Have you ever wondered what are the films that inspire the next generation of visionary filmmakers? As part of our monthly IONCINEPHILE profile, we ask the filmmaker (this month: Lucia Aleñar Iglesias) to identify their all time top ten favorite films. Lucia’s Forastera opens theatrically on Friday, May 29th via the folks at Grasshopper Film. In no particular order, here are Lucia Aleñar Iglesias’ top ten films as of May 2026.
“Just perfect. Possibly my favorite film if I was forced to pick just one. Every time I return to it, I discover something new. It’s so free and loose with the story, and at the same time completely intentional in terms of the wonderfully strange characters and world it is building. ”
“It’s hard to pick just one of Lucrecia Martel’s films, so I will go with the one I most recently revisited. A slow burn, disturbing depiction of privilege. I’m inspired by her precision with visual language. The way she composes a frame, how she uses sound,…it appears meandering but is so precise.”
“This film is a blast. Passion! Drama! Humor! I cannot take my eyes off it once it starts.”
“I have seen the opening sequence of this film countless times. A perfect character study.”
“I just don’t think anyone immerses you into a world quite like David Lynch could. Any time I feel stuck or uninspired, I turn to one of his works. Blue Velvet is a perfect example of how to turn a banal, seemingly every-day world into an absolute crazy nightmare. Weird is so good.”
“I was not prepared for how hard this film hit me, maybe one of the most empathetic coming-of-age stories out there. I’m so impressed by its tone, the restraint in the ways it builds the more magical elements of the world.”
“Brutal, unforgettable film that gets under your skin.”
“I have only seen this film once and it was probably about 10 years ago, but I was so captivated and moved by it that I still find myself thinking about Le Bal often. I got to see it on a big screen and I only want to return to it on a big screen because this film deserves no less.”
“I love how this film hooks you with a mysterious premise, but is really about exploring how the characters are transformed by said mystery, consumed by guilt, hiding secrets. It’s brilliant.”
“What can I say that hasn’t already been said? It’s just dazzling. It has personality and so much nerve! And I think these are deceptively hard traits to express in a film.“
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