Ines Biollay

MUBI X ST.ART: OCTOBER

WATCHLIST NO. 1: RANGE

Welcome to ST.ART’s first MUBI watchlist. The theme for the watchlist is simple: range. The ten films below represents all the diversity MUBI has to offer. The UK streamable films below include documentaries, feminist and LGBTQ+ cinema, short films and modern gems from all corners of the globe.

Sweat: Sweden, 2020, dir. Magnus von Horn.

Fitness influencer Sylwia seemingly has it made: hundreds of thousands of social media followers, endorsement deals, photo spreads in magazines. But as she starts to share more online, the rising pressure forces her to confront her deepest insecurities and the exhaustive demands of her lifestyle.

Shiva Baby: United States, 2020, dir. Emma Seligman

College student Danielle is faced with a series of awkward encounters at a day-long shiva, a Jewish gathering during a time of mourning. Amongst overbearing relatives, she is rattled by the appearance of an ex-girlfriend and of her secret sugar daddy, who unexpectedly arrives with his wife and baby.

Matthias & Maxime: Canada, 2019, dir. Xavier Dolan

Two childhood best friends are asked to share a kiss for the purposes of a student short film. Soon, a lingering doubt sets in, confronting both of them with their preferences, threatening the brotherhood of their social circle, and, eventually, changing their lives.

Portrait of a Lady on Fire, France, 2019, dir. Céline Sciamma

In late 18th century France, painter Marianne is commissioned by a countess to paint the wedding portrait of her daughter Héloïse. While posing as her hired companion, Marianne is instructed to complete the portrait in secret. However, intimacy and attraction begin to blossom between both women.

The Pretty Ones: Argentina, 2018, dir. Melisa Liebenthal.

Melisa Liebenthal and her friends look back on their childhood and how they developed into women. How did they feel then? What was puberty like for them? And why are women still expected to be attractive? Liebenthal also reflects on her relationship with the camera using her own childhood photos.

Jess and Moss: United States, 2011, dir. Clay Jeter.

Jess, age 18, and Moss, age 12, are cousins in the dark-fire tobacco fields of rural Western Kentucky. Without immediate families that they can relate to, and lacking friends their own age, they venture on a journey confronting their deepest secrets.

The Recorder Exam: South Korea, 2011, dir. Kim Bora

Nine-year-old Eunhee anxiously prepares for her recorder exam as she struggles to find a place within her own family.

Joy Division: UK, 2007, dir. Grant Gee

An account of the musical journey and ongoing legacy of Joy Division, the influential Manchester post-punk rock band of the late 1970s, featuring interviews with the surviving band members (now known as New Order), never-before-seen live performance footage, and newly discovered audio tapes.

8 1/2: Italy, 1963, dir. Federico Fellini

Struggling to find inspiration for his next project, acclaimed director Guido Anselmi wrestles with his dreams, memories and desires in his search for creativity. Blending visions with reality, his artistic crisis leads him down many a strange and twisted paths, as his life unravels around him.

Boccaccio 70: Italy, 1962, dir. Vittorio De Sica, Luchino Visconti, Federico Fellini, Mario Monicelli

A sensuous pin up on a gigantic poster comes to life to haunt a puritan; a married woman finds a way of dealing with her husband’s passion for gambling and call-girls; a sacristan wins a night with a fairground woman in a lottery; and a married couple’s mishap enables them to buy their own house.