Juan Barquin

Comments

What does it mean to select ten films you believe are the 'greatest of all time'? It's both nothing and everything. It's sitting there painstakingly considering what films to include and what films to cut, knowing that there is no way the entire history of cinema can be condensed into ten films. It's also realizing that, at the end of the day, you're simply selecting ten films out of thin air, grasping whatever feels right at the moment. It's a list that can change from one minute to the next, curated for no one but yourself in the very moment you hit submit. Already I'm certain I'll regret not including one film over another, not featuring a film from a specific era, not leaning into inclusivity, etc. But, ultimately, I'm content with my choices and knowing that it'll contribute to a larger selection that will hopefully lead folks to exploring all sorts of cinema; some they might know and love and others they might never have considered watching. I think of myself at 18, tanking my core classes in university simply because I was too busy educating myself and diving into the rich history of cinema that I discovered by jumping from list to list, watching every damn thing I could get my hands on legally or not, and reading in-depth criticism from a variety of sources. It's odd knowing that I, in some way, am contributing to some semblance of a canon, especially when films I adore, films I have written about, and films I have programmed, can't quite fit in here because they're already taken up by other films of the same nature. So, without overthinking it any longer, this is my list. Maybe I'll go rewatch each and every one just to remind myself how beautiful each one is in their own unique way.