Gints Zilbalodis

“Punch-Drunk Love. Probably my favorite film of all time. I watched it recently at home and I actually had to, like, pause it for a moment just to look at the sky for... For a while to relax. It was pretty intense. So yeah, it’s still working for me really strongly.”

“Y tu mamá también. Another of my favorite filmmakers, I could pick any of his films. It also has this amazing needle drop at the end. I think it’s the perfect use of the Frank Zappa song.”

“That’s Being There. I watched it with my dad when I was growing up and we still quote it all the time. And the final shot is still one of the best shots of all time, I think.”

“Woman in the Dunes. I watched this pretty recently, but it really blew my mind. The way it kind of works on all these different levels, on the kind of more abstract, symbolic level but also kind of the more emotional level. But also the performances are really believable and kind of... How all these different elements are working together so organically and supporting each other, It’s like, I haven’t seen it done so well.”

“After Hours. Probably one of my favorite Scorsese films, definitely in the top three. It’s so rewatchable and I love how he’s not taking himself really that seriously. He’s, like, having a lot of fun. And it’s so unpredictable as well. It’s, like, not really Following any, like, rules. And all these amazing shots are done and I just watch it all the time.”

“Fantastic Mr. Fox. It’s a comfort film for me and so funny and so fun and beautiful and amazing soundtrack. And yeah, it’s amazing.”

“High and Low. I think this period for Kurosawa is my favorite. When he does the Cinemascope, wide-angle, like these amazing films with... The framing is incredible, like. I’m interested in not just, like, how camera is moving in films but in this case, like, the characters are moving. Incredible compositions done with, like, so much... It’s seemingly so effortless, but they must have been really hard to pull off. And yeah, it’s really one of my favorite Kurosawas.”

“The Qatsi Trilogy. I’ve only seen Koyaanisqatsi, actually. But I’ve seen it I think three or four times. So I want to see the other ones as well, but... Like, it’s so strong and it’s not just beautiful, there’s so much meaning here, so... Yeah, I want to watch them again.”