I am not claiming my selection to be a list of the "best" European films ever made. This is a personal selection that should give a flavour of the dazzling breadth of European cinema - whatever that may be.
Take as typical these words from Carol Morley, director of The Falling, as she prepared for a film project in the US: "I've always been fascinated by the films the German émigrés made in America, which to me are so very European," Morley said. "Film language is universal, and I hope my films transcend boundaries. But recently I saw someone describe [my work] as 'weird', so maybe the correct term should be 'weird European'!"
I loved that phrase – "weird European" – and it came back to haunt me as I set about compiling this list.
Enjoy!
