5 films - May 2024
Welcome to the inaugural post from 5 Films.
Each month I will provide a list of 5 film recommendations and where to see/stream them.
Creating this outlet was necessary for two reasons:
The film and media content that is the most accessible to audiences is oversaturated with the same type of stories.
To hold myself accountable to the one thing that has been my lifelong interest and hobby.
I cannot help but follow my own whims and preferences when it comes to choosing a film to watch. I also cannot help to share these whims with anyone willing to open their eyes to something new.
These posts won’t delve into criticism because I don’t believe that’s productive. What you will find each month are a couple of film stills from each movie, along with my thoughts and reflections on my experience. Take what you will from that!
Thank you for being here. I hope you will find something new to watch that you will always love.
Les Rendez-vous de Paris (1995), dir. Eric Rohmer
Streaming on Kanopy.One of a few of Eric Rohmer’s films I’ve had difficulty tracking down. I was delighted to learn it lives on Kanopy, along with a few others I haven’t seen yet. The perfect film to watch if you love short stories and coincidental romances.
2. Diabolo Menthe (1977), dir Diane Kurys
Streaming on Kanopy.
Watching Anne move through her world made me realize how sacred the act of defiance is for young women. Let’s all make an effort to protect and cultivate this in the young women we may know. The setting of Paris in the 1960s was eye catching and I couldn’t help but fall in love with all of the interior shots of Anne’s apartment.
3. Agatha et les lectures illimitées (1981), dir Marguerite Duras
Included in the MoMA retrospective, honoring actress Bulle Ogier.
Words make up most of the action in this film and it wasn’t at all what I expected. All I can think about afterwards are the shots of the building façades and cold interiors, reminding me that words house our memories in solid structures. Sometimes, we are unable to breakthrough those walls, but sometimes they will invite us inside.
4. The Tsugua Diaries (2021), dir Maureen Fazendeiro, Miguel Gomes
Streaming on Metrograph.
Beautifully composed shots. Sometimes I thought I was looking at a painting that is how precise the visuals are. The film starts at the end, evolving to Day 1 within the last ten minutes. The perfect film to watch if you appreciate rare moments of peace and beauty hidden within unpredictable life.
5. Petite Maman (2021), dir. Céline Sciamma
Streaming on Kanopy
I decided to start working my way through films directed by Céline Sciamma. I cannot help but think of how the film portrayed grief. The grief that we feel over the years lost between mother and child. Who was she before? If only we could ever really know!
