Smiles of a Summer Night (1955)

"Smiles of a Summer Night" is easily one of Ingmar Bergman's most entertaining films and is probably the best film to begin one's studying of Bergman 101. It was the film that introduced the now legendary Swedish auteur to the world, after winning a Grand Prix prize in the 1956 Cannes Film Festival. Indeed, the 1955 romantic comedy is definitely a standout piece of its time, as it has unexpected depth, which arguably lacks in a lot of movies of its kind.

I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK (2006)

Distinctly Korean with its stark humor and outrageous acting, director Park Chan-wook gives us a delightful romantic comedy in this queer tale of boy meets girl inside an insane asylum.

Silent Light (2007)

Johan (Cornelio Wall Fehr) has long been married to Esther (Miriam Toews). Along with their children, they live a life of faith as a Mennonite community in Mexico. However, underneath his conservative façade, Johan faces a moral dilemma in having an affair with another woman within their group, Marianne (Maria Pankratz). Johan does not deny his fault, as we witness his torment manifesting in his solitude.

Once (2007)

The premise is basic: the guy (Glen Hansard) tries to earn a living by playing his guitar and performing in the streets of Dublin; one night, the girl (Markéta Irglová) hears him sing and is instantly enchanted by his music; after finding out that he also repairs vacuum cleaners, she negotiates to make him fix her vacuum. They eat lunch together the next day; the girl catches the guy’s attention after she reveals that she too is a musician - she plays the piano. With the guy wanting to hear her play, the two visit a music store where she is allowed by the owner to use the instruments. The guy teaches the girl an original piece, which she is able to learn very quickly; the two then play and sing together, solidifying their connection with one another.

Blissfully Yours (2002)

Simply put, “Blissfully Yours” is basically about a boy taking his girlfriend to a scenic spot in the forest by the mountains, one sunny afternoon. The plot however, despite its simplicity, is actually multi-layered as director Apichatpong Weerasethakul masterfully conceals and reveals information throughout the film, as he fully develops his characters in this 125-minute slice-of-life, delicately unfolding. Extra attention is required to fully appreciate its intricate beauty but patience is sure to be rewarded.

Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927)

Passing judgment onto a black and white silent film from the 20’s is quite very tricky for someone who has been used to the era of sound and color. The sensibilities of a silent film are definitely far from what we are watching now, as most of the time, the storyline is not even the core of the film at all. Being part of early cinema, it’s this concept of this so-called “cinema of attraction” that keeps the audience glued – not really the story nor the lines, not the characters, sometimes the stars but it's always the antics and the visual feats that entertain. It’s what made Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton famous and for F.W. Murnau's "Sunrise", it is no different. The level of sophistication however, is very high compared to the early silent films. Being made nearing the end of the decade, the incorporation of the narrative in film has already been developed and Murnau’s film was able to benefit from that.

Suzhou River (2000)

Lou Ye’s “Suzhou River” is a harrowing tale about one man's search for lost love. It begins with an anonymous videographer (Hua Zhongkai) serving as the film’s narrator and his encounters with Meimei (Zhou Xun), the girl he desires. From there we would be introduced to the character of Mardar (Jia Hongsheng), a courier who would do anything to find Moudan (also played by Zhou Xun), his most beloved girl. We follow their story from how they met, through their parting until Mardar’s return and sighting of Meimei, who needless to say, looks exactly like Moudan. All this results to the characters’ discovery of their true love, or at least the beginning for at least one of them.

La Belle Noiseuse (1991)

"La Belle Noiseuse" (The Beautiful Troublemaker) is Jacques Rivette's exploration on an artist's frustration towards transcendence. Running for almost 4 hours, the film attempts to immerse us in the experience of an aging artist in his struggle to complete his masterpiece. Delicately weaved by Rivette, it is a poignant meandering on the limits of art.

Todo Todo Teros (2006)

I won’t pretend that I completely understand every piece that was placed in the bewildering puzzle that is John Torres’ “Todo Todo Teros”, but my inability to fully grasp this beguiling Filipino film doesn’t mean that I don’t have the right to say that I enjoyed it. Although I would have to admit that my mind was initially drifting as I was hypnotized by its melancholic voiceover and its mesmeric score, I know I loved every minute of it as I truly felt I was taken into its heart – and yes it is most notable that the film truly has one. Beyond comprehending its socio-political statements (which I’d rather not tap into, to avoid the risk of simply speaking bullshit), what I value most about this film is the emotional experience it gave me while seeing it. Accompanied by lyrical poetry and intriguing passages, the film is intimate as it is spellbinding. The raw lines and how they were delivered are so sincere and evocative, every spoken word lingers.

A Prophet (2009)

After successfully combining the genres of crime and romance in his previous film “The Beat That My Heart Skipped” (2005), French director Jacques Audiard returns with an even stronger piece in his latest work, the Grand Prix winner of the 62nd Cannes film festival - “A Prophet”. This time, Audiard delicately balances the sensibilities of both arthouse cinema and genre filmmaking in this enthralling film that arguably rivals the best crime films in the history of world cinema.