Five things that were on our minds when we first dreamt up MUBI:
And that was that.
We simply couldn't resist the idea of everyone having their own film library… Your own little cinema, anytime, anywhere.
After all, not everyone can make it to the Cannes Film Festival – especially if you are a school teacher or you live in Winnipeg (or both) – but that doesn't mean you can't recite all of Kubrick's films in reverse chronological order, or that you are not desperate to watch the latest Kitano film that's definitely not going to be released in your local multiplex.
And that's our point: Popular doesn't always mean good.
Our film library is brimming with visionary films that wouldn't fill a single cinema in Belgium for a week – not even a day. But if you searched the world (all of it), you might just find an audience of a thousand for these rare cinematic treats. And we don't think a thousand people should be ignored just because they happen to live in different time zones or far away from Belgian cinemas. If someone needed to make such a precise film, it means that someone, somewhere needs to watch it. More importantly, that someone might be you. Or Martin Scorsese (he happens to be a member too.) You'll also find Hollywood favorites, from 'Annie Hall' to 'The Royal Tenenbaums'. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter where films come from, as long as they come from someone's mind.
MUBI is not just about discovering wonderful new cinema or classic masterpieces. It's also about discussing and sharing these discoveries, which makes us like a small coffee shop… a place where you can gather and talk about alternative endings, directors' cuts, and whatever those frogs in 'Magnolia' meant. Heated debates and passionate arguments are welcome.
P.S. By the way, we've worked hard on the quality of the streaming and we are very proud of it… just wanted to let you know…
