Today's filmmaker for our weekly Female Filmmakers series is a nuanced, down-to-Earth director who has delivered very hot nude scenes. Let's take a look at Joanna Hogg's films!
The British director and screenwriter started her career in the 1970s when she left school and started making experimental films on a friend's borrowed super-8. One of these films earned her a spot at the National Film and Television School where she studied in the 1980s. She graduated in 1986 with a short piece called Caprice which actually starred Tilda Swinton! Following her graduation, she made music videos before being commissioned to direct segments for Channel Four's Network 7.
In the 1990s, she went on to direct a few TV episodes including episodes of hit British series like London Bridge, London's Burning, EastEnders, and Casualty. Her work in TV was inspiring because it lead her to feel that, "I wanted to make film doing everything I was told not to do in television." It was that very rebellious spirit that put her on the feature film map.
In 2007, she wrote and directed her first feature film Unrelated about a woman in her 40s played by Kathryn Worth who is struggling in her marriage. She decides that she needs a break, so she vacations with her friends and their teen children. Welp! On vacation, chaos ensues in the family, but Kathryn's character takes refuge in hanging out with the teens who validate her and give her a renewed sense of playfulness.
The movie is notable because Emma Hiddleston, Tom Hiddleston's sister, shows her breasts. It is a shadowy scene, but you can definitely catch one of Hiddleston's hooters.
She wrote and directed her film Exhibition which was released in 2014 about a middle aged couple that find they no longer have anything in common. They are both artists, but that's about it. When they decide to move to a new house, one half of the couple suddenly refuses to move. With this refusal comes an unraveling of their relationship as the two look at where they've been and where they are going - together and separately!
The nudity in Exhibition is truly sexy. Viviane Albertine is one hot MILF. She is in her 50s and she has the body of a hot young woman. Her booty is perky and round, just like any woman half her age. The nude scenes in this movie are really playful and hot. They are used to show us the couples' moments of connection as well as Viviane's pursuit of freedom. When she goes for a naked swim? We see everything!
She may be best known for writing and directing The Souvenir in 2019 and The Souvenir: Part II in 2021. Scorsese saw her film before this, Archipelago, and reached out to work with her. He produced The Souvenir which premiered at Sundance and earned critical acclaim. It starred Tilda Swinton as does her next film, The Eternal Daughter, slated to be released later this year.
Her style is heavily influenced by Asian directors like Ozu who would use minimal camera movement and long extended takes. She loves to use a mix of professional and experienced actors with evergreen actors (or people who don't fancy themselves to be actors at all) to add to her films' realism. Her movies have a very down-to-Earth feel which is even clear in her nude scenes. They feel raw, real.
Her nude scenes almost exclusively feature older women which is also very refreshing. She proves that you can be middle-aged and really have it going on when you're clothes aren't on!
There is certainly a lot more to expect from Joanna Hogg. I, for one, cannot wait to see what she (and Tilda) do next. In the meantime, we can check out one of these hot scenes from Exhibition:
