The signature film of 76 cities around the world

Just to make it clear, THIS IS NOT MY LIST. I saw this list and thought it was very interesting especially for the cinephiles or those who like to see what was said about their city.

Now I have seen a few of these films though not the ones I chose to pick from the list so please let me know if these are the correct gifs used for those films.


Atlanta, Georgia
ATL(2006)



Why is it Atlanta’s signature film? To date, Donald Glover’s FX series Atlanta has shown off the bustling southern metropolis to grittier and more glamorous effect than any movie, but that may eventually change now that film production is exploding in the city (or was). If you’re looking for a true Atlanta movie, Chris Robinson’s flawed-but-entertaining, coming-of-age dramedy about four friends preparing for life after high school feels like a genuine, top-down depiction of the city.

Honorable mentions: Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver, Burt Reynolds’ Sharky’s Machine and Story’s Ride Along.


Havana, Cuba
I Am Cuba(1964)


Why is it Cuba’s signature film? Basically inaccessible to non-communist filmmakers for decades, this beautiful, once thriving city hasn’t been shown off nearly enough on the big screen; ergo, Mikhail Kalatozov’s Soviet-backed I Am Cuba, with its dazzling technique that would later be mimicked by Paul Thomas Anderson in Boogie Nights, remains the most definitive depiction of the Caribbean metropolis.

Honorable mentions (via The Culture Trip): Our Man in Havana (1959), Una Noche (2012), and Fresa y Chocolate (1993)



Jakarta, Indonesia
The Raid 2(2014)


Why is it Jakarta’s signature film? Peter Weir’s The Year of Living Dangerously is the best film set in Jakarta, but it was largely shot in the Philippines. Gareth Evans’ mayhem-laden action flicks, however, were shot in country, and they are all spectacular. The Raid is the tightest of the bunch, but it’s confined to one building. The balls-to-the-wall sequel wreaks havoc all over the city, never letting up once throughout its exhausting 150-minute runtime.

Honorable mentions: the aforementioned films


Paris, France
The 400 Blows (1959)


Why is it Paris’ signature film? An audacious François Truffaut placed his title card under the base of the Eiffel Tower at the opening of his debut feature, essentially placing the stamp on the city of his birth. Despite the magnificent efforts of his peers and acolytes, he’s owned it ever since. His Paris is viewed from the perspective of a neglected child; he has learned at an early age that he is alone in this world and seeks comfort in the seemingly boundless metropolis that surrounds him.

Honorable mention: Godard’s Breathless, Minnelli’s An American in Paris, Tati’s Playtime, Carné’s Children of Paradise, Carax’s The Lovers on the Bridge, Varda’s Cléo from 5 to 7 and so on.


St. Petersburg, Russia
Russian Ark(2002)


Why it is St. Petersburg’s signature film? Shot in a single, Steadicam-enabled take, Alexander Sokurov’s Russian Ark drifts through the Winter Palace of Saint Petersburg’s gargantuan Hermitage Museum, giving viewers a bit of a history lesson while also allowing them to take in the jaw-dropping opulence of the palace. Though the film never quite transcends its trappings as a technical exercise, the ever-changing locations and dramatis personae are a wonder to behold. You leave the movie wanting to book the first flight to the city.

Honorable mention: Czinner’s The Rise of Catherine the Great, Loteanu’s Anna Pavlova and Pudovkin’s The End of St. Petersburg.


What do you agree with and what you think is wrong on this list ONTD?
Did they choose the "right" film for your city?
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