A Moment of Innocence

1996

A Persian classic. Extremely meta story about a film director who stabbed a police officer 17 years prior wishing to make a movie reenacting the stabbing. This film is extremely character-driven and has one of the most impactful endings of any film I've ever seen. Left me absolutely speechless.

Calendar

1993

Going through the months of a calendar the protagonist shot with his ex-wife, bouncing between scenes of him losing her affection to their tour guide and him trying to get back the feeling of an ethnic lover. Incredibly beautiful scenes that have convinced my friends to travel to Armenia are accompanied by an esoteric story that leaves a lot of introspection about Egoyan's purpose and reasoning behind the film.

Kyanq u Kriv

2016

Set during the first Artsakh War of Liberation, Kyanq u Kriv is a story of love and loss, and what it drives a man to do when he is left without purpose. A heartbreaking film, especially after the recent ethnic cleansing of Artsakh by Azerbaijan.

Taxi

1998

A street racer in Marseilles is caught and blackmailed by a cop to join forces and hunt down a German car gang. One hour and thirty minutes that absolutely flies by, truly one of the best vibe movies I've ever seen. Stupidly fucking fun.

The Usual Suspects

1995

Truly one of the greatest movies of all time. A slow-paced crime-thriller that tells the story of a heist gone wrong from the perspective of a cripple who survived. Who is Keyser Söze—the overarching question of the movie that will lead to many rewatches as you new evidence each time.