Guest Picks: Producer Aimara Reques

The collective experience of audiences in a cinema watching great films is what Park Circus is all about. Shared stories, escapism. We love movies. Until we're all back together, in an auditorium, we've asked some of our friends from across the film industry to take their pick of our 25,000 strong catalogue, and offer us their suggestions for audiences around the world to watch at home until we're back together in cinemas once more.

This week's Guest Picks come from Aimara Reques. Aimara was the leading producer of Victor Kossakovsky’s  Aquarela which premiered at Venice International Film Festival 2018 and was shortlisted for the Oscars® in 2020. Park Circus were proud to distribute the documentary in the UK in December 2019.

Aimara is the founder of Aconite Productions, an innovative company based in Scotland dedicated to the production of high-quality creative documentaries that bring stories of global significance to the world stage.

"I would hate to pass for a film expert, as I’m not an expert on anything other than what I do in life! But what comes to mind for me when asked to recommend films to watch at home is childhood – because this is a time for reflection given the experiences we are going through – the pain, the uncertainty. And also, that we need to look for humour. Anything that helps to light the soul somehow.

I think when it comes to humour, Britain is a great reference point as it has produced some of the most amazing cinematic talent. Anything for me that exposes the absurdity, the paradox of life, the craziness, the contradictions. And if we are seeking films to bring light to our soul right now, I can’t help but think of Charlie Chaplin.

I have been showing my 5-year-old grandson clips of The Tramp. I had a Great Auntie Luisa who was a huge fan of cinema and she took me to see The Gold Rush when I was in primary school – she would watch anything that would make her laugh! She loved Louis de Funès, and for her, he was the funniest man on the planet so she took me to see every single one of his films.

I love all of Stanley Kubrick’s films, but in in this period of time when we are using power and politics to make decisions about the craziness of the world, then I want to recommend Dr Strangelove. What a performance from Peter Sellers! The scene with the US President calling the Soviet Union guy to say the nuclear bomb was on its way – just to think of it, it’s an extraordinary moment!

I remember watching it at university in Venezuela with my best friend at the time and we just couldn’t stop, not only laughing, but talking about it afterwards and it left a stamp on me because of how much we talked and laughed about the circumstances and the paradox and craziness of politics and humankind.

And the other film that I watched with my friends at university all that time ago is Monty Python’s the Meaning of Life. I can’t help but recommend that film – it’s so vulgar and crude and limitlessly grotesque to the point that it’s impossible not to laugh! Again, it reminds me of being young, laughing with my friends, speculating on the reasons for human existence, flaws. When cinema does that combination of both making us laugh and making us reflect on ourselves... I simply can’t resist it.

Last but not least, I started by mentioning my grandson and having a great time together watching Charlie Chaplin, but I have also been watching The Never Ending Story with him (twice!) – which was my son’s favourite film when he was a little boy. It’s so beautiful now to be able to share it with my grandson and to see that he also loved the film, as his dad did when he was the same age.

I thought it would be out of date, given the special effects that kids are exposed to now and that that he wouldn’t engage with it but I was totally wrong. He totally immersed himself into the film and went with the story and it triggered many questions; “where can I get the book, where can I get it, I want to read it!” So I told him: “When the lockdown is over I will try my absolute best to find you that book!”