The best films of 2002

        an end-of-year list by Shelly Kraicer

        It's been a terrific year internationally for cinema, easily the strongest I've seen since 1994. So many of this year's films have been innovative, or memorable, or striking, or just remarkably beautiful, that it's proven impossible to distill a year's worth of highlights into a mere ten choices. Highlights seem to have grouped themselves into threes, though, so I can offer ten triplets of the best moments in film that I've had this year.

        The following are chosen from among films that either premiered in 2002, or premiered in 2001 but that I saw for the first time in 2002.


        Title Director Country
        beautiful enough to have created their own style Japón Carlos Reygadas Mexico
        Vendredi Soir Claire Denis France
        Russian Ark
        Russkij kovcheg
        Alexander Sokurov Russia
        three rhapsodies on women's odysseys Morvern Callar Lynne Ramsay Great Britain
        Eliana, Eliana Riri Riza Indonesia
        [Vendredi Soir Claire Denis France]
        a Korean art trio Oasis
        Oasiseu
        Lee Chang-dong South Korea
        Camel[s]
        Nakta[dul]
        Park Ki-yong South Korea
        Turning Gate
        Saenghwalui balgyeon
        Hong Sang-soo South Korea
        Chinese masterworks Unknown Pleasures
        Ren xiao yao
        Jia Zhangke China
        A Chinese Odyssey 2002
        Tianxia wushuang
        Jeff Lau Chun-wai Hong Kong
        Going Home [Three]
        San geng: hui jia
        Peter Chan Ho-san Hong Kong
        avant-pop poetry Spring Subway
        Kaiwang chuntian de ditie
        Zhang Yibai China
        Chicken Poets
        Xiang jimao yiyang fei
        Meng Jinghui China
        My Life as McDull
        Makdau goosi
        Toe Yuen China
        anti-narrative visionaries Ten Abbas Kiarostami Iran
        Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham Karan Johan India
        Blissfully Yours
        Sud sanaeha
        Apichatpong Weerasethakul Thailand
        narrative, still visionary Atanarjuat Zacharias Kunuk Canada
        Le Fils Luc & Jean-Pierre Dardenne Belgium
        Far From Heaven Todd Haynes USA
        politics is art Divine Intervention
        Yadon ilaheyya
        Elia Suleiman Palestine
        Waiting For Happiness Abderrahmane Sissako Mauritania
        Éloge de l'amour Jean-Luc Godard France
        documentary thrills Gambling, Gods, and LSD Peter Mettler Canada
        Remembrance of Things to Come
        Le Souvenir d'un avenir
        Chris Marker, Yannick Bellon France
        Gina Kim's Video Diary Gina Kim USA
        South Korea
        shorts, sublime and perfect The Skywalk is Gone
        Tianqiao bu jianle
        Tsai Ming-liang Taiwan
        Summer, Dream
        Shiding de xiatian
        Cheng Yu-chieh Taiwan
        Eleven
        Shiyi sui
        Zhang Lu China



        back to the index...



        Shelly Kraicer 
        email the website editor

        all content © 1996-2003 Shelly Kraicer