Began 13 Feb. 2022. Completed 29 June 2022.
My first iteration of this self-imposed challenge had four American directors on it, so for this second time I decided to switch it around and pick four non-American directors that have made movies that really spoke to me. I am hungry to see more from each of them.
Below are the five directors I have decided to include in this list with a short comment on why I am interested in including them in this challenge. As before, I am watching their five highest rated movies on Letterboxd that I have not yet seen. I have decided to include no more than two documentaries because I do not want to exclude them,…
Began 13 Feb. 2022. Completed 29 June 2022.
My first iteration of this self-imposed challenge had four American directors on it, so for this second time I decided to switch it around and pick four non-American directors that have made movies that really spoke to me. I am hungry to see more from each of them.
Below are the five directors I have decided to include in this list with a short comment on why I am interested in including them in this challenge. As before, I am watching their five highest rated movies on Letterboxd that I have not yet seen. I have decided to include no more than two documentaries because I do not want to exclude them, but I also know ratings are a bit off on them since the people most likely to watch documentaries are the folks most likely to favor them more highly.
Pedro Almodóvar: I have really enjoyed how lively, melancholic, complex, and moving Almodóvar's movies are. They are truly about the stuff of life and I can't wait to watch more of his films.
Federico Fellini: Fellini was one of the first foreign directors I fell in love with after watching La Dolce Vita. None of his other films have disappointed me so far and I am excited to see what other kind of magic he can bring to filmmaking.
Jim Jarmusch: After watching a couple of Jarmusch films that I thought were just okay, I stopped diving in. However, recently I watched a couple other of his early movies and really got on his unique wavelength. Although they seem to be hit or miss for me, his films will always be special and his hits have really impacted me so I will become a completist by watching these final five films.
Hirokazu Kore-eda: After being floored by Shoplifters when it came out a few years ago I have been impressed by a couple other of his movies that I have checked out. I definitely want to keep exploring his filmography and continue to be a fan of his work.
Mike Leigh: I have become thoroughly impressed by Leigh after watching just two of his films: Naked and Secrets & Lies. He really seems to get very deep with his characters, extremely empathetic and humanistic, while still seeming truthful. The complexities of being human are fascinating to me and I want to keep exploring it with Leigh as my wise guide.
Note: I could not find any way to watch Without Memory so I watched the next highest rated Kore-eda movie, I Wish instead.
Progress: 25/25
Top 5:
1. I Vitelloni
2. Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
3. I Wish
4. Another Year
5. Abigail's Party
