Low-budget film popular 1992 film "El Mariachi", in which the director Robert Rodriguez was unable to afford second takes due to the $7000 budget. Despite this, it was a success both critically and commercially, and started the young director's career. Some of the most critically acclaimed micro-budget films were by the Bengali film director Satyajit Ray, his most famous being "The Apu Trilogy" (1955–1959). The first film in the trilogy, "Pather Panchali" (1955), was produced on a shoestring budget of Rs.200,000 ($3000) using an amateur cast and crew. The three films are now frequently listed among the greatest films of all time.
The Apu Trilogy In 1999, "The Village Voice" ranked "Pather Panchali" at No. 12 (tied with "The Godfather") in its top 250 "Best Films of the Century" list, based on a poll of critics, while "The Apu Trilogy" was ranked separately at No. 54 in the same poll. If the votes are combined, "The Apu Trilogy" would be ranked at #5. In 2000, an audience poll of best Asian films conducted by "MovieMail" ranked "The Apu Trilogy" at No. 2 on the list. "Pather Panchali" was included in various other all-time greatest film lists, including "Time Out" magazine's "Centenary Top One Hundred Films"