Can You Watch 384 Films In A Year?

Aseem Chhabra watched some great films and some huge disappointments in 2021.

Year two of the pandemic was a challenge in so many regards, but watching films, talking and writing about them helped me stay sane. And even though we were locked up during a substantial part of the year I did manage to travel a few times in search of good cinema.

In February I attended the International Film Festival of Kerala in Thiruvananthapuram, where I served on the jury for the best debut Indian film. Later in the fall, I traveled to the Telluride Film Festival in Colorado and also watched the Toronto International Film Festival's programming in New York. And in October I had the chance to visit the El Gouna Film Festival in Egypt.

The key element of attending a film festival is to be able to discuss the films with friends and others immediately after we leave the theater. And I feel blessed that I was able to have those experiences despite the trying times we live in.

In addition to the film festivals I mention above, I attended many other such events, but all virtually -- International Film Festival, Rotterdam, Berlinale, New York Indian Film Festival (which I organise in New York City), Cannes Film Festival, DOC NYC (where I served on the first jury for the best international documentary) and the Dharamshala Film Festival.

In 2021 I saw 384 films -- mostly at festivals, but I also saw other films for work, and often for fun. In addition I watched 19 shows from around the world.

Web Series

1. Lupin Seasons 1 & 2 (France)

2. Bombay Begums (India)

3. It's A Sin (UK)

4) Call My Agent Season 1 & 2 (France)

5. Too Close (UK)

6. Gangs of London(UK)

7. Mare of Easttown (US)

8. The Family Man Season 2 (India/Hindi/ Tamil)

9. Ajeeb Daastaans (India/Hindi)

10. Ray (India/ Hindi)

11. The White Lotus (US)

12. Flowers Season 1 (US)

13. The Chair (US)

14. Tabbar (India/Hindi/Punjabi)

15. The Mole: Undercover in North Korea (Norway/ Denmark/Sweden/UK)

16. Succession Season 3 (US)

17. Landscapers(UK)

18. Mandaar (India/Bengali)

19. Only Murders in the Building (US)

Films

1/1 Barah by Barah (India/ Hindi), Shiva Baby (US), Germany Year Zero (Italy/France/Germany)

2/1 10 to 11 (Turkey)

3/1 The Collector (Turkey), Punch Drunk Love (US)

4/1 Ice Station Zebra (US)

5/1 Escape from Alcatraz (US)

7/1 The Untouchables (US)

11/1 The White Tiger (US)

12/1 A Simple Life (Hong Kong)

13/1 Our Time Will Come (China/Hong Kong), Road to Guantanamo (UK)

14/1 Unpaused (India/Hindi)

16/1 Fatima (India/Hindi)

17/1 Three-Legged Horse (India/ Marathi), Songs for Rain (India/ Assamese), The Great Indian Kitchen (India Malayalam)

18/1 The Climb (US), Godakaath (India/Marathi), Promising Young Woman (US)

19/1 Zende (India/English/ Hindi/Marathi)

20/1 9 Hills One Valley (India/Manipuri)

21/1 Lokkhi Chhele (India/Bengali), Louis Kahn's Tiger City (US)

22/1 Awakash (India/Marathi), Murder on The Orient Express (UK/US), So Long, My Son

23/1 Tokyo Sunrise (Japan), To Ends of the Earth (Japan)

24/1 Martyr (Lebanon)

25/1 Two of Us (France)

26/1 My Little Sister (Switzerland)

27/1 Kosa (India/Hindi)

28/1 Almost Famous (US), To Catch a Thief (US)

29/1 North by Northwest (US), Fire in The Mountain (India/Hindi)

1/2 Riders of Justice(Denmark), Aristocrats( Japan), Asia (Israel)

2/2 Aurora (Costa Rica), Pebbles (India/Tamil)

3/2. Carro Rei (Brazil), Mitra(The Netherlands/Denmark)

4/2 Quo Vadis, Aida (Bosnia Herzegovina), Landscapes of Resistance (Serbia), Madalena (Brazil)

5/2 Suzanna Andler (France), Sexual Drive (Japan)

6/2 Mayday (US), Writing with Fire (India/ Hindi), Black Medusa(Tunisia)

7/2 The Witches of the Orient (France/ Japan), Looking for Venera (Kosovo/ Macedonia), The Dog Who Wouldn't Be Quiet (Argentina)

10/2 The Names of Flowers (Bolivia)

11/2 Memory House (Brazil), Donkey in a Brahmin Village (India/ Tamil)

12/2 Wife of a Spy (Japan)

13/2 Churuli (India/Malayalam), Hope (Norway)

15/2 Pig (India/Tamil)

16/2 Let Him Who Is Without a Sin Cast the First Stone (India/Malayalam), Attention Please (India/Malayalam), All the President's Men (US)

17/2 Vaanku (India/Malayalam)

18/2 Engagement is on Monday (India/ Malayalam)

19/2 Sun Children (Iran), La Llorona (Guatemala)

20/2 Android Kunjappan Ver 5.25 (India/Malayalam)

21/2 Kappela (India/Malayalam), Horse Tail (India/Malayalam)

22/2 Azur (Switzerland/Argentina), All Eyes of Me (Israel)

23/2 The Man Who Sold His Skin (Tunisia)

24/2 Searching for Happiness (India/ Bengali), God on the Balcony (India/Assamese), The Girl and the Spider (Germany)

25/2 Brother's Keeper (Turkey/Romania), Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy (Japan)

26/2 Co-pilot (America/Germany/France)

27/2 Any Day Now (Finland), Natural Light (Hungary/Latvia/France/Germany), The World After Us (France)

1/3 Memory Box (Lebanon/France/ Canada), Taste (Vietnam), Language Lessons (US)

2/3 I'm Your Man (Germany), Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn (Romania), Soud (Egypt/Tunisia)

3/3 Drift Away (France), Death of a Virgin, and the Sin of Not Living (Lebanon), Petite Maman (France), Limbo (Hong Kong/ China)

4/3 Ballad of White Cow (Iran)

5/3 Je Suis Karl (Germany), North by Current (US), Beans (Canada), The Mauritanian (US)

6/3 Human Factors (Germany/Italy/Denmark), Introduction (Korea)

7/3 Mr Bachmann And His Class (Germany), Summer Blur (China)

8/3 Tina (US)

9/3 For Lucio (Italy)

10/3 Supernova (UK), Roman Holiday (US)

11/3 Talking Head (India/English/Bengali)

13/3 Delhi Diaries (India/English/Hindi)

14/3 Dead Pigs (China)

15/3 Far (India/Malayalam), Happy Hour (Japan)

16/3 Tremors (India/Tamil)

17/3 Madappally United (India/Malayalam)

18/3 Moffie (South Africa)

19/3 Another Round (Denmark)

20/3 Time (US), Dostojee (India/Bengali)

21/3 Mail (India/Telugu), Judas and the Black Messiah (US)

23/3 The Dreamers (UK/France/Italy/US)

24/3 Apples (Greece)

25/3 Blood Simple (US)

26/3 Lost in America (US), The Father (UK)

27/3 Paggliat (India/Hindi), All That Jazz (US)

28/3 Irma Vep (France), The Last Picture Show (US)

29/3 House of Orange Trees (India/Malayalam), Five Easy Pieces (US), Sex, Lies and Videotape (US)

30/3 Blue Bird (India/Kannada), Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (Italy), Boys n the Hood (US)

31/3 First Night (India/Tamil), Neon Bull (Brazil), Home (Switzerland)

1/4 The Year of Living Dangerously (Australia)

2/4 Music of Satyajit Ray (India/English/Bengali)

3/4 Where Is Pinki? (India/Kannada), Harold and Maude (US)

4/4 Man at Bath (France)

5/4 Parcel (India/Bengali), Zollywood (India/Marathi)

6/4 Looking for A Lady with Fangs and A Moustache (Nepal)

7/4 Atlantis (Ukraine), Portrait of a Lady on Fire (France)

8/4 Freddie's Piano (India/English), Biriyaani (India/Malayalam)

9/4 Moffie (South Africa)

10/4 Columbus (US), Joji (India/Malayalam)

13/4 Halahal (India/Hindi)

15/4 Eat Drink Man Woman (Taiwan), The Wedding Banquet (US/ Taiwan)

16/4 Tasher Ghawar (India/Bengali)

17/4 The Chicken Curry (India/Kannada)

18/4 Bullhead (Belgium)

19/4 My Octopus Teacher (South Africa)

21/4 The County (Iceland)

22/4 Manhattan (US)

24/4 Asako I & II (Japan), Back to the Wharf (China)

25/4 Stars Await Us (China)

26/4 Minari (US)

27/4 They Say Nothing Stays the Same (Japan)

29/4 Vicky Cristina Barcelona (US)

30/4 King of Devil's Island (Norway)

1/5 The Hunt (Denmark), The Third Man (UK), Howards End (US/ UK)&

6/5 The Courier (UK/USA)

7/5 Kho Kho (India/Malayalam)

8/5 One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (US)

12/5 Nayattu (India/Malayalam)

13/5 The Ice Storm (US)

14/5 Read My Lips (France)

16/5 Memories of Murder (Korea)

20/5 Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar (India/Hindi), The Housemaid (Korea)

22/5 The Real Thing (Japan), The Dry (Australia)

23/5 Drunk Bus (US)

24/5 The Man in the Hat (UK)

26/5 The Sheltering Sky (UK/Italy)

31/5 Oslo (US), Wuhai (China)

2/6 A Song for You (China)

3/6 The Crying Game (UK)

6/6 The State I Am In (Germany)

12/6 My Beautiful Laundrette (UK)

13/6 June (India/Marathi/Hindi)

14/6 WOMB - Women of My Billions (India/Hindi/English), The Exterminating Angel (Mexico), Beginners (US)

15/6 Belle De Jour (France/Italy)

16/6 Persepolis (France)

18/6 Holler (US), Sherni (India/Hindi)

21/6 The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie(France)

22/6 Julia (US)

26/6 Where Is My Friend's Home? (Iran)

27/6 Chashme Badoor (India/Hindi)

28/6 Paper Moon (US)

2/7 No Sudden Move (US)

4/7 The Swindle (France), Haseen Dilruba (India/Hindi)

5/7 Gaey Wa'r (Streetwise) (China), Little Palestine: Diary of a Siege (Lebanon/ France/ Qatar)

6/7 H6 (China/ France), The Story of Film: A New Generation (UK)

7/7 Do the Right Thing (US)

8/7 The Employer and the Employee (Argentina/Uruguay)

9/7 From Afar (Venezuela)

10/7 The Gravedigger's Wife (Djibouti/Finland), Rehana (Bangladesh)

11/7 Anaïs in Love (France)

12/7 Ripples of Life (China), Europa (Iraq/Italy)

13/7 Bruno Reidal, Confessions of a Murderer (France)

14/7 Storms of Jeremy Thomas (US), A Night of Knowing Nothing (India), Cabaret (US)

15/7 Softie (France)

25/7 Sweat (Poland)

26/7 The Player (US)

31/7 The Duke (UK)

1/8 Shankar's Fairies (India/Hindi)

2/8 Limbo (UK)

5/8 An Old Lady (Korea)

10/8 The Way We Were (US)

13/8 Shadow of Doubt (US)

14/8 Dark Waters (US), Coda (US)

17/8 Paka (River of Blood) (India/Malayalam)

19/8 Barah by Barah (India/Hindi)

20/8 The Killing Fields (UK)

23/8 Once Upon a Time in Calcutta (India/Bengali)

24/8 Violet (US)

27/8 The Station Agent (US)

29/8 Silent Land (Poland), Annette (US/France/Germany)

30/8 In the Mood for Love (Hong Kong)

31/8 Dug Dug (India/Hindi)

2/9 Encounters, A Hero (Iran), Flee (Denmark)

3/9 Hallelujah, Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song (US), The Electrical Life of Louis Wain (UK), Red Rocket (US)

4/9 The French Dispatch (US), Spencer (UK/US/Chile), The Power of the Dog (Australia/New Zealand), Automat (US)

5/9 The Hand of God (Italy), Rescue (US), Bergman Island (Germany/ Sweden/ France), The Lost Daughter (US/ Greece)

6/9 Julia (US), Cyrano (US/UK), The Card Counter (US/UK)

10/9 The Box (US/ Mexico), Aloners (Korea)

11/9 As in Heaven (Denmark), Mothering Sunday (UK)

12/9 The Hill Where the Lionesses Roar (Kosovo/ France), Mlungu Wam (Good Madam) (South Africa)

13/9 Murina (Croatia), Compartment No 6 (Finland/ Russia)

14/9 Lakewood (US)

15/9 Ahed's Knee (Israel), The Devil's Drivers (Qatar/Lebanon/France/Germany)

16/9 The Falls (Taiwan), Ali  Ava (UK), The Survivor (US/ Canada), Where is Anne Frank (Belgium/France/The Netherlands/Israel)

17/9 Titane (France/ Belgium), Întregalde (Romania), Are You Lonesome Tonight (China)

18/9 Silent Night (UK), Anatolian Leopard (Turkey)

20/9 Yuni (Indonesia), The Odd-Job Men (Spain)

26/9 Like Father, Like Son (Japan)

29/9 Being James Bond: The Daniel Craig Story (UK/US)

30/9 Spectre (UK/ US), No Time to Die (UK/US)

2/10 The Many Saints of Newark (US)

4/10 Junebug (US)

8/10 Montana Story (US), The Graduate (US)

10/10 Pedro (India/Kannada)

12/10 Godavari (India/Marathi)

14/10 Moving On (South Korea)

15/10 Casablanca Beats (Morocco), Paris, 13th District (France)

16/10 Playground (Belgium), Captain Volkonogov Escaped (Russia), Feathers (Egypt)

17/10 Mama I'm Home (Russia), Another World (France), Everything Went Fine (France)

18/10 The Double Life of Veronique (Poland/ France), Compartment No. 6 (Finland/ Russia), One Second (China)

19/20 The Blind Man Who Did Not Want to See Titanic (China), Invisible Dreams (India/ English), The Worst Person in the World (Norway)

20/10 White Building (Cambodia)

21/10 Unclenching the Fists (Georgia/ Russia), Happening (France), The French Dispatch (US)

22/10 The Captains of Za'atari (Egypt)

24/10 Amour (Austria/ France/ Germany)

26/10 Costa Brava, Lebanon (Lebanon)

30/10 Along the Sea(Japan/Vietnam)

3/11 Lamb (Iceland), After the Rain (China)

4/11 Be My Voice (Sweden)

5/11 India Sweets and Spices (US)

6/11 The Bubble (Switzerland/ Austria), Comala (Mexico), El Planeta (Spain)

7/11 Come Back Anytime (Japan)

8/11 Jai Bhim (India/Tamil)

9/11 F@CK This Job (Russia)

10/11 Asuran (India/ Tamil)

11/11 Pariyerum Perumal (India/Tamil), Go Through the Dark (China), The Forgotten Ones (France/ Israel)

12/11 The Other Side (Colombia), The Devil's Drivers (Germany/Palestine/Israel)

13/11 Young Plato (Ireland/UK)

15/11 Powai (India/Hindi)

16/11 The Beatles and India (UK)

17/11 Escape from Mogadishu (South Korea)

19/11 Simple as Water (US)

20/11 Nishiddho (India/Malayalam/Bengali/Hindi)

21/11 Garuda Gaman Vrishabha Vahana (India/Kannada)

22/10 Vaat (India/ Marathi), Kaala Mele Ira (India/ Kannada)

23/10 Garuda Gaman Vrishabha Vahana (India/ Kannada), Gandhi & Co. (India/ Gujarati), Drive My Car (Japan)

25/10 Vazhakku (Indian/ Malayalam)

26/11 Sweet Smell of Success (US)

27/11 Flee (Denmark)

 

1/12 The Humans (US)

2/12 Belfast (UK)

3/12 Io Sto Bene (Luxembourg), Bad Roads (Ukraine)

4/12 Plaza Catedral (Panama)

5/12 Malik (India/ Malayalam)

6/12 After Love (UK), The First Wave (US)

7/12 Writing with Fire (India/Hindi)

8/12 Private Desert (Brazil), Do Not Hesitate (The Netherlands)

13/12 Prayers for the Stolen (Mexico)

15/12 Crossing Delancey (US), West Side Story (US)

16/12 The Novice (US)

17/12 Sardar Udham (India/Hindi/English/Punjabi), If Memory Serves Me Right (India/English), Parallel Mothers (Spain)

18/12 Karnan (India/ Tamil), The Killing of Two Lovers (US)

19/12 Sarpatta Parambarai (India/Tamil), Pebbles (India/Tamil)

20/2 Rear Window (US)

22/2 The Matrix (US)

23/12 Rosemary's Baby (US), C'mon C'mon (US)

24/12 Cinema Bandi (India/ Telugu)

25/12 Hive (Kosovo), Don’t Look Up (US)

27/12 C.R.A.Z.Y. (Canada)

28/12 Love Actually (UK)

29/12 Big Night (US), August 32nd on Earth (Canada)

30/12 All is Forgiven (France), Kasaba/ The Small Town (Turkey)

31/12 Chungking Express (Hong Kong)