Film: Storm Saulter, Sprinter, 2018Country: Jamaica, USA|A Pinkett-Smith produced coming of age story about a track and field athlete: a visually appealing indie with blockbuster appeal that seamlessly sheds light on Jamaica's many contemporary problems
Book: Kamel Daoud, The Meursault Investigation, 2013Country: Algeria|The brother of the unnamed Arab killed by Camus' Meursault is given the stage in this Goncourt-winning novel: a brilliant post-colonial revision of the existential questions posed in "The Stranger"
Film: Lee Cheuk-pan, G Affairs, 2018Country: Hong Kong|A wild, gritty ride through contemporary Hong Kong from a debut filmmaker that delights with stellar performances from accomplished actors and rookies alike
Art: Philippe Quesne, The Moles, 2019Country: France|Seven giant moles make New York city their stomping ground in a series of immersive performances channeled by the underground dwellers through the brilliant mind of French artist/director
Film: Royston Tan, 15, 2003Country: Singapore|An honest, dark and sweet portrayal of 15-year old inner city kids in Singapore City that is a visual and audial feast, and one of the most honest films about Millenials ever made
Film: Muayad Alayan, The Reports on Sarah and Saleem, 2018Country: Palestine|An affair between two married people, an Israeli and a Palestinian, attracts the attention of security services of both countries: a fascinating study of power, class and politics in a relationship
Art: Franck Lundangi, The Bird, 2013Country: Angola, France|Fantastic beasts, third eyes and unity with the cosmos in the works of a mystic painter who used to be a soccer player: the kind of spiritual imagery we need in the anthropocene
Film: Rashid Desai, Everything Must Fall, 2019Country: South Africa|A comprehensive chronicle of the #FeesMustFall movement in South Africa that is sympathetic to the cause yet maintains enough distance to remain objective
Film: Ibrahima Seydi and Robin Andelfinger, Mama Bobo, 2017Country: Belgium, France, Senegal|A short but powerful film about an elderly widow in Dakar whose everyday routine of looking back at her life from a decrepit bus stop is interrupted by the city's rapid gentrification
Film: Likarion Wainaina, Supa Modo, 2018Country: Germany, Kenya|Kenya's 2019 Oscar entry about a terminally ill 9-year-old girl who pretends to be a superhero and turns out to be one in real life: a brilliant, brave film on a highly exploited topic
Film: Royston Tan, 15, 2003Country: Singapore|An honest, dark and sweet portrayal of 15-year old inner city kids in Singapore City that is a visual and audial feast, and one of the most honest films about Millenials ever made
Film: Muayad Alayan, The Reports on Sarah and Saleem, 2018Country: Palestine|An affair between two married people, an Israeli and a Palestinian, attracts the attention of security services of both countries: a fascinating study of power, class and politics in a relationship
Film: Bi Gan, Long Day’s Journey Into Night, 2018Country: China|Visionary second feature from China's most exciting young filmmaker that merges feverish noir storytelling with 3D technology: a revolution in immersive cinema that seeks to reinvent the industry
Film: Jayil Pak, Pepper, 2018Country: South Korea, USA|Mythology, social commentary and drama blend together in a highly stylized short film to create a fascinating exploration of the intersections of South Korean and queer identities
Book: Zidrou and Aimée de Jongh, Blossoms in Autumn, 2018Country: Belgium, Netherlands|A graphic novel about a romance between two people past their middle age that combines sensuality and complexity: a refreshing, necessary take on modern love and its boundless possibilities
Film: Robert Bahar and Almudena Carracedo, The Silence of Others, 2018Country: Argentina, Spain, USA|Almodóvar-produced documentary about the victims of Franco's regime who are trying to find justice in courts despite the resistance of Spain's government to own up to its past crimes
Music: Cherrie, Sherihan, 2016Country: Somalia, Sweden|The first album by the Somali-Swedish R&B diva whose song “163 För Evigt” became a sensation worldwide despite the language barrier: powerful music informed by growing up black in Europe
Film: Francesco Rosi, Christ Stopped at Eboli, 1979Country: Italy|Francesco Rosi's adaptation of Carlo Levi's memoirs is newly restored and relevant as ever: a testament to the importance of including the poor in the left's political struggle
Film: Alex Rivera and Cristina Ibarra, The Infiltrators, 2019Country: USA|A vastly important film that will keep you on the edge of your seat: the real story of undocumented immigrants who got arrested to be able to help people inside the detention center
Film: Bassam Tariq, Ghosts of Sugar Land, 2019Country: USA|A Sundance winning documentary acquired by Netflix: a bunch of childhood friends try to figure out why the only non-Asian-American, non-Muslim-born person in their group had decided to join ISIS
Food: Carneada and Fried Fish at Seis Vecinos NYCCountry: Honduras|Bringing together the flavors of Mexico, the Caribbean and South America, this exemplary Honduran establishment in the Bronx offers healthy but satisfying meals
Film: Frances-Anne Solomon, Hero, 2018Country: Cameroon, Canada, DR Congo, Ghana, Tanzania, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom|A biopic of an extraordinary Trinidadian lawyer whose life spanned some of the most fascinating events of the 20th century, which doubles as a primer on the history of the Pan-Africanist movement.
Music: Huarere, Homson Tribute, 2004Country: Vanuatu|Reggae from Vanuatu that’s both a testament to the genre’s power and a potent reimagining of it, drenched in Oceanian culture and realities. Archipelago dwellers sure know how to make intelligent beach music
Music: Ngaiire, Blastoma, 2016Country: Australia, Papua New Guinea|Dark, danceable future soul from Papua New Guinea in a sophomore album named after the singer’s childhood cancer: Ngaiire is a talent from Oceania to look out for
Art: Tapa ClothCountry: Wallis and Futuna|Spectacular cloth made from tree bark: sounds like an innovation, but it’s a century old tradition
Book: Armonia Somers, The Naked Woman, 1950Country: Ecuador|Rediscovered feminist magical realism gem from 1950s Ecuador
Music: Yma Sumac, Mambo!, 1954Country: Peru|Peruvian goddess sings: four and a half octaves and a whole lot of mambo
Film: Laura Huertas Millan, Sol Negro, 2016Country: Colombia|A gentle portrait of a Colombian opera singer who struggles with addiction and mental health issues
