The Sight and Sound Summer Vacation film series begins on August 21 with “Singin’ in the Rain” at 7:30 p.m. Stop by the Somerville Theatre for more information.

By Jason Gutierrez

Bask in nostalgia at the Somerville Theatre’s Sight and Sound Summer Vacation film series. From August 21 to 30, escape the summer heat with ten films that have aced the test of time. Much like summertime’s salt air and warm nights, this showcase promises to delight.

The British Film Institute’s Sight and Sound magazine, the series’ namesake, challenges film professionals to whittle the apple of their eye to its core with their once-a-decade Poll of the Greatest Films of All Time. The well-respected list sits fondly in the heart of global movie lovers, including the date-gone-wrong who cannot believe your favorite movie was released in the 2000’s.

Poll participants have grown dramatically since the small, directors-only committee at the Festival Mondial du Film et des Beaux-Arts de Belgique created the first ranking in 1952. Calls for ethnic and gender representation and inclusion of non-director film professionals led to the largest participant pool, with 1,639 individuals participating in 2022’s poll.

Atop the taste-making list is Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles, a consummate staple of the slow cinema genre. Chantal Akerman’s cult classic brushes shoulders with your favorite film critic’s favorite films such as Citizen Kane, Vertigo (the two are the only other films to top the list), and Mulholland Dr., the list’s most recent release.

The crown jewels of cinematic history will carry this title until Sight and Sound magazine conducts their Poll of the Greatest Films of All Time in 2032. Savor the remnants of summertime with the sights and sounds of the greatest films of all time at Somerville’s flagship theater.

For details and tickets go to iffboston.org.