@singlemaltgirl Not at all! There are just too many movies out there to have seen them all. It's always a challenge for me to choose what I will watch next.

"Dalva" (Emmanuelle Nicot, 2022) is very interesting in its approach and evolution, brave in its choice of point of view and not condescending to the viewer. Wonderful acting by Zelda Samson and Fanta Guirassy. My favorite film of the 2020s.

My favorite films

1. August in the Water
2. Umimachi Diary
3. Woman in the Dunes
4. Ugetsu Monogatari
5. Linda Linda Linda
6. Sansho the Bailiff
7. A Geisha (Gion Bayashi)
8. Shoplifters
9. Street of Shame
10. Searching for Sugar Man
11. Wild Goose Lake
12. The Thing
13. 12 Angry Men
14. Ankur
15. Diva (1981)
16. Rashomon
17. Seventh Horse of the Sun
18. Black Coal
19. Mulholland Drive
20. The Apartment
21. Sparsh
22. Double Indemnity
23. Titanic
24. Bhumika
25. Corn Island

You've got to love August in the Water (水の中の八月; Gakuryū Ishii, 1995). Its mesmerizing visuals, its baffling mystery, its great set of characters, its riveting music and its crazy development. Everything seems to be there just for you to love it. This is a good measure of how beautiful cinema can be. Find it on YouTube and the Internet Archive.

My favorite films

1. August in the Water
2. Umimachi Diary
3. Woman in the Dunes
4. Ugetsu Monogatari
5. Linda Linda Linda
6. Sansho the Bailiff
7. A Geisha (Gion Bayashi)
8. Street of Shame
9. Searching for Sugar Man
10. Wild Goose Lake
11. The Thing
12. Ankur (The Seedling)
13. Seventh Horse of the Sun
14. 12 Angry Men
15. Diva (1981)
16. Rashomon
17. Black Coal
18. Mulholland Drive
19. Titanic
20. Sparsh

"Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy But here's my number, so call me, maybe" must be among the best song lyrics ever written.

youtu.be/fWNaR-rxAic

You've got to love August in the Water (水の中の八月; Gakuryū Ishii, 1995). Its mesmerizing visuals, its baffling mystery, its great set of characters, its riveting music and its crazy development. Everything seems to be there just for you to love it. This is a good measure of how beautiful cinema can be. Find it on YouTube and the Internet Archive.

This afternoon? Impossible, sorry, I'll be watching clouds

@singlemaltgirl This second one, "If You Dare Desire...", was even better. Beautiful. I loved it. It entered my favorite films list in #11.

If You Dare Desire... (Debalina Majumder, 2017) takes off from the story of two young girls, Swapna and Sucheta, who were in love and died by suicide together in Nandigram, West Bengal, India. As in the documentary "And the Unclaimed" (2013), we learn that the heavy opposition they faced was a key factor in their death. But here we see them escape and seek freedom in a new life. One of the most beautiful and touching films I've ever seen.

mubi.com/films/if-you-dare-des

@singlemaltgirl It's a documentary which really touched me. Debalina went on to direct a regular film in 2017 about the same story, recreating the love between the girls: "If You Dare Desire...". I'll probably watch that very soon 🙂

mubi.com/films/if-you-dare-des

"And the Unclaimed" (Debalina Majumder, India, 2013) is a brilliant documentary about freedom, love between women and the harsh opposition it faces in today's India. Based on the story of two young girls who fell in love and died by suicide together.

Very touching.

On Mubi.

Happy Groundhog Day for those who celebrate!

@singlemaltgirl Shabana Azmi is so amazingly beautiful and the two are such great actors! I had to choose, both Sparsh and Masoom expired on Mubi yesterday. But I believe I'll be able to watch Masoom elsewhere. Also Nishant and others.

Sparsh (Touch; Sai Paranjpye, 1980) is a beautiful film about physical and emotional challenges, love and finding a meaning in life. Naseeruddin Shah and the charming Shabana Azmi star wonderfully. What a gem!

What a truly amazing film Woman in the Dunes (砂の女, Suna no Onna, "Sand woman"; Hiroshi Teshigahara, 1964) is. I loved all of its intriguing evolution, its fascinating style and the two main characters. It can be seen freely at the Internet Archive.

@ceorl After a very busy month, I finally finished watching "Woman in the Dunes". It has entered my all time top 10! What a gem.

Happy 2023! Love, peace and happiness to all.

My special thoughts for all the ukranian people.

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Daniel Daranas

CounterSocial is the first Social Network Platform to take a zero-tolerance stance to hostile nations, bot accounts and trolls who are weaponizing OUR social media platforms and freedoms to engage in influence operations against us. And we're here to counter it.