Directed by Stanley Kubrick​

​

Culture ​

Even though it is not based on a true story, the film depicts 18th century European society with rare richness of details, a result of Kubrick´s obsession with research and pre-production. In addition to that, the film gives a sarcastic insight into the Gentlemanly Behavior of the old high society, in which men would politely arrange mortal duels. ​

​

Visual​

The film gets a lot of its visual inspiration from European paintings, giving special attention to composition and lighting. Most of the scenes were shot without additional lighting, or, in some cases, with candles. These elements create a striking artistic profoundness that help to express the film´s themes. ​

Character​

Redmond Barry is the driving force of the narrative - he is naïve, and, at the same time, extremely opportunist. The character´s ability to build his empire is proportional to the ability to destroy it, and the oscillation on this fine line is what captivates the audience so much. ​

​

Synopsis: When the daughter of a hard-working live-in housekeeper arrives at the house to study in the city of São Paulo, the class structure inside the house suddenly shakes.

 ​

Directed by Anna Muylaert​

​

Culture ​

An extremely sensible depiction of the struggles of Brazilian house maids. Being the country that received the biggest number of enslaved Africans, Brazilian society still has work and personal relations deeply affected by this historical process.  More than that, the film also portrays the effects of political measures that expanded the access to public education within the Brazilian society, glancing at an optimistic future. ​

​

Visual ​

There is a special attention to the use of the house´s spaces to demonstrate emotion. They demonstrate, for example, claustrophobia, freedom and power. The most striking visual metaphor is the swimming pool, which culminates in one of the most beautiful scenes of the movie.  ​

Character ​

Val (Regina Casé) lives a complex arch of self-realization, starting the story as a diligent worker, that gradually comes to terms with her own happiness. This change, however, is not sudden, so the character presents lots of difficulties during this search for her internal freedom.  ​

Synopsis: An old Japanese bureaucrat discovers he has terminal cancer. He struggles to make his last days somehow meaningful. ​

Directed by Akira Kurosawa​

​

Culture ​

Kurosawa creates a profound and timeless philosophical film. It presents, through the protagonist´s intense conflict, an existential question that resonates not only to the Japanese society of the 20th century, but to all world: what is the meaning of life? ​

​

Visuals  ​

The shots in this movie serves the intention of portraying the protagonist´s overwhelming and meaningless routine, as well as his quest for meaning in life. The long shots and simple camera movements helps the audience to create an emotional connection with the protagonist and engage in the film´s meditative rhythm. 

Character ​​

Kanji Watanabe (Takashi Shimura) has a major conflict: his existential crisis. The character´s arch is rich a life-changing philosophical experience, and he navigates this crisis going from melancholy to fulfilment.  

Directed by Joachim Trier​

Culture ​

Most likely the film that best represents the romantic and internal conflicts of the 21st century´s young adults. A generation that, at the same time, wants to be everything and must keep track of the constant changes. ​

​

Visuals ​

Blossoms with energy and creativity to reinforce the film´s themes. There are some interesting shots that create a strong connection between the protagonist´s mind and the audience, such as the world at still sequence, in which everyone around her freezes while she navigates through Oslo.​

Character ​

Julie (Renata Reinsve) encapsulates millennial's anxieties and uncertainties. Her ripening arch can be brought to a general feeling people experience nowadays. It is simultaneously moving and relatable.  ​

Synopsis: A black man visits his white girlfriend´s family. ​

Directed by Jordan Peele​

​

Culture ​

A perfect depiction of one of the sides of structural racism in the United States (that can also be applied to other parts of the world). Peele subverts stereotypes regarding who is racist nowadays – here, the perpetrators of this form of violence identify themselves as modern and progressist people, which culminates on one of the most important social commentaries of recent movies. ​

​

Visuals ​

The film uses framing as a form of representing the characters trapped in situations, which enhances the social commentary. The Sunken Place sequence is a highlight, because it transcends the reality presented in the movie. In addition, there is powerful use of close-up shots on character´s faces to demonstrate discomfort and create suspense.   ​

Character ​

Chris (Daniel Kaluuya), an African American man, is thrown on a spiral of frightening revelations. His dramatic arch can be seen as a metaphor for the bigger picture of racism specially in the United States, because of the political and social references he deals with.  ​

Directed by Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman​

​

Culture  ​

A sensible glance at the mind of one of the most important and vanguardist artists of all time: Vincent Van Gogh. Not exactly a realistic or faithful approach but one that manages to capture the soul of the artist´s work.   ​

​

Visuals ​

It is an experiment of unbelievable artistic effort, since the whole film was hand painted using Van Gogh´s Impressionist style. This is not only a form of honoring the artist´s legacy, but also expanding and creating new meanings to it.  ​

Character ​

Vincent Van Gogh (Robert Gulaczyk) is considered by many the greatest painter of all time. But, during his lifetime, his work was barely noticed. It´s interesting to notice the human behind the work of art, and the psychological bumps that were on his way.  ​

​

Synopsis: A Kazakh reporter goes to the United States to film a documentary about the country. ​

Directed by Larry Charles​

​

Culture  ​

A sharp satire that captures the ignorance of the modern American society. It shows that even though the U.S.´s population sees itself as a civilized and modern, there are still deep problems to be fixed. It is also a perfect example of the difference there is in laughing with someone and laughing at someone.  ​

​

Visuals  ​

Through the mockumentary format, the hand-held camera serves as a spectator for the protagonist´s real hilarious interactions. It is a simple and yet efficient approach, that works in favor of the feature´s satire.  

Character ​

Borat (Sacha Baron Cohen) is a fake journalist from Kazakhstan, an absurd portrayal of American prejudices towards foreigners. More than that, the character´s lack of cultural experience provides hilarious interactions with real people that, in the end, feel comfortable to reveal their own prejudices, which creates a strong social commentary.  ​

Synopsis: A songwriter from Rio de Janeiro´s favelas face social injustice.  ​

Directed by Nelson Pereira dos Santos​

​

Culture ​

A neorealist tale of cultural exclusion and appropriation. It is a touching portrait of Rio de Janeiro´s slums during the 20th century, the vibrant cultural scene that flourished there and how the elite saw it. The narrative discusses Samba, a music genre that still is extremely popular in Brazil – and it´s one of the country's´ most rich cultural manifestations.  ​

​

Visuals ​

Rio Zona Norte´s visuals are centered around its protagonist, played by Grande Otelo. Largely influenced by Italy´s Neorealism and France´s Nouvelle Vague, it works with a realistic depiction of the protagonist´s and the environment that surrounds him.  ​

Character ​

Espírito da Luz (Grande Otelo) is a talented Samba singer from Rio de Janeiro´s slums. His arch of delusion towards the music industry is a clear metaphor for broader social problems. The character brings a moving melancholy, followed by an amazing musical performance.  ​

​

A young teenager soldier faces the terrors of the Second World War. ​

Directed by Elim Klimov​

Culture  ​

Considered by many the definitive anti-war movie. Captures the horror of the Second World War, which went from 1939 until 1945, with crude brutality and historical fidelity through a young soviet farmer´s naïve perspective.  ​

​

Visuals  ​

The film follows a realistic and cold approach towards the events that the protagonist lives. The audience experiences everything through his point of view, reinforcing his gradual emotional deterioration. In this sense, the camera is constantly following him and serves as a witness to the horrors of war.   

Character ​

Florya (Alexei Kravchenko) becomes a witness of the horrors of war. His emotional arch starts with him as an excited young soldier and ends with him as a devastated survivor – which can be seen as a broader metaphor for general human experience with armed conflicts. 

Synopsis: A lonely taxi driver wanders through New York at night.​

Directed by Martin Scorsese​

​

Culture ​

A filthy story set in an even filthier 1970 New York City. Apart from the historical context being captured with intensity and precision by Scorsese, the film gives powerful insights to the topic of masculine loneliness. ​

​

Visuals ​

The neo-noir looks create a twisted New York City, especially at night, that is somehow an essential character of this story. In addition to that, the camera constantly portrays the protagonist in his loneliness, segregated from the world, physically or emotionally. 

Character ​

Travis (Robert DeNiro) passes through a journey that goes from isolation to violence. His identity is the focus of the film, so the character´s emotional arch ends up being a profound psychological exploration. ​​

​

​

Synopsis: a declining Spanish director looks back at his own life.  ​

Directed by Pedro Almodóvar​

​

Culture ​

A powerful semi-biopic that brings topics of the life of Spain´s most celebrated filmmaker. The film navigates to Spain´s recent history, following the character´s childhood and adulthood. In this sense, it also develops the character´s homosexuality with tenderness and attention, being an excellent LGBTQIA+ recent movie.  ​

​

Visuals ​

Almodóvar vibrant colors are the one of his best-known sign marks. Here, he uses them to potentialize the emotional state of the characters, but, more than that, to create a more dramatic reality.  

Character ​

Salvador Malli (Antonio Banderas) lives a melancholic film director that reconnects with his past friends and experiences. Much of the character is inspired by Pedro Almodovar, who wrote the script and directed the film. This culminates in an extremely personal study of the director´s life and state of mind.  ​

Synopsis: The life of a poor man, a privileged woman, and a judge interwind after a murder.  ​

Directed by Raj Kapoor​

​

Culture ​

A touching story that investigates India´s complex and historical social structures. The heart of the film is the romance between a poor man, a criminal, and a wealthy young woman. This narrative gives space for the audience to feel the contradictions and nuances of the country´s social heritage.  ​

​

Visuals ​

The film´s visuals navigate India´s miserable slums and sumptuous houses, marking out the contrast between these environments. The lighting here is important as well, because it guides the emotional core of the narrative.  The feature also portrays singing sequences with extraordinary open shots.  ​

Character  ​

Raj ´s (Raj Kapoor) journey serves as an analysis towards India´s delicate social problems. Being a marginalized member of society, he makes the audience question injustices and contradictions. The character is largely influenced by Charlie Chaplin´s Tramp, his physicality and conflicts. ​