I’ve had a passion for films ever since my school days – so for about 50 years now. I love directors who dare to adopt an original, sometimes uncompromising style. The fact that their films still regularly blow me away at Lumière after all these years is, to me, an almost magical experience.

After returning from Colombia in 2003, I saw the call for submissions to write for Lumière. I still love the challenge of describing films in 150 words. I have a particular preference for Spanish-language films, but especially documentaries. In particular, the films of Frederick Wiseman, the undisputed master of the observational documentary on social and cultural institutions. From his first unsettling film about a psychiatric institution in the US, Titicut Follies, to his last, about a three-Michelin-star restaurant in Paris – made three years before his recent death at the age of 96. He teaches us to look and to feel.

There are very few film genres that I really don’t care for. I can never get enough of British comedies, period dramas, murder mysteries and sci-fi films. I watch every film by directors Christopher Nolan, Tim Burton and Steven Spielberg. Even if they were to make a four-hour epic about the Teletubbies.

I’ve probably watched The Godfather trilogy a bit too often, love getting lost in French, Spanish and Italian films, and as a photographer I’m easily captivated by light and imagery. ‘Leave the gun, take the cannoli’!

I have been a member of the editorial team since 2006 and am responsible for the English-language film descriptions. I love drama, not only in film but also in literature. I have a particular fondness for European films.

My taste in films could perhaps be described as eclectic: from Howl’s Moving Castle to All of Us Strangers, and from Perfect Days to Wild. I like to draw inspiration from films that shed light on ‘this strange thing called life’, with all its beautiful and not-so-beautiful aspects.

Jurassic Park literally made me a regular at the cinema, and after The Blair Witch Project, I was a permanent fixture at Lumière. In the spirit of those two films, nothing can be big, surprising or scary enough for me. Quirky arthouse filmmakers, animation, American indie and ‘genre films’ (horror, action, crime, science fiction) have a clear advantage. And David Lynch (RIP) has three.

I was introduced to the films of Laurel and Hardy, all the Disney films and lots of schlager films at a young age. I still love animation, which I also enjoy reviewing for our website. My tastes have broadened since then, but I prefer to steer clear of horror and war films.

I have worked as a language teacher and translator for over 40 years. Since retiring in 2020, I have been doing editorial and translation work, not only for Lumière, but also for two other cultural organisations. My preferences? Not so much films, but rather actors, such as Denzel Washington (The Book of Eli), Olivia Colman (My Father), Juliette Binoche (Chocolat) and Charlotte Rampling (The Night Porter).

I started working for the Lumière newspaper whilst I was at university; the website didn’t exist back then. In my view, stories told on the silver screen are the ultimate form of escapism. A notable achievement: I’ve been with the editorial team for so long that I can no longer remember the date I first became a volunteer.