Knowingly or unknowingly, cinema acquaints us with the complexities and beauties of life, broadening our perspective while getting entrenched into powerful narratives. One might even say that watching films is like meeting new people and together embarking on a rollercoaster journey of truth, imagination and discovery, while sharing relatable moments and finding meaning and purpose in the world.

Why then, should the cinematic experience be restricted to a country or a language? It is but natural to seek out movies that are produced in one’s own home ground. Access to and information about foreign films is not always easily available, resulting in them going unnoticed. The internet is a great source of information about which movies to watch and many OTT platforms too stream a fair share of diverse films. But, it is still quite a task to filter, search, research and pick a movie outside your comfort zone.

MUBI, a streaming platform, offers a unique service. It not only showcases works of filmmakers from different countries, but also a new hand-picked film daily, bringing a regular surprise element for viewers. For example, on one side there’s David Fincher’s Hollywood mystery thriller GONE GIRL, following the story of Ben Affleck’s Nick Dunne, who becomes the centre of media attention and the prime suspect in the mysterious disappearance of his wife, Rosamund Pike’s Amy Dunne, is one of the many popular films hosted by the platform, while on the other, there’s Alice Rohrwacher’s (Happy as Lazarro) unique FOUR ROADS, an Italian film shot during the pandemic induced lockdown, exploring alternative forms of contact among neighbours by making use of an old 16mm camera, a zoom lens, and a few meters of expired film and Ashish Pandey’s NOOREH from India, wherein a little girl, Saima Lateif’s Nooreh, residing in a village on the India-Pakistan border, sets out in pursuit of peace in the backdrop of unfathomable trauma faced by residents amidst the relentless cross-firing.

Contemporary cinema aside, there are some gems for lovers of old classics such as Francois Truffaut’s JULES AND JIM from France, chronicling how the 30-year friendship between Austrian biologist Jules and Parisian writer Jim transforms when the entry of Jeane Moreau’s lovely Catherine makes it a love triangle. One can also find several Charlie Chaplin favorites, such as A DOG’S LIFE, THE CIRCUS and CITY LIGHTS, along with India’s beloved Satyajit Ray’s CHARULATA, in which Madhbai Mukherjee’s character, during the peak of the Bengali Renaissance in the British rule, falls in love with her husband’s, cousin, as the former has little to no time for her. Ritwik Ghatak’s SUBARNEKHA, Yorgos Lanthimos’ NIMIC, Eric Rohmer’s production THE TREE , THE MAYOR, and THE MEDIATHEQUE, Werner Schroeter’s MALINA, Mati Diop’s ATLANTICS, Wang Xiaoshuai’s SO LONG, MY SON and Andre Tarkovsky’s THE SACRIFICE, Greece, are some of the other movies that call for a must-watch.

Filmmakers embed the social fabric into films to contextualize and make relatable cinema. Cinema has long been a lens for audiences to review their societies, identify the faults and delve into the power of relationships. MUBI features films targeting issues such as religion, gender, politics, social inequality, war, etc. and has something in store for all kinds of cinephiles, informing and enlightening them about the multifaceted realities of the world. For example, with Pride Month right around the corner, those wishing to watch films with an LGBTQ focus can check out Waniri Kahiu’s RAFIKI, a touching story of romance between two young women, who continue to support each other to pursue their dreams amidst pressure from their conservative families and political pressures around LGBT rights in Kenya. There’s also Rohin Raveendran’s THE BOOTH, portraying a romance beyond time and place between two females- a customer and a guard- in a female frisking booth inside a crowded shopping mall, hidden from view of the passing shoppers. Another film to watch out for would be Emma Seligman’s SHIVA BABY, capturing the tale of a young woman struggling to uphold different versions of herself when she runs into her sugar daddy and her ex-girlfriend at a Shiva with her parents.

Notebook, MUBI’s online film magazine, publishes the latest news, interviews and reviews in the cinema world. The platform allows members to rate, review and discuss movies, which has helped build an international community of cinephiles.

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