In honor of their 20th edition, the International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) has polled its attendees and has come up with a list of the top 20 films from the past 20 years of IDFA and Hubert Sauper's Oscar nominated DARWIN'S NIGHTMARE took the top spot. Last week, the IDA named its own top 25 (celebrating 25 years) and there was some dissent in the ranks over the films on the list - "too American!" they cried, "too recent!" they bemoaned.
Well, the IDFA list can answers the first charge, with just two of its 20 films - Michael Moore's BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE and Werner Herzog's GRIZZLY MAN (both of which made the IDA list as well) - hailing from North America. But the IDFA list was even more recent than the IDA's list, with only one film from the festival's first decade - Heddy Honigmann's O AMOR NATURAL - and a full seven films coming from last year's edition.
Here's IDFA's Top 20:
1. DARWIN'S NIGHTMARE (2004)
Directed by Hubert Sauper
2. NOMADEK TX (2006)
Directed by Raul de la Fuente
3. O AMOR NATURAL (1996)
Directed by Heddy Honigmann
4. CHECKPOINT (2003)
Directed by Yoav Shamir
5. BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE (2002)
Directed by Michael Moore
6. GRIZZLY MAN (2005)
Directed by Werner Herzog
7. CITY OF PHOTOS (2004)
Directed by Nishtha Jain
8. WE ARE TOGETHER (THINA SIMUNYE) (2006)
Directed by Paul Taylor
9. BALSEROS (2002)
Directed by Charles Bosch & Joesp M. Domenech
10. THE 3 ROOMS OF MELANCHOLIA (2004)
Directed by Pirjo Honkasalo
11. THE BOY WHO PLAYS ON THE BUDDHAS OF BAMIYAN (2003)
Directed by Phil Grabsky
12. WHEELS OF FORTUNE (2001)
Directed by WILKO BELLO
13. 9 STAR HOTEL (2006)
Directed by IDO HAAR
14. FIRST KILL (2001)
Directed by Coco Schrijber
15. THE MONASTERY - MR. VIG & THE NUN (2006)
Directed by Pernille Rose Gronkjær
16. SCHOFFIES (2006)
Directed by Marc van Fucht
17. GHOSTS OF CITE SOLEIL (2006)
Directed by Asger Leth
18. CUBA, THE VALUE OF UTOPIA (2006)
Directed by Yanara Guayasamin
19. ZIGEUNERS VAN DE CAUBERG (2003)
Directed by Patrick Bisschops
20. THE KIDNAPPING OF INGRID BETANCOURT (2003)
Directed by Victoria Bruce
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