Kelly Reichardt’s films are beautifully understated, with a focus on the struggles of ordinary people in America’s heartland. Reichardt made her debut in 1994 with the wry Bonnie and Clyde riff River of Grass. She followed with a handful of short films, but it wasn’t until 2006 that her sophomore feature Old Joy was released to widespread acclaim.
Since then, Reichardt has brought her unique perspective to genre territory, with the revisionist westerns Meek’s Cutoff and First Cow, as well as the eco-terrorism thriller Night Moves. These films remain Reichardt through-and-through - naturalistic, intelligent, and quietly powerful.
Reichardt’s films are always driven by their characters and as a result, have given us some of the best work from many celebrated actors. 2016’s Certain Women is anchored by a stacked cast, including Laura Dern, Michelle Williams, and Kristen Stewart, all delivering exceptional performances.
Reichardt’s 2022 film, Showing Up, sees her re-team with Williams for the fourth time, following an artist struggling to balance her creative endeavours with the chaos of her personal life. Reichardt’s humanist voice is as vital as ever.