World Poll 2017: Introduction the editors January 2018 World Poll Issue 85 Our favourite time of year has rolled around again: the publication of the results from the Senses of Cinema World Poll. It’s always so gratifying to look at the incredible array of writers who contribute to this annual reflection on what was best for us in our year at the cinema. They come from all over the world, and bring their own unique perspective on how cinema has functioned in their lives. There are some that are closely connected to festival circuits, and therefore propose a range of films that have found success in that specific sphere of the film landscape. Others focus more tightly on an immediate community – the films that played in their city, their town, their neighbourhood. I’m so gratified by the way that the World Poll covers it all; from Cannes to Wellington and New York to Paraguay this truly represents the incredible global reach and intense local engagement with the cinema. If you ever wanted proof of the wonderful democratising power of the cinema, it’s right here. There are a number of ways you can tackle the World Poll. You can walk sequentially through them, or dip in and out at will, and discover the different ways that contributors have approached the task. A couple of examples: Claire Henry frames hers within her life and film experience in New Zealand; Jane Mills offers insight into the qualities that drew her to certain releases, and ends with a beautiful tribute to Sylvia Lawson, a huge influence on Australian film thought; Virginia Wright Wexman not only identifies significant films, but significant moments and images in films as part of her list; and finally the incredible Kimberly Lindbergs who offered us a visual perspective on her ghostly year in cinema. And there are many, many more filled with interesting categories and caveats and exceptions. There is no one way that we engage with cinema, and no one way we think about it. As you dive in, enjoy the wildly varied perspectives and approaches on what a year in cinema can mean for all of us. So grab a pad and pen, your organiser and planner or fire up your letterboxd watchlist and start plowing through this year’s entries. We have enough recommendations (and a few warnings) that will keep your film muscles pumping for the rest of 2018. That film you never heard of that is suddenly cropping up repeatedly? Write it down. That film you thought looked like nonsense but seems to be getting a lot of attention? Maybe it’s worth a look. One contributor’s entry has you intrigued? Work your way through their recommendations. However you do it, there’s plenty to pique your interest. Enormous thanks to our incredible interns this year Sian Mann and Harry McCallum whose dedication and hard work made this year’s World Poll come together incredibly smoothly. Our wonderful webmaster Rachel Brown every year pulls this all together and makes it look as great as it does. It isn’t possible to thank her enough for all the work she does for Senses of Cinema, but again, thanks Rachel. And of course, our overwhelming gratitude to all the contributors who make this such an extraordinary project every single year. From all of us at Senses of Cinema, please enjoy the World Poll for 2017. – Mark Freeman THE ENTRIES PART 1 >> AFI Research Collection Antti Alanen Francisco Algarín Navarro Juan Carlos Ampie Michael J. Anderson Rowena Santos Aquino Sean Axmaker Martyn Bamber Mike Bartlett Nick Bartlett Rhett Bartlett Arta Barzanji Raphael Bassan Conor Bateman Gustavo Beck Sean Bell Jared Beukes Giulia Bindi Lukas Brasiskas Lisa K. Broad Samantha Broadhead Dang Bui Buñuel in Mexico PART 2 >> Thomas Caldwell Michael Campi Nicolas Carrasco Michael J. Casey Celluloid Liberation Front Daryl Chin Graiwoot Chulphongsathorn Roberta Ciabarra Joel Condemi Adam Cook Jordan Cronk Fergus Daly Adrian Danks Brian Darr Dustin Dasig Robert Dassanowsky Henri De Corinth Joanna Di Mattia Wheeler Winston Dixon Durnside SixNine Dzondunkellicht PART 3 >> William Edwards Jeremy Elphick John K. Emelianoff Kaya Erdinc Eliú Escamilla Adalberto Fonkén Gwendolyn Audrey Foster Mark Freeman Hugo Gamarra E. Sachin Gandhi Stephen Gaunson Flora Georgiou Jim Gerow Antony I. Ginnane Paul Douglas Grant Reece Gratton Jaime Grijalba Claire Henry Jhon Hernandez Alain Hertay David Heslin Lee Hill Phil Hobbins-White Jytte Holmqvist Peter Hourigan Brian Hu Yue Huang Christopher Huber PART 4 >> Daniel Kasman Christopher Kearney Ricardo Köhler Ehsan Khoshbakht Rainer Knepperges Adam Kuntavanish Eugenia Lai Marc Lauria Elaine Lennon Raúl Liébana Liébana Kimberly Lindbergs Tara Lomax Josh B Mabe Bob Manning Miguel Marias Hind Mezaina Jack McCulloch Kenta McGrath Tim McQueen Adrian Mendizabal Jane Mills Olaf Möller PART 5 >> Peter Nagels Thomas John Nudi Nicholas Page Andreea Pătru Yoana Pavlova Jesse Percival Antoni Peris-Grao Ashley Perry Andréa Picard Fidel Jesús Quirós Paulette Reynolds Stuart Richards Peter Rist Eloise Ross Julian Ross André Roy PART 6 >> Maria San Filippo José Sarmiento Hinojosa Howard Schuman Christopher Sikich Matthew Singleton Christopher Small Mark Spratt Brad Stevens Josh Timmermann Gorazd Trušnovec Matt Turner Donatella Valente Koen Van Daele Jesse van der Mark Kaj van Zoelen Miha Veingerl Peter Verstraten Tom Vincent Sarah Ward James Waters Jason Wierzba Virginia Wright Wexman Barbara Wurm Keva York