Manto Team’s Favourites – Episode 1

Why is picking your absolute favourite film so tricky, it almost feels like a life or death question. You deliberate back and forth between answers, would this film make me seem like a try hard? Would this answer feel more authentic? Or would this one just make me seem like a total nostalgic film buff still stuck giving the 16-year-old me answer I’d give someone at a party 10 years ago because I haven’t had the time to come up with a better answer since I was a teenager.

Well we gave the team at Manto a few of those life or death questions, we’re so indecisive some were still stuck on sending me the Google Forms over a month later… I’m looking at you Josh! After finally coming to some conclusions, we’re sharing some of our ‘Visual Media Favourites’ – just don’t quote these answers as gospel as we’ll probably change our minds again by next year!

First up, is the original Manto man, our MD Paul who actually wrote the questionnaire, therefore was expectedly the quickest to answer it!

What is your favourite film and why?

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. I just love it so much. I love the friendship between Butch and Sundance, I love the fact that it’s messy and jumps around, I love the humour, I love the action, I love William Goldman’s writing, I love how it looks and (not gonna lie) I have a pretty serious man crush on Paul Newman. He’s my hero.

What is your favourite ad and why?

It’s an obvious choice but the Guinness surfers ad. I remember seeing this on TV for the first time as a teenager and being transfixed. So much so that I wrote to Guinness (an actual letter!) and asked them to send me a copy, which they did on VHS!  It’s a captivating piece of filmmaking; beautiful, visceral, thrilling. I’m not sure whether it will ever be topped.

What was the film/video that first got you interested in filmmaking?

The key one that springs to mind is Grosse Pointe Blank. My school started a film club and this was the first film they played. I’d liked films before then but the writing was so sharp and funny and the action so exciting and enjoyable that it really made me stop and wonder how they’d done it. I think that was the first spark of wanting to know more about filmmaking.

Which filmmaker are you most inspired by and why?

Having gone back and forth at the last minute I have decided to go with the uber-talented Kim Gehrig. She is behind many of the best and most influential TV ads of the past decade (Nike – Dream Crazier, Libresse – Viva La Vulva, This Girl Can). Through her work she has been a powerful voice for social progression and inclusion. She is taking the art of filmmaking to where people are at and using its power and influence in amazing ways. Big fan. 

What ad made you laugh the most?

I think the winner is the John West fighting bear. It’s a simple idea but so well executed and I remember laughing really hard when the bear did his little foot shuffle  and roundhouse kick. Just brilliant.

What is the film or ad that you would most love to have made yourself and why?

The Guardian’s incredible ‘Three Little Pigs‘ ad from 2012. It’s a brilliant concept and a virtuoso piece of filmmaking. I dream of having that kind of talent.