A selection of our favourite 15 independent movies. 
Real independent movies: morally incorrect, low budget, disturbing, cult and trash. 
Enjoy reading about them, then watch them.

T H E  B R O W N  B U N N Y
Vincent Gallo (2003)

The Brown Bunny is a drama directed by and starring by Vincent Gallo. It tells the story of the motorcyclist Bud Clay, who sets off on a cross country race in California and who is haunted by the memories of his deepest lover Daisy, played by Chloë Sevigny. On his journey, he meets three women, but Bud appears to be a lost soul, unable to make an emotional connection with any of them.
This controversial film was presented at Cannes and received furious reviews.
A movie that is worth watching and one you won’t forget, because of its unexpected ending.

T R A S H  H U M P E R S
Harmony Korine (2009)

The movie you wish you hadn't seen and will never forget. A kind of homemade VHS tape that someone found in a dumpster.
On the streets of Nashville, three strange sociopathic and monstrous individuals who, like little imps, roam the stages of North America White Trash in support of their status as "trash fuckers." At first sight, nothing makes sense, but it is understood that these characters operate outside of any established rule.
One of the most bizarre Korine pieces. A great and macabre one.
Trash Humpers leaves the residue of a funny nightmare.

S L A C K E R
Richard Linklater (1990)

An unconventional independent film from the early years of director Richard Linklater. The film focuses on the experiences of a group of young misfits from the city of Austin, Texas throughout one day. The result is a flow of dialogues and unfinished stories that intertwine and interrupt each other, focusing the narrative on the extravagances of the unusual protagonists.
Slacker is one of the first feature films by director Richard Linklater, and one that would establish him as a cult auteur of independent cinema, along with later titles such as Tape or Dazed and Confused.

J U L I EN  D O N K EY - B O Y
Harmony Korine (1999)

When talking about cult and trash movies we can’t avoid landing again in Harmony Korine’s universe.
Julien Donkey-Boy is a drama written and directed by the American director that tells the story of Julien, a schizophrenic young man, fascinated by animals, living with his dysfunctional family. The boy's internal struggle develops through encounters with other unique characters that he comes across in his life.

F E M A L E  T R O U B L E
John Waters (1974)

John Waters returns to recount Divine's adventures in this second instalment of junk trivia after Pink Flamingos. Splendid seventies-aesthetic, for a film full of ironic fury and sarcasm that can reach repulsive extremes for some viewers. Waters' cinema is not for all tastes, those with delicate stomachs and great ethical sensitivity should refrain. 

T H E  A C I D  H O U S E 
Paul McGuigan (1998)

A scripted film by Irvine Welsh the author of the novel on which Trainspotting was based, The Acid House consists of three stories set in Scotland. The first one, "The Granton Star Cause," is a black comedy about revenge, soccer, and religion. The second, "A Soft Touch", is a story of love and betrayal with a protagonist who is easily manipulated by those around him. The third, titled "Acid House," is a comedic tale that approaches the surreal about marriage, children, and excessive acid consumption.
A strangely funny and confusing trip.

K E N  P A R K 
Larry Clark (2002)

Banned in some countries still like Australia, Ken Park is a movie directed by the polemical Larry Clark.
The story tells the life of three boys and a girl, a group of middle-class American teenagers, all friends since childhood who kill boredom through sex, violence, and perversion in Visalia, a small town in California. 
Their parents, for the most part, are mediocre, blind, dismissive, and alcoholics.
A movie classified for people over 21 years old. 

G U M M O 
Harmony Korine (1997)

A narrator recounts the devastation caused by a tornado in a small town of America, meanwhile VHS videos are seen. 
The scene changes to a boy wearing shorts and bunny ears on a footbridge.The protagonists, Tummler and Solomon, dedicate themselves to touring their neighborhood on their bikes, looking for abandoned cats, which they kill to sell to a local business. Apart from other weird characters who are distracted by strange and destructive hobbies. This movie is a masterpiece from Harmony Korine and it became a cult movie fast.
One of the most disturbing and greatest pieces from Harmony Korine and GATA’s favourite by him.

T H E  I D I O T S 
Lars Von Trier (1998)

In this film, improvisation was fundamental, since there were no scripts or previous rehearsals for the actors, or even times or places decided for the locations.
The plot of the movie follows a few members of a Danish community that increase their reputation as "idiots" by pretending to be mentally disabled in public.

B O Y S  D O N ’ T  C R Y
Kimberly Peirce (1999)

The film recreates the case of Brandon Teena, the true story of a transgender man. His story is tragic from the beginning. He was never accepted for feeling like a man and for that reason he is forced to flee to a town in Nebraska but falls victim to a brutal hate crime perpetrated by two male acquaintances.

T A R N A T I O N
Jonathan Caouette (2003)

Tarnation is an autobiographical documentary that focuses on the life of Jonathan Caouette, a 31-year-old man who grew up in a dysfunctional family in Texas, and the peculiar relationship he developed with his mother, a mentally ill woman.
Using VHS tapes to make and self-document, as a means of escape and salvation, Jonathan eludes his harsh existence through the world of film and fantasy. He's captivated by underground movies, musical theater, and alternative gay culture, and he longs for the day when he can escape Texas and make a life of his own.
The director's devastating and optimistic vision is transformed into a captivating and wonderful analysis of the American spirit.

J A P A N  J A P A N
Lior Shamriz (2007)

Imri, a nineteen-year-old boy, after leaving the army, moves to the center of Tel Aviv. There, he lives with an eccentric roommate. For him and his friends, the only reason to stay here is to earn enough money to go to Japan. Meanwhile, Imri learns Japanese, goes to the movies, and has sex with boys, and although a war is raging a few miles away from his home, Imri finds that he feels much more intimacy towards Japan.
The film received polarizing reviews from critics, ranging from cutting edge brilliance to the horror of a film that falls into the wrong hands. The film was named by the MoMA chief curator as one of the top ten films of 2008. 

E L E P H A N T
Gus Van Sant (2003)

This movie is based on the massacre that occurred at the Columbine High School. The daily life of the students is sketched from different angles, which end up connecting when the tragedy breaks out. It is a re-enactment of the tragedy that shocked American society. The title of the film refers to the English phrase: ‘the elephant in the room’ used to indicate huge problems that everyone purposely ignores. The film shows how two boys on a normal school day transform it into a massacre that takes the lives of several students and teachers. 

T H E  D O O M  G E N E R A T I O N
Gregg Araki (1995)

A teenage couple, Jordan White and Amy Blue, pick up a handsome punk boy named Xavier Red on their way home from the club. The car stops at a 24-hour store, but they escape when X accidentally kills the store owner. The trio hides in a motel to avoid being caught by the police. An independent film with similarities to Natural Born Killers by Oliver Stone, and self-proclaimed by its director Araki as a "heterosexual crime film". Given its profuse doses of sex and violence, it obtained  scant distribution around the world.

S W E E T  S I X T E E N 
Ken Loach (2002)

Liam is turning sixteen in a few days. His mother Jean, will be released from jail in time for his birthday, and he dreams that he will now have a normal and happy family life. This means creating a safe place for his mother, his sister Chantelle and for himself, out of the reach of bums like Stan, Jean's boyfriend, and his own grandfather, a mean being. But to do this, he first has to get money, which is quite a feat for a teenager. Liam's crazy schemes soon get him into all kinds of trouble, drug and mob-related. Realizing that the situation is dangerously aggravating, Liam realizes that he should leave, but this time it may be too late.

Curated by Marta Espinosa, Aki Kurasaki, SAMO