Does anyone else feel a growing need to be 'productive' with their media consumption as our screens and pages become primary ways to absorb culture?
As in, I'm at home on a Friday night again, so I should probably catch up on existentialist literature.
Or, I can't go to Europe, so it's about time I acquainted myself with the indie classics of Georgian cinema.
Relative newcomer MUBI meets this need in the quickly expanding streaming market. A place to go for cult classic films and some so underground you haven't heard of them yet. (A few, in my case, if I'm being honest.)
With a curated selection and a new movie introduced each day, MUBI's prominence rose with its exclusive release of The Staggering Girl - the collaboration between Valentino's Pierpaolo Piccioli and Call Me by Your Name director Luca Guadagnino.
But there's so much more to see here, of independent films and festival favourites defining the cultural zeitgeist. Here's what's on our MUBI watch list now.
More, 1969
Can't go to Ibiza this year? This film, made in the late 60s, is probably better than the real thing. As part of MUBI's current spotlight on director Barbet Schroeder, the service is playing his sun drenched hippie gen classic. You've got to see it. Focus less on the acting and more on the scenery and score by Pink Floyd.
La Haine, 1995
Actor-turned-filmmaker Maithieu Kassovitz's 25-year-old examination of police brutality and mistreatment of minorities is still starkly relevant today. An icon of French cinema's banlieue film genre, it stars a young Vincent Cassel, Hubert Koundé and Saïd Taghmaoui as three young men living in housing projects outside of Paris, and melds comedy with despair. Kind of like life. A must watch.
Indianara, 2019
This guerilla-style documentary, streaming now on MUBI, tells the story of revolutionary Brazilian trans activist Indianara. Filmed in the lead up to the election of current Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, it highlights just what's at stake under his leadership - and the indomitable strength of Brazil's LGBTQI+ communities.
Landless, 2019
With art imitating life, it's a pertinent time to focus on Brazilian filmmaking. MUBI's current focus on new Brazilian cinema also includes Landless. This beautifully shot documentary traces the plight and the hopes of agricultural activists campaigning for protection of the land. While their fight is ongoing, given Brazil's political situation, it's more relevant than ever.
Unrelated, 2007
A lo-fi, coming of (middle) age film set in the Tuscany, and British filmmaker Joanna Hogg's directorial debut. We watched because we were curious about a Tom Hiddleston's indie credentials and we wanted to go to Italy. And neither dissapointed. This film perfectly captures the excitement and occasional imposter syndrome of being in a new place with unfamiliar people.
Our Beloved Month of August, 2008
Another one for the at-home wanderlusters. Miguel Gomez's Our Beloved Month of August is a docu-portrait of the holiday season in a village in rural Portugal. One to put on and drift away with like a summer vacation.
Men, 2020
An addition to MUBI's fashion credentials. Photographer and director Tyrone Lebon and Bottega Veneta creative director Daniel Lee ask, what is the meaning of masculinity today. You can read all about it here.
