1. I Hate Myself : )
Easily the boldest and edgiest film I saw all year. It also contains one of the most un-whitewashed sex scenes ever.
2. The Act of Killing
How on earth did director Joshua Oppenheimer manage to persuade perpetrators of Indonesia’s 1965 genocide against the Ethnic Chinese (among others) to re-enact the murders they committed? The guy’s a genius.
3. Our Nixon
It’s hard not to feel for the guy after you watch this.
4. We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks
Is director Alex Gibney a cyborg? How else to explain his astonishing output? This documentary on the rise and fall of Julian Assange unfolds like a Shakespearean tragedy.
5. First Cousin Once Removed
Alan Berliner’s trademark brilliance dances on the tightrope between experimental film and personal documentary.
6. Call Me Kuchu
This film contains the most effective second act plot point in the history of cinema.
7. Rafea, Solar Mama
Ever wondered why the Middle East is so fucked up? Look no further.
8. Park Avenue
Alex Gibney does it again. Such a simple yet astonishingly elegant conceit – make a film about the people who live in the most expensive apartment building in the world as a way into an exploration of the alarmingly widening disparity between rich and poor.
9. Levitating Mass
I didn’t know who Michael Heizer was but now I do and my life is better for it.
10. Chasing Ice
Yep. We’re all going to die.
For the complete list of year-end lists on Keyframe, go to The Year in Film: 2013.
For the complete index of the films on these lists, go to 2013 Year in Review: Indexed.
