THE WATCH LIST WITH Stefanie Martini
“The whole film has just really stuck with me.”
To celebrate the release of unique found-footage thriller LOLA, we went back in time with star Stefanie Martini to chat about her favourite films of past and present.
1. LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL (1997)
“Directed by and starring Roberto Benigni, it’s so heart-warming and such an interesting, playful performance. I find it very scary doing comedy or anything like that, so I really admire people that can do that really well.”
2. BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD (2012)
“That tiny girl gives a better performance than anyone ever, she’s so good! It’s also so magical and surreal, and I love seeing films that break out of the reality we’re in and go into the symbolic surreal – I find it really moving.”
3. THELMA & LOUISe (1991)
“It was the first film I ever saw that was about two really strong female leads and their lives. I remember when I first watched it whilst thinking about feminism as a teenager, and Thelma & Louise just made a lot of sense at the time. They’re both icons.”
4. PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE (2019)
“It’s just stunning and heart-breaking, beautifully shot and beautifully acted; the scene where everyone’s around the fire just sticks with me. The whole film has just really stuck with me.”
5. THE GODFATHER PART II (1974)
“My mum raised me on Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail and then my dad raised me on The Godfather and Deliverance, so I have that kind of polarity in the things that I like.”
Honourable mentions go to:
NOTTING HILL (1999)
PADDINGTON 2 (2017)
HOOK (1991)
BLUE JEAN (2023)
STRANGERS ON A TRAIN (1951)
Started as a way to end our scrolling during the first COVID-19 lockdown, The Watch List is a series of film recommendations handpicked for you by those in the know - actors, directors, filmmakers and writers whose work has been inspired by the films that came before them.