This week, TIFF Cinematheque released the results of its Best of the Decade poll, a list of the best films from the past ten years as suggested by over sixty film curators, historians, programmers and more. Reactions have ranged from delight to shock to (in one case) utter fury, and we couldn't be happier about it. After all, the list is hardly intended as a prescription for film-goers ("Watch these and you'll know what good movies are! Also, eat your greens."). Like all canons, it should be (and is meant to be) celebrated, even venerated, but above all fiercely interrogated. The fun of lists like these is that it's virtually impossible to reach a total consensus. There's no way that everyone's favourite film will be honoured in the way that they see fit, which means that the list becomes a starting point for furious debate about recent films or film in general. And if you've been to the Cinematheque offices recently, you'll know that there's nothing we find more enjoyable than that.

That's where you come in. We want to know: what do you think of the Best of the Decade list? Were your favourites included or omitted? Did you find it inclusive? Diverse? Lofty? Esoteric? (If you fall into the latter camp, I might politely point out that no less than four contemporary Hollywood hunks will be gracing the Jackman Hall screen in 2010; among them, Christian "the Batman" Bale.) Have you seen them all already? Will you see them for the first time next season?

It would hardly be fair for me to ask you to indulge me without revealing my own hand. Among my personal favourites: Hou Hsiao-hsien's Three Times, Jia Zhang-ke's The World, Terrence Malick's The New World, and Claire Denis' Beau travail. I'm looking forward to seeing Platform for the first time; same goes for Millenium Mambo. And I am particularly looking forward to watching Apichatpong Weerasethakul's Syndromes and a Century in the center of what I hope will be a delighted (and packed) audience, excited to see the exquisite film that was voted the best of the decade. 

Feel free to disagree. I hope you do, in fact! After all, cinema has always been met with fervent and passionate responses. The beauty of the Best of the Decade list is that it not only honours the extraordinary accomplishments of contemporary artists, but inspires us to continue the tradition of debate and discussion that has run parallel to cinema since its inception in the late 1800s.