Staff Picks: Sandra Reid

Looking through our programme to hone it down to a few particular and personal highlights is near nigh impossible. Aaargh! I’ll tackle this cruel task through films that are at the forefront of my mind because most recently seen at Cannes. A few standouts for me were, in alphabetical order, Aquarius, Elle, Graduation, Paterson, Sieranevada, Toni Erdmann (the first, second and last all feature extraordinary performances by three marvellous actors: Sandra Huller, Sonia Braga and Isabelle Huppert) – but this is not to say that the other films in our great cluster from this year’s especially rich edition of the Competition are any the less rewarding. While also still in Cannes, I was impressed by debut feature Mercenary and captivated by Neruda, from Directors’ Fortnight. Images from Under the Sun have remained with me since seeing this eye-opening film back in October last year, likewise Winter in Lampedusa, which links to Fire At Sea, seen at the Berlinale in February, where I was also riveted by Midnight Special. And I have been haunted by The Clan. As always, I am looking forward to the films from New Zealand that I have not yet had the privilege to see, excited by the prospect of Animation Now!, our inaugural festival-within-the-festival of, you guessed it, animation film, and by our Classic Cinema and Retro strands, in particular my very first encounter with One Eyed Jacks.