5. The Yuppie Trilogy, dir. Whit Stillman
Movies:
– Metropolitan (1990)
– Barcelona (1994)
– The Last Days of Disco (1998)
In his first three feature films, Whit Stillman made a very interesting trilogy that definitely does not get the recognition it deserves.
‘Yuppie’ is a term that refers to a young professional person working in a city. The Yuppie Trilogy follows three stories where comedy, drama and romance are combined. Approaching stories about youth and its difficulties, expectations and the transition to adulthood, Stillman delivers strong screenwriting with very interesting characters.
Although not being as remembered as it should, Whit Stillman’s Yuppie Trilogy is a series of movies that should without a doubt be checked out by any cinephile.
4. The Proletariat Trilogy, dir. Aki Kaurismaki
Movies:
– Shadows in Paradise (1986)
– Ariel (1988)
– The Match Factory Girl (1990)
Finnish filmmaker Aki Kaurismaki delivered one of the best movies from last year with the Silver Bear Winner “The Other Side of Hope.” And the rest of his career is truly as interesting as his latest film.
Starting his career as a director with the documentary “The Saimaa Gesture” in 1981, from 1986 to 1990, among other works, he released his Proletariat Trilogy.
The way he is able to walk between comedy and tragedy is truly astonishing. Always with very strong screenwriting and great characters, Kaurismaki is a filmmaker whose works should definitely be watched, and the Proletariat Trilogy is an amazing film series that is far from getting the recognition it deserves.
3. The Cinema Novo Trilogy
Movies:
– Barren Lives (1963; dir. Nelson Pereira dos Santos)
– Black God, White Devil (1964; dir. Glauber Rocha)
– The Guns (1964; dir. Ruy Guerra)
The only trilogy in this article with movies from different directors, the Cinema Novo Trilogy is formed by three of the most important movies in one of the most important film movements in history.
With a great influence of neorealism and the Nouvelle Vague, some of the best Brazilian movies of all time were made during this time. The social and political approach of these films is remarkable, and it is very intriguing to see how much ahead of their time and how complex these movies were.
Not only for “Barren Lives,” “Black God, White Devil” and “The Guns,” Nelson Pereira dos Santos, Glauber Rocha and Ruy Guerra are amazing filmmakers whose works every cinephile should check out.
2. The Fontainhas Trilogy, dir. Pedro Costa
Movies:
– Ossos (1997)
– In Vanda’s Room (2000)
– Colossal Youth (2006)
Starting his career in the 1980s, director Pedro Costa is one of the most prominent figures of Portuguese cinema in the last few decades.
Called “the Samuel Beckett of cinema,” his films depicts characters living in desperate situations. Approaching the aesthetics of a documentary at some points, Costa builds the atmosphere of his movies in a very intriguing way.
With this “docufiction” form, he is able to approach strong stories and is able to make a very politically and socially relevant cinema. The Fontainhas Trilogy is a very powerful film series that every cinephile should watch.
1. The Salta Trilogy, dir. Lucrecia Martel
Movies:
– The Swamp (2001)
– The Holy Girl (2004)
– The Headless Woman (2008)
Lucrecia Martel is one of the best filmmakers working today. With four feature films in her career – the more recent one being “Zama” (2017), which was screened out of the competition at the Venice Film Festival – she is definitely a filmmaker whose works every cinephile should check out.
All approaching complex characters and relations, this trilogy, one of the best made in this century, takes place in the Argentinean province of Salta, where the filmmaker was born.
It is truly notable how Martel is able to conduct the mise en scène of her films with meaningful and punctual dialogue, allied with a great use of silence. With great performances and strong acting, the Salta Trilogy is an amazing film series that every cinephile must watch.
Author Bio: Vítor Guima is a filmmaker, writer and musician. Every day he watches a movie, reads a few pages from a book, listens to an album and freaks out with the feeling of not having enough time to see everything. You can follow him on Instagram on @ovitorguima.