From left to right
Lina Wertmuller, "Seven Beauties" (1976) • The first woman ever nominated in the category was this Italian director for a drama about an Italian solider who deserted the army during WWII and is sent a German prison camp. She lost to John G. Avildsen for "Rocky."
Jane Campion, "The Piano" (1993) • The Australian director won an Oscar for her original screenplay for the period drama but lost the directing prize to Steven Spielberg for "Schindler's List."
Sofia Coppola, "Lost in Translation" (2003) • The daughter of Oscar-winning "The Godfather" director Francis Ford Coppola picked up her first nomination for the quiet Japan-set character study, but lost to Peter Jackson for "The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King."
Kathryn Bigelow, "The Hurt Locker" (2009) • Bigelow not only scored a nomination, but managed to defeat her ex-husband James Cameron, whose "Avatar" scored Best Picture.
Greta Gerwig, "Lady Bird" (2017) • The indie actress wrote and directed this feature, her first as solo director, based on her upbringing in Pasadena, Calif. But Guillermo del Toro took the prize for "The Shape of Water."
Photographs Getty Images