Page 1 of 3

Call it what you will – Hollywood hubris, avant-garde self-reflexivity, or even meme culture (MSM, anyone?) – but cinema just loves talking about itself. Movie theaters shower their carpets with images of film reels and popcorn. Film festivals bless each premiere with the buzz of anticipation. Auteurs – from Francois Truffaut to Charlie Kaufman, Guru Dutt to Sion Sono – have shown, time and time again, that filmmakers are just like writers. They shine at what they know best.

In homage to the seventh art, we’ve listed some of our favorite films about films below, in random order. We hope you enjoy watching these love letters to industry just as much as we have. It’s like what a good friend of mine once said: Life isn’t like the movies; movies resemble life.

1. Garuda Power: The Spirit Within (Bastian Meiresonne, 2014, Indonesia)

“Garuda Power: The Spirit Within” discloses the unknown world of Indonesian action cinema and its superheroes long before “The Raid”. Rudolf Puspa, presented as the living spirit of Indonesian action cinema is the narrating voice; the wise old man, from a dusty and derelict cinema (like so many now in Indonesia) guides us through the rise and decline of this fascinating film industry, virtually unknown in the West, and also warns us that half of the films produced in Indonesia are sadly lost. Bastian Meiresonne’s collection work is not only a real feast for fans of vintage Martial Art, B movies, Bruceploitation and so on, but also an engaging and fresh documentary, of a disarming honesty of intents, a film full of splendid archival material, a precious, movable piece of historical memory. Long live the Silat! – Adriana Rosati

As hard as this might be to believe, this is pretty much now the top film in the scene when it comes to zombie/comedies. A truly standout genre effort, this is told in two parts as a near-forty minute one-take shot of a film crew shooting a zombie movie only to suddenly meet up with a real-life zombie outbreak, only to then go back to the start to show that this opening was a live-TV broadcast and then showing how the pre-production went as well as the actual on-set filming of the show. Hilarious from start-to-finish, this meta tale on the making of a film will be even funnier to industry professionals than the regular person but even they will be laughing non-stop here which makes the film one of the greatest comedies in the genre. – Don Anelli

Buy This Title

3. Celluloid Man (Shivendra Singh Dunagpur, 2012, India)

This beautifully-shot documentary explores the life and work of P.K. Nair – the legendary pioneer of film preservation in India and the founder of the National Film Archive of India. Though it is much more than just a biography. The movie shows the core of every invention or breakthrough – dedication, devotion, and a grand passion. And the director, while portraying a unique human being, also takes us into a magical, 2,5-hour journey through the Indian cinema’s history, documenting in single frames, scenes, and anecdotes its rich past. Listening to P.K. Nair, who sadly passed away in 2016, is a balm for every cinephile – the quintessence of love to moving pictures. – Joanna Konczak

Buy This

4. Viva Erotica (Derek Lee and Lo Chi-leung, 1996, Hong Kong)

Derek Yee and Lo Chi-leung’s magnum opus is a rare kind of Cat III film – a mainstream director duo working with mainstream actors in a sex comedy that would go on to be nominated for seven Hong Kong Film Awards, including Best Picture. A down-on-his-luck director gives up on his ideals and visions and agrees to direct a Cat III porno in a project that meets problems after problems, including but not limited to an overbearing producer and a diva leading lady. Away from the sex scenes, “Viva Erotica” is an accurate and honest look at the inner workings a Hong Kong film industry, which makes for a compelling narrative. Filled with meta self-references as well as callbacks to HK classics and big-name cameos, “Viva Erotica” features first-rate performances from the terrific (as always) Leslie Cheung, Karen Mok, Cat III’s most famous face Elvis Tsui and a devilishly over-the-top (and out-of-her-clothes) Shu Qi in a role that would win her the Best Supporting Actress and Best New Performer Awards. This is, quite simply, Cat III filmmaking (about Cat III filmmaking) at its finest. – Rhythm Zaveri

Buy This

5. Why Don’t You Play in Hell? (Sion Sono, 2013, Japan)

“Why Don’t You Play in Hell” is a wonderful film about the power of images, cultural icons and their power. Through his wild mixture of references, editing and a great ensemble Sion Sono’s film offers great entertainment and also a lot of food for thought for those also interested in the subtext of culture. – Rouven Linnarz

Buy This Title

6. A Man Vanishes (Shohei Imamura, 1967, Japan)

Initially, Imamura presents a picture that looks like an examination of a phenomenon that occurred in the 60s in Japan, with thousands of Japanese simply disappearing each year, leaving no trace. However, as the movie progresses, his focus turns elsewhere, as does Yoshie’s, who falls in love with Tsuyuguchi during the investigation, even confessing her feelings to him at one point. Furthermore, Imamura eradicates the difference between reality and film, as with the scene when the walls of the decor crumble during the film, only to reveal the presence of a soundstage. – Panos Kotzathanasis

Buy This

Jang Hoon retains a great rhythm throughout the film’s duration, while managing to combine equally entertainment and food for thought. The artfulness of both the script and the direction reaches its zenith in the two final scenes, which are elaborate, as they are shocking. – Panos Kotzathanasis

Buy This Title

Mokashi does a wonderful job of making this a light peek into the hard work, without letting us get too sentimental or presenting a too stark depiction of his hardships…The message of the movie is: ‘’Never give up on your dreams, work wholeheartedly and you will win.” – Sayaak Santra

Watch This Title

“Lowlife Love” is a film about the making of films, about dreams and ambitions as well as what happens if this passion is put to the test of reality. Featuring strong performances, especially Kiyoshi Shibukawa in the lead, and a dry sense of humour in its script, “Lowlife Love” manages to hit the right tone when it comes to portraying an industry whose reality often challenges the dreams of some many of us. – Rouven Linnarz

Buy This Title

“The Last Reel” has an implicit love for cinema that in some moments reminds us of “Cinema Paradiso”. All that search for the lost film within the film itself is nothing more than an action to find oneself and to re-encounter with the ghosts of the past. The reality is that “The Last Reel” is a breakthrough and a strong push for Cambodian’s cinema industry, proving that it can become a powerful one if more films like this are made. For all the stories that were lost and for all the others that are still to be told. – Pedro Morata

Watch This Title

The list continues on the next page