Kleber Mendonça Filho

“One of my favorite films by Mr. Martin Scorsese, After Hours. This film taught me a lot about editing and camera setups.”

“Spirit of the Beehive is something special. The interesting thing about this film for me is that I have never owned a copy of it. It has only existed in my head, very much like it used to be in the past before home video. You could not keep a film, you could only keep a film in your head, the memory of it.”

“I'll just make sure I get Barry Lyndon because my two kids, they are getting to the age I think I can show them Barry Lyndon and they will, I'm sure, feel something because this is such an amazing film. I love the way it takes its time and the way the music comes in and the way you're completely floored by the images in the film. I know maybe so many people have reacted to this film the way I have, but that probably explains why it's a classic.”

“Lost in America is a film that takes me back to 1985 when I saw it on VHS, which somehow disappeared. I'm not sure exactly how and why, but it happens to some films, some very good films actually. Because for every Barry Lyndon which has never gone out of fashion or style, maybe except for the time it was released, but Lost in America is a film that made many friends but somehow it disappeared and I've always liked this film and I haven't seen it in more than 30 years.”

“A Brighter Summer Day, I don't know, it's such a special film that I'm not even sure what to say about this film because I might get emotional. And this now will be part of my collection.”

“Last one is this. It's probably many people's favorite pick also, Don't Look Now. And it's 50 years old now, which is hard to believe. It is, this is 50 years old and it looks more modern than the latest film out in the multiplex these days. I don't want to sound like a nostalgic, but I'm beginning to sound like a nostalgic.”

“Last year we did a retrospect, a full retrospective of Marlon Riggs at The Institute Moreira Salles in Brazil where I am a programmer, and it was kind of sad when we sent back the files and I'm happy that I now can invite some friends over and showed them some of his films and videos.”

“This is a special box with Martin Scorsese's World Cinema Project and one of the films is Pixote, which happens to be one of the great Brazilian films. It's an incredibly emotional film about the world I think and life in society. Pixote also makes me think of Nick Cave. Nick Cave is a big fan of Pixote's film.”

“Agnès Varda is someone who, without really planning it, but during the editing stage of Pictures of Ghosts, Agnès Varda came to talk to me many times as an imaginary friend. Sometimes you're in trouble and you just think of someone and you begin to remember his or her films, and Varda in a way, she helped me get through the film and I love her.”