Woody Allen, one of the most prolific filmmakers in Hollywood history, has announced that he will be bringing down the curtain on his film career after completing his 50th production, Wasp 22, a film based in Paris, which will be shot entirely in the French language.

In his filmmaking career that began in 1965, the 86-year-old filmmaker has made some iconic movies, which, despite the controversies that surround him, will continue to inspire generations of aspiring screenwriters-filmmakers and lovers of the art form. Here are five of his best films:

Midnight in Paris

This 2011 feature landed Allen his fourth Academy Award. The film centers around a character called Gil Pender who is in Paris with his fiance and her family. A writer by profession, every night, right after 12, Gil is transported to Paris of the 1920s, teeming with icons like Ernest Hemingway, Pablo Picasso, Gertrud Stein, and Salvador Dali. He falls in love with a woman from the period, and how their story connects to the present day is what the film is about.

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Crimes and Misdemeanors

Released in 1989, Crimes and Misdemeanors is an existential comedy that depicts the story of two men at the crossroads of their lives. Judah, an ophthalmologist whose girlfriend wants to reveal their relationship to his wife, is advised by his brother to murder the girl. Their story gets intermingled with a documentary filmmaker, Cliff Stern, played by Allen himself.

Hannah and her Sisters

A star-studded cast consisting of Allen, Mia Farrow, Michael Caine, and Max von Sydow, Hannah and her Sisters tells the story of three siblings and their husbands. The film starts with a Thanksgiving party where the stakes are raised when it is revealed that Hannah’s husband, Elliot, is having an affair with Lee, her sister.

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Manhattan

Woody Allen stars in this film alongside Meryl Streep, Diane Keaton, and Mariel Hemingway. Allen here portrays the role of a television writer who is dating a teenage girl. His life is complicated further when he falls for the mistress of one of his friends. 

Annie Hall

Woody Allen’s most famous film, Annie Hall tells the story of a Jewish comedian called Alvy Singer (played by Allen himself) and his relationship with the eponymous character, who is his former lover. The film won Academy Awards for Best Director, Best Actress, Best Picture, as well as Best Original Screenplay.