Films are more than moving images on a screen; they are gateways to imagination..
By
Karla Eduvia
As a filmmaker myself and a film lover, that there is something magical about the moment the lights dim and the screen comes alive. For the next ninety minutes, or sometimes three unforgettable hours, you are no longer sitting in a theater or on your couch.
You are transported somewhere else. You become a traveler, an observer, and often, a participant in worlds you may never have imagined. This experience belongs to anyone, at any age, watching any kind of film; from the magical worlds of Disney to the surreal visions of David Lynch to the contemporary storytelling of Greta Gerwig.
From 2 years old to 102 years old, we are impacted by movies. They can make us laugh, cry, dream, question, remember, imagine, and see the world differently.
Cinema is not an experience reserved for a select few.
It belongs to all of us. We are human beings with different emotional sensitivities, intellectual abilities, life experiences, cultures, and perspectives. We may watch the same film and walk away feeling completely different things; and that is precisely the beauty of cinema.
There is no single “correct” way to experience a film. We see through our own eyes, feel through our own hearts, and interpret through our own minds.
I truly enjoy the magic of watching movies, whether it's on the big screen at a beautiful movie theater or from the comfort of my own home.
There's something special about both experiences. A theater surrounds you with immersive sound, breathtaking visuals, and the excitement of sharing a story with an audience, while home offers the comfort of a cozy chair, a warm blanket, and the freedom to lose yourself in a film at your own pace.
​Movies are among humanity's greatest inventions because they allow us to experience countless lives without ever leaving our own. One day we may find ourselves wandering through the streets of Tokyo, the next exploring the deserts of Morocco, sailing across distant galaxies, or stepping into the heart of ancient civilizations. Cinema gives us the extraordinary gift of movement through space and time, all through the power of storytelling.
But the true journey of film goes far beyond geography. Movies transport our emotions. They invite us to laugh until our faces hurt, cry for people we've never met, celebrate victories that aren't our own, and confront fears we didn't know we carried. A great film can leave us inspired, challenged, comforted, or transformed. It reminds us that every emotion is part of the human experience.
Perhaps the greatest gift cinema offers is perspective. Every story introduces us to different ways of seeing the world. Through the eyes of another person, another culture, another generation, or even another reality, we begin to understand that life is far more complex and beautiful than our own individual experiences. Films encourage empathy by allowing us to walk, if only for a little while, in someone else's shoes.
Arthouse, independent, experimental, auteur, and artistically significant films
Here is a strong chronological master list of important art films
1920s–1940s: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920), Nosferatu (1922), Battleship Potemkin (1925), Metropolis (1927), The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928), Un Chien Andalou (1929), M (1931), L’Atalante (1934), The Rules of the Game (1939), Citizen Kane (1941), Meshes of the Afternoon (1943), Rome, Open City (1945), Bicycle Thieves (1948), The Red Shoes (1948).
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1950s: Rashomon (1950), Ikiru (1952), Tokyo Story (1953), Ugetsu (1953), Seven Samurai (1954), La Strada (1954), Pather Panchali (1955), The Seventh Seal (1957), Wild Strawberries (1957), The 400 Blows (1959), Hiroshima mon amour (1959). 1960s: Breathless (1960), L’Avventura (1960), La Dolce Vita (1960), Last Year at Marienbad (1961), Cléo from 5 to 7 (1962), 8½ (1963), Contempt (1963), The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964), Persona (1966), Andrei Rublev (1966), Au Hasard Balthazar (1966), PlayTime (1967), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), The Color of Pomegranates (1969).
1970s: El Topo (1970), A Clockwork Orange (1971), Solaris (1972), The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972), The Holy Mountain (1973), Badlands (1973), Mirror (1975), Jeanne Dielman (1975), Barry Lyndon (1975), Eraserhead (1977), Stalker (1979). Jeanne Dielman later became the No. 1 film in the 2022 Sight and Sound critics’ poll.
1980s: Mad Max (1980), The Elephant Man (1980), Possession (1981), Fanny and Alexander (1982), Koyaanisqatsi (1982), Paris, Texas (1984), Wings of Desire (1987), The Sacrifice (1986), Blue Velvet (1986), Cinema Paradiso (1988), Dekalog (1989).
1990s: Close Up (1990), Three Colours: Blue (1993), Kalifornia (1993), Three Colours: Red (1994), Chungking Express (1994), Fallen Angels (1995), La Haine (1995), Breaking the Waves (1996), Taste of Cherry (1997), Funny Games (1997), Perfect Blue (1997), The Celebration (1998), Beau Travail (1999), Eyes Wide Shut (1999).
2000s: In the Mood for Love (2000), Yi Yi (2000), Mulholland Drive (2001), Amélie (2001), Spirited Away (2001), Talk to Her (2002), City of God (2002), Dogville (2003), Oldboy (2003), Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), 2046 (2004), Pan’s Labyrinth (2006), The Lives of Others (2006), There Will Be Blood (2007), The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007), Synecdoche, New York (2008), Antichrist (2009), A Single Man (2009).
2010s: Black Swan (2010), Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (2010), The Tree of Life (2011), Melancholia (2011), The Master (2012), Holy Motors (2012), Under the Skin (2013), Ida (2013), The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), Mommy (2014), The Lobster (2015), Carol (2015), The Handmaiden (2016), Moonlight (2016), The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017), Call Me by Your Name (2017), Roma (2018), The Favourite (2018), Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019), Parasite (2019), The Lighthouse (2019).
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2020–2026: Nomadland (2020), Titane (2021), The Worst Person in the World (2021), Drive My Car (2021), The Green Knight (2021), Aftersun (2022), Tár (2022), The Banshees of Inisherin (2022), Decision to Leave (2022), Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022), Past Lives (2023), Anatomy of a Fall (2023), The Zone of Interest (2023), Poor Things (2023), Perfect Days (2023), All of Us Strangers (2023), La Chimera (2023), The Substance (2024), Anora (2024), The Brutalist (2024), I Saw the TV Glow (2024), The Seed of the Sacred Fig (2024), Flow (2024), Sentimental Value (2025), It Was Just an Accident (2025), No Other Choice (2025), The History of Sound (2025), Magellan (2025), The Testament of Ann Lee (2025), Train Dreams (2025).