Carlo Chatrian

Comments

Paisan

The ongoing dialogue between bodies and landscapes, as framed by Rossellini, is a key point in my take on cinema. I usually list Viaggio in Italia, but since I have been asked to make this list in 2022: I cannot help but think about the protagonists in Paisa' and their way of expressing the concept of resistance.

INFINITAS (Infinity)

A not-so-well-known masterpiece by one of the greatest filmmakers. A big opus where dreams and reality, memories from the past and present-time in post-Soviet Russia merge in a unique way.

To Be or Not to Be

A war movie, the ultimate comedy, a great take on theatre, love, life – and resistance.

Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles

The art of cinema, pure as it can be. Political and poetic. Excruciating and tender. Chantal Akerman + Delphine Seyrig at their best.

Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans

First film at Hollywood for Murnau, the perfect match between the German way of framing emotions with light and a simple yet always moving universal love story.

YEELEN

A road movie through Mali's incredible landscapes and different cultures. A journey of initiation that always fascinates me for its beauty and mystery. Probably not the most obvious choice for an 'all-time chart' but a very personal one.

Amsterdam Global Village

I wanted to list at least one documentary. Johan van der Keuken has been of the most significant discoveries in my life, as an artist and as a human being. His almost-final opus is a great tribute to his city but also prismatic and fluid storytelling about the world we are still living in.

Meshes of the Afternoon

18 minutes of pure cinema.

Tokyo Story

An obvious choice. Simply perfect but also a masterpiece that moves me every time I watch it.

The 400 Blows

Among the films of the Nouvelle Vague, this is one of the most well-known but it has so still so much to say, on an emotional level and on a stylistic one. Plus it gave birth to a character (and an actor) who can be taken as the perfect symbol for modern cinema.

Further remarks

Now that I've made my choice, I feel sad: so many films were left out. Erich von Stroheim, Howard Hawks, Kenji Mizoguchi, Fritz Lang, Krzysztof Kieslowski… many of my favourite filmmakers are absent and some others that I like less are in.

I'm aware I took some peculiar turns – but I believe this poll offers also a chance to question our criteria and our position towards the history of cinema.