The Greatest Films of the 21st Century Include 5 Movies by Latin American Directors, Says the BBC

We are not even a sixth of the way through the 21st century but that wasn’t going to stop the BBC from assembling a greatest films of the century list. Polling 117 critics from 36 countries the final list reads like a who’s who of contemporary cinema. You have Christopher Nolan, the Coen brothers, Wes Anderson, Paul Thomas Anderson, and critical darling Apichatpong Weerasethakul, each amply represented with 3 films each. You have David Lynch topping the list with Mulholland Drive. You have your token Almodóvar hit with Talk to Her. You have a handful of Pixar flicks (WALL-E, Ratatouille, and Finding Nemo in case you’re wondering).

And then you have two of The Three Amigos represented which makes you wonder whether the two-time Best Director Oscar winner split his own votes. You think Cuarón and Del Toro have already phoned ‘El Negro’ to let him know they also think Babel should’ve been on the list?

We could quibble all day with the rankings and inclusions. Even just naming the directors that were left off the film could surely fill an entire other list (like, say, our own take on the Best Latin American Films of the 2000s). But that’s what lists are for: to be fought over. And, of course, to celebrate who did get cited. With that in mind, find below the five Latin American directors on the BBC list that repped the region in all its diversity.