{{short description|American filmmaker}}
{{Infobox person | name = Josephine Decker | image = Joe Swanberg and Josephine Decker - 2011 (39714597030).jpg | caption = Joe Swanberg and Josephine Decker - 2011 | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|mf=yes|1981|4|2}} | birth_place = London, UK | alma_mater = Princeton University | occupation = {{flatlist| *Filmmaker *performance artist }} | spouse = | years_active = 2005–present }}
'''Josephine Decker''' (born April 2, 1981) is an English–born American filmmaker. Films she has directed include ''Butter on the Latch'' (2013), ''Thou Wast Mild and Lovely'' (2014), ''Madeline's Madeline'' (2018), ''Shirley'' (2020), ''The Sky is Everywhere'' (2022), and ''Chasing Summer'' (2026). She also co-directed the documentary ''Bi the Way'' (2008) with Brittany Blockman.
==Early life== Decker was born in London and raised in Texas. As a child, she played the piano and dreamed of being a writer, as well as a photographer for ''National Geographic''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Decker |first=Josephine |title=The Poetry of Josephine Decker's Movies |url=https://aframe.oscars.org/news/post/the-poetry-of-josephine-deckers-movies |website=A.frame |publisher=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences |date=June 24, 2020 |accessdate=June 28, 2021}}</ref> She graduated from Highland Park High School in 1999 and Princeton University in 2003, where she aspired to become a conductor and applied for a conducting class.<ref name="filmmaker2013">{{cite web|title=Josephine Decker |work=Filmmaker Magazine |author=ND |date= 2013 |url=https://filmmakermagazine.com/people/josephine-decker/|accessdate=August 13, 2018}}</ref> She was inspired to become a filmmaker after watching ''Monsters, Inc.''<ref>{{cite web |author=<!-- not listed --> |title=Interview: Josephine Decker |url=http://nobudge.com/main/2014/3/8/interview-josephine-decker |website=NoBudge |date=March 8, 2014 |accessdate=June 28, 2021 |archive-date=June 28, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210628225930/http://nobudge.com/main/2014/3/8/interview-josephine-decker |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Career==
Decker produced and directed her first short film, ''Naked Princeton'', in 2005.
In 2008, Decker and Brittany Blockman co-directed the documentary ''Bi the Way'', which focuses on bisexuality in the United States. Despite being described by ''Variety'''s Joe Leydon as a "once-over-lightly examination of an alleged cultural phenomenon",<ref>{{cite web |last=Leydon |first=Joe |title=Review: 'Bi the Way' |work=Variety |date=March 31, 2008 |url=https://variety.com/2008/film/reviews/bi-the-way-1200535493/ |accessdate=September 10, 2014}}</ref> the film won the Alternative Spirit Grand Prize at the Rhode Island International Film Festival.<ref>{{cite web |title=2008 Film Festival Award Winners Announced |work=film-festival.org |url=http://www.film-festival.org/awards08.php |accessdate=September 10, 2014}}</ref>
Decker wrote and directed her second short film, ''Where Are You Going, Elena?'', in 2009. In 2012, she wrote and directed the short film ''Me the Terrible'', which Richard Brody of ''The New Yorker'' called a "wondrous short film".<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Brody |first=Richard |title=Two Independent Films to Watch Out For |magazine=The New Yorker |date=May 14, 2013 |url=http://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/two-independent-films-to-watch-out-for |accessdate=September 10, 2014}}</ref>
In May 2010, Decker attended the last day of Marina Abramović's retrospective ''The Artist Is Present'' at MoMA. As she sat down across from Abramovic, Decker immediately disrobed and stood naked in the middle of the museum until seven security guards escorted her out over the museum's no-nudity policy. Decker declared that her goal was to be "as vulnerable to [Abramovic] as she constantly makes herself to us."<ref>{{cite web |last=Carlson |first=Jen |title=Marina's Unexpected Nude Speaks Out |work=Gothamist |date=June 10, 2010 |url=http://gothamist.com/2010/06/02/marinas_streaker_speaks_out.php |accessdate=August 13, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180224234049/http://gothamist.com/2010/06/02/marinas_streaker_speaks_out.php |archive-date=February 24, 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
In 2013, Decker wrote, produced, and directed her first feature film, the experimental psychological thriller ''Butter on the Latch''. Eric Kohn of ''Indiewire'' wrote that Decker's career was "one to keep an eye on"<ref>{{cite web |last=Kohn |first=Eric |title=A Sexy, Wild Romp You Have to See to Believe: Josephine Decker's 'Butter on the Latch' |work=Indiewire |date=May 10, 2013 |url=http://www.indiewire.com/article/a-sexy-wild-romp-you-have-to-see-to-believe-josephine-deckers-butter-on-the-latch |accessdate=September 10, 2014}}</ref> and Peter Debruge of ''Variety'' wrote, "Decker has fashioned the kind of feature debut the film industry simply doesn't support, but would do well to encourage: a visually poetic, virtually free-form groove in which emotion, rather than narrative, guides viewers through a young woman's visit to a Balkan folk music camp."<ref>{{cite web |last=Debruge |first=Peter |title=Berlin Film Review: 'Butter on the Latch' |work=Variety |date=February 10, 2014 |url=https://variety.com/2014/film/reviews/berlin-film-review-butter-on-the-latch-1201095361/ |accessdate=September 10, 2014}}</ref> Decker was included in ''Filmmaker Magazine''{{'s}} 2013 list of 25 New Faces in Independent Film.<ref name="filmmaker2013" />
In early 2014, she completed her second theatrical film, the experimental erotic thriller ''Thou Wast Mild and Lovely'', starring Sophie Traub and Decker's frequent collaborator Joe Swanberg.<ref name="Indiewire">{{cite web |last=Cipriani |first=Casey |title=Cinelicious Pics Acquires Two Raunchy Josephine Decker Films |work=Indiewire |date=September 5, 2014 |url=http://www.indiewire.com/article/cinelicious-pics-acquires-two-raunchy-josephine-decker-films-20140905 |accessdate=September 10, 2014}}</ref> To raise money for the film's post-production,<ref>{{cite web |last=Barraclough |first=Leo |title=New Europe Picks Up Berlinale Film 'Thou Wast Mild and Lovely' |work=Variety |date=January 24, 2014 |url=https://variety.com/2014/film/news/new-europe-picks-up-berlinale-film-thou-wast-mild-and-lovely-1201069111/ |accessdate=September 10, 2014}}</ref> Decker ran a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter with a goal of $15,500.<ref name="Kickstarter">{{cite web |title=Thou Wast Mild and Lovely |work=Kickstarter |url=https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1585884351/thou-wast-mild-and-lovely |accessdate=September 10, 2014}}</ref> The campaign closed on August 22, 2013, having raised $18,517.<ref name="Kickstarter" /> In his review, Kohn gave the film a B+, writing, "Its labyrinthine characteristics suggest the unholy marriage of Ingmar Bergman and David Lynch. While nowhere near the same level of refinement as those giants, Decker concocts a wholly enveloping vision of isolation told with a grimly poetic style that wanders all over the place but never stops playing by its own eerie rulebook."<ref>{{cite web |last=Kohn |first=Eric |title=Berlin Review: Sexual Depravity Takes On Nightmarish Proportions In Josephine Decker's 'Thou Wast Mild and Lovely,' Starring Joe Swanberg |work=Indiewire |date=February 6, 2014 |url=http://www.indiewire.com/article/berlin-review-sexual-depravity-takes-on-nightmarish-proportions-in-josephine-deckers-thou-wast-wild-and-lovely-starring-joe-swanberg |accessdate=September 10, 2014}}</ref>
In September, 2014, it was announced that ''Butter on the Latch'' and ''Thou Wast Mild and Lovely'' had been picked up for a theatrical and VOD distribution by Cinelicious Pics with a planned release set for November, 2014.<ref name="Indiewire" /><ref>{{cite web |last=Horst |first=Carole |title=Josephine Decker's 'Butter' and 'Lovely' Bought by Cinelicious |work=Variety |date=September 5, 2014 |url=https://variety.com/2014/film/festivals/josephine-deckers-butter-and-lovely-bought-by-cinelicious-1201298715/ |accessdate=September 10, 2014}}</ref>
Decker has also appeared as an actor in many independent films, including Joe Swanberg's ''Uncle Kent'', Onur Tukel's ''Richard's Wedding'', ''Saturday Morning Mystery'', the romantic tragedy ''Loves Her Gun'', and Stephen Cone's ''Black Box.''
In November 2015, Decker served on the jury of the 33rd Torino Film Festival. The festival had paid tribute to her work in the Onde section in 2014.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.torinofilmfest.org/en/news/547/announcement-of-the-33rd-torino-film-festival-s-jury-members.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151127030055/http://www.torinofilmfest.org/en/news/547/announcement-of-the-33rd-torino-film-festival-s-jury-members.html | archive-date=2015-11-27 | title=Torino Film Festival }}</ref>
Decker co-directed with Zefrey Throwell the 2017 documentary ''Flames''. As Deadline put it, "Shot over the course of five years, the project charts the immensely passionate and profound relationship between the two artists, watching the spectacular romance, excitement and adventure of their relationship at its peak, and the fallout as Decker and Throwell clash, falling out of love with each other."<ref>{{cite web|website=Deadline|url=https://deadline.com/2017/04/flames-tribeca-film-festival-josephine-decker-zefrey-throwell-interview-news-1202073664/|title='Flames' Directors Josephine Decker & Zefrey Throwell On Confronting The Extremes Of Intimacy — Tribeca Studio|first=Matt|last=Grobar|date=April 21, 2017|accessdate=October 3, 2021}}</ref>
Decker’s third feature film, ''Madeline's Madeline'', screened at the Sundance and Berlin film festivals in early 2018.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ebiri |first=Bilge |date=January 28, 2018 |title="Madeline's Madeline": The Best Film I Saw at Sundance |url=https://www.villagevoice.com/2018/01/28/madelines-madeline-the-best-film-i-saw-at-sundance/ |newspaper=The Village Voice |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180131183137/https://www.villagevoice.com/2018/01/28/madelines-madeline-the-best-film-i-saw-at-sundance/ |archive-date=January 31, 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="Young">{{Cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/madeline-s-madeline-1086320 |title='Madeline's Madeline': Film Review, Berlin 2018 |author=Young, Deborah |date=February 19, 2018 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180220041912/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/madeline-s-madeline-1086320 |archivedate=February 20, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> It features Molly Parker and Miranda July, and introduces 19-year-old Helena Howard as a troubled acting student whose "class exercises become increasingly immersive and personal".<ref name="Young"/>
In 2020, Neon distributed Decker's feature ''Shirley'', inspired by the life of author Shirley Jackson. The film starred Elisabeth Moss and Michael Stuhlbarg, and was produced by Christine Vachon and executive produced by Martin Scorsese.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8430598/reference|website=IMDb|title=Shirley (2020)|accessdate=October 3, 2021}}</ref> On RogerEbert.com, critic Sheila O'Malley called it Decker's "most ambitious film to date."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/shirley-movie-review-2020|website=RogerEbert.com|first=Sheila|last=O'Malley|title=Shirley|date=June 5, 2020|accessdate=October 3, 2021}}</ref>
In a change of pace, Decker directed the coming-of-age drama ''The Sky is Everywhere'', released in 2022 by Apple+ and A24.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2201261/reference/|title=The Sky is Everywhere|website=IMDb|accessdate=March 12, 2022}}</ref> In an interview, Decker said, "I think I was really ready to make something that was a little lighter and had more lightness and less gritty, dark, violent, sexual. Probably for my next movie, I'll go back into it hard, but this was a nice little respite."<ref>{{cite web|website=The Playlist|url=https://theplaylist.net/josephine-decker-interview-the-sky-is-everywhere-20220215/|title=Josephine Decker Talks 'The Sky Is Everywhere,' Visualizing Emotions & More [Interview]|first=Ally|last=Johnson|date=February 15, 2022|accessdate=March 12, 2022}}</ref>
Decker's millennial coming-of-age narrative feature ''Chasing Summer'', written by and starring Iliza Shlesinger, premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Program Guide {{!}} 2025 Sundance Film Festival |url=https://festival.sundance.org/program/film/6932fa5dbd8651d83760f92b |access-date=2026-02-08 |website=festival.sundance.org}}</ref>
==Influences== Decker cites ''Antichrist'', ''Days of Heaven'', ''Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'', and ''Silent Light'' as her primary influences, as well as the novel ''East of Eden'', director Joe Swanberg, and frequent collaborator Sarah Small. She cited ''Black Swan'' as a particular influence on ''Butter on the Latch''.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/features/josephine-decker-films-books-people-influenced-me|title= Josephine Decker: the films, books and people that influenced me|author=Decker, Josephine |date=February 7, 2018 |website=BFI}}</ref>
==Personal life== Decker grew up as a Christian, and is now a Buddhist, having practiced the religion since at least 2011.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://bombmagazine.org/articles/cinema-as-sacred-space-josephine-decker-interviewed/|title=Cinema as Sacred Space: Josephine Decker Interviewed by Alex Zafiris |author=Zafiris, Alex |date= August 10, 2018 |website=Bomb Magazine}}</ref>
==Filmography== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! style="width:26px;"|Year !|Film ! width=65 |Director ! width=65 |Producer ! width=65 |Writer ! width=65 |Actor ! Role ! Notes |- | 2005 | ''Naked Princeton'' | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | | | | Short film |- | 2008 | ''Bi the Way'' | {{yes}} | | | | | Documentary; co-directed with Brittany Blockman |- | 2009 | ''Where Are You Going, Elena?'' | {{yes}} | | {{yes}} | | | Short film |- | 2010 | ''Squeezebox'' | {{yes}} | | | | | Documentary short |- | rowspan=3 | 2011 | ''Uncle Kent'' | | | | {{yes}} | Josephine | |- | ''Autoerotic'' | | | | {{yes}} | | |- | ''Art History'' | | | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | Juliette | |- | rowspan=3 | 2012 | ''Me the Terrible'' | {{yes}} | | {{yes}} | | | Short film |- | ''Saturday Morning Mystery'' | | | | {{yes}} | Gwen | |- | ''Richard's Wedding'' | | | | {{yes}} | Phoebe | |- | rowspan=3 | 2013 | ''Black Box'' | | | | {{yes}} | Holly | |- | ''Loves Her Gun'' | | | | {{yes}} | Charlotte | |- | ''Butter on the Latch'' | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | | | |- | 2014 | ''Thou Wast Mild and Lovely'' | {{yes}} | | {{yes}} | | | |- |- | 2015 | ''Rosehill'' | | | | {{yes}} | Alice | |- |- | 2017 | ''Flames'' | {{yes}} | | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | Herself | co-directed with Zefrey Throwell |- |- | 2018 | ''Madeline's Madeline'' | {{yes}} | | {{yes}} | | | |- | 2020 | ''Shirley'' | {{yes}} | | | | | |- | 2020 | ''Once Upon a River'' | | | | {{yes}} | Joanna Murray | |- | 2022 | ''The Sky Is Everywhere'' | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | | | | |- | 2026 | ''Chasing Summer'' | {{yes}} | | | | | |- |}
=== Television === {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- | 2018 | ''Room 104'' | Director, writer, and actor | Season 2, episode 7, "The Man and the Baby and the Man" |- | 2020 | ''Dare Me'' | Director | Season 1, episode 6, "Code Red" |}
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
==External links== *{{iMDb name|2528451}} *[http://josephinedecker.squarespace.com/ Official website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190106010919/http://josephinedecker.squarespace.com/ |date=2019-01-06 }}
{{Josephine Decker}} {{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Decker, Josephine}} Category:1981 births Category:Living people Category:American film actresses Category:21st-century American Buddhists Category:American women film directors Category:American women performance artists Category:American performance artists Category:Converts to Buddhism from Christianity Category:Film directors from Texas Category:Princeton University alumni Category:Sundance Film Festival award winners Category:21st-century American women