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My choice is made up on a personal level – films that have impacted me throughout my life. King Kong was the very first film I remember seeing; Les Enfants du Paradis for its sheer mastery; the deliriously troubling tale of obsession that is Hitchcock’s Vertigo; The Battle of Algiers, which proves political cinema can be more emotive than any melodrama; The Passion of Joan of Arc, with the finest film performance ever; Mildred Pierce – Hollywood at its peak mixing film noir and melodrama with one of the greatest stars from its golden age; Chungking Express – a marvellous tale of love, loss, romance and isolation; Rashomon for its sheer bravura; Meet Me in St Louis’ superb set-piece numbers; and the desperation of The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant. All of the list are personal favourites and my desert island viewing.