Best of 2007 (10 to 6)

10. FARO: GODDESS OF THE WATER
It was a good year for African cinema, with the emotional drama DARATT and the updating and relocation of the Jesus story in SON OF MAN, but this film from Burkino Faso was the best. When a young man returns to the village where he grew up, he finds that his modern ways are at odds with the superstition of the locals and it seems the river is angry about his return. Well acted and features some gorgeous photography.

9. 2:37 (above)
It might owe a lot to Gus van Sant's ELEPHANT, but this Australian teen drama packs an emotional punch that is hard to shake off. The day begins with tragedy and then flashes back to let us work out what has happened and to whom. Powerful film, but hardly seen by anyone on this side of the world.

8. KINGS
A group of Irishmen living in England get together at the wake of the first of their group to die, and reminisce about the plans they made when they first left their home in the 70s. Tinged with a palpable melancholy, the film is a heartbreaking look at a group of men who don't belong in England but know that the Ireland they left no longer exists.

7. IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON
Fantastic documentary about the Apollo missions which correctly sweeps aside technical chat in favour of concentrating on the human effect of the missions.

6. APOCALYPTO (above)
On one hand it's a historical epic, on the other a typical action movie - Mel Gibson's mythical adventure movie is magical (and wasn't released in the UK until January, hence it making it onto my 2007 list instead of 2006).