich appears in a cameo role as a waitress named Julia.

“Gia” (1998)

 Life and death of the famous model and fashion model Gia Marie Carangi from Michael Christopher.

The plot is based on her biography, in particular, her personal diary and stories from colleagues and friends. At 17, she worked for her father in a diner, and at 26 she had already died of AIDS. Jia is one of the first women to be officially diagnosed with HIV as the cause of death. In the late 70s, she was called the queen of the world podium.

“Shirley” (2020)

The second full-length work by Josephine Decker, stylized as a biopic, but not such.

The script is based on the novel of the same name by Susan Scarfe Merrell. The main character (of both the novel and the film) is the famous writer Shirley Jackson. Her works are praised for their realism and fantastically gripping storyline. But few people know what price she pays for these stories. Shirley’s new novel is dedicated to the girl Paola, who disappears under mysterious circumstances. The image of the writer was embodied on the screen by Elisabeth Moss. So what do great writers dream and fear?