Films — by Collection

Staff Picks: Sandra Reid

A maximum of 12 picks obligatorily narrows down the list of the many films that have wowed me over the past 12 months – starting with Maiden, Amazing Grace, and most recently Portrait of a Lady on Fire and La Belle Époque (the latter two from our fab Cannes line-up). I don’t want to exclude any of them. Faced with this dilemma, my picks, listed in alphabetical order, are an opportunity to highlight a few titles striking for their formal approach or content, or their freshness, which may not be so obvious in our line-up, along with documentaries and an animated film that have left a lasting impression. These are complemented by two features from New Zealand and Australia I’m very much looking forward to seeing (but this is no indication that I’m not looking forward to also seeing Judy & Punch and so much more). And a delirious tale involving a murderous dress. — Sandra Reid, Programmer

For Sama

Waad al-Kateab, Edward Watts

Shot over five years, Waad al-Kateab’s intimate, Cannes award-winning film addresses her baby daughter and delivers a harrowing account of the war in Aleppo, the devastation wrought on the city, its people and children.

Ruben Brandt, Collector

Ruben Brandt, a gyűjtő

Milorad Krstić

Boasting batshit surreal imagery, fist-pumping action sequences and a wall-to-wall shrine of art and cinema references, Ruben Brandt, Collector is a new milestone for animated invention.