WELCOME TO MUBI

Chapters one to three of Julia Loktev’s unmissable five-chapter documentary encapsulate the Russian government’s crackdown on perceived enemies of the state. Seeing more than paranoia, the director’s close rapport with her subjects surfaces defiant camaraderie and unwavering commitment to truth.

Past and present, flesh and ash, enormity and the infinitesimal: Gianfranco Rosi’s astonishing, Venice-prizewinning documentary is a marbled study in high contrast. In bone white and velvety black, pin-sharp chiaroscuro photography screens an active volcano for the elemental geometries of life.

With typically deadpan poise, Vitaly Mansky takes an unprecedented peek behind the curtain of North Korean totalitarianism in this breathtaking exposé. Sneaking unapproved footage past their government minders, the filmmakers capture vanishingly rare evidence of a meticulously stage-managed society.

The first Nigerian film ever to screen in Official Selection at Cannes, this prizewinning debut feature from Akinola Davies Jr. is steeped in feeling and lyrical imagery. Bathing the father-son bond in a tender glow, this vibrant coming-of-age tale gathers up precious things amid political tumult.

Ryusuke Hamaguchi may have won the Oscar© for Drive My Car, but his other feature of 2021 is every bit as wonderful. An erotically-charged anthology film that took the Silver Bear in Berlin, these three tales of fate and desire unfold with singularly compelling delicacy and emotional openness.

Instincts both maternal and carnal clatter like shards of glass in a blender in this uncompromising portrait of a woman on the edge from director Lynne Ramsay. Starring Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson in a frenzied pas de deux, Die My Love inflames the exposed nerves of delirium and desire.

A beautifully modulated turn from Alia Shawkat complicates the broader fun of this zany war satire, costarring Callum Turner. A playfully shot debut feature, Atropia lands its different strands skillfully: touching human drama, tangly undercover romance, and confrontational send-up of US militarism.

This observational portrait of the witty, dedicated mayor of Ramallah in the West Bank doubles as an enthralling depiction of local governance amid complex geopolitics. Infused with dark humour and compelling vigour, it’s up there with the best documentaries about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Interweaving private and collective memories, Kleber Mendonça Filho crafts a playful yet profound ode to his hometown. Imbued with the resilient spirit of an iconic city, this inventive essay film revives the urban legends and charismatic figures that also inspired The Secret Agent.

From Dutch provocateur turned Hollywood maverick Paul Verhoeven, this glitter-blasted satire of American materialism owes as much to the melodramas of Douglas Sirk as it does the showbiz classic All About Eve. Widely misunderstood in its day, Showgirls is a luridly entertaining icon of ’90s kitsch.