tHE WATCH LIST WITH ASIM CHAUDHRY
“EDUCATING YOURSELF ON RACE IS ESSENTIAL, THESE FILMS REALLY HELPED ME UNDERSTAND THE STORIES OF OUR ‘OTHERNESS’.”
1. Skin deep
“I watched this short when I was 15 years old and it had a profound effect on me. It taught me about self hate in relation to one’s race and how destructive it can be.”
2. malcolm x
“God only knows how Denzel didn't win the Oscar for his performance. He basically played 3 different characters in one film and portrayed Malcolm perfectly! Instead Denzel won for Training Day where he played an evil crooked cop 🙄”
3. east is east
“One of the first times I saw a real British Asian experience on the big screen. An essential film for every South Asian and a jaw dropping performance by Om Puri.”
4.
fresh
“One of the most beautiful and nuanced films I've ever seen. This film is about a 12 year old black kid, failed by society but smart enough to navigate his way out of poverty! It might be the most underrated film of the 90's.”
5. paris is burning
“One of my favourite documentary films of all time! Rich with characters, soul, and heartbreak. An essential watch to understand the black trans experience in 90's New York.”
6. THRONE OF BLOOD
“Kuruosawa is a master and this is by far the greatest Film adaption of Macbeth. It’s beautifully shot, the score is atmospheric and the way that lady Macbeth ghostly moves still haunts me.”
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.