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Favorite foriegn films from places you weren't expecting?

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Favorite foriegn films from places you weren't expecting?

Old 08-20-05, 10:54 PM
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Favorite foriegn films from places you weren't expecting?

I started expanding my geographic viewing range a little while ago and have been really pleasantly surprised by the films coming out of places that I hadn't expected. I had been watching films from the UK, France, Japan, etc. (all of the foreign film "usual suspects") for a while, but began looking elsewhere recently . . . in particular, Latin America and the Middle East . . . and have had a lot of luck. So I thought I'd see what other "hidden gems" that you all have come across.

I'll start out with a few that I've enjoyed recently:

From Iran:
Baran
Rang-e Khoda (a.k.a. - The Colors Of Paradise)

From Afganistan:
Osama

From Brazil (I believe):
Diarios de Motocicleta (a.k.a. - The Motorcycle Diaries) . . . not that this is "little known" or anything, but it was really good.

From Russia:
Kukushka (a.k.a. - The Cuckoo)


And coming up in my Blockbuster Online queue:

From Iran:
Bacheha-Ye Aseman (a.k.a. - The Children Of Heaven)

From Brazil (I believe):
Cidade de Deus (a.k.a. - City Of God)
Abril Despedaçado (a.k.a. - Behind the Sun)

From Argentina (I believe):
La Ciénaga (a.k.a. - The Swamp )
Old 08-20-05, 11:01 PM
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I'm on the City of God bandwagon... amazing film.
Old 08-21-05, 12:31 AM
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i'm a wong kar wai addict
Old 08-21-05, 12:39 AM
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Originally Posted by Cameron
i'm a wong kar wai addict
I've heard of Chun King Express and In The Mood for Love sounds familiar, but I really don't know to much about his films. Any suggestions?
Old 08-21-05, 12:47 AM
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his new film 2046 is running in select cities, and can be imported... Chung King Express is a great movie, and the dvd can be had for less than 10 bucks at most places...i'd start there and follow up with fallen angels. Kino put out a box with five films, criterion did in the mood for love, and ashes of time is also available, but dvdaff has it listed as misframed...i have no other info on that.

jump in...its good stuff
Old 08-21-05, 12:53 AM
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Try Malaysia:

Sepet
The Beautiful Washing Machine
The Gravel Road
The Big Durian
Old 08-21-05, 01:56 AM
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Originally Posted by Grimfarrow
Try Malaysia:

Sepet
The Beautiful Washing Machine
The Gravel Road
The Big Durian

Are these out on DVD or did you catch them in theaters??
Heard Sepet is good.
Old 08-21-05, 12:34 PM
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Originally Posted by vhgong
Are these out on DVD or did you catch them in theaters??
Heard Sepet is good.
I was wondering something similar . . . couldn't find them on Blockbuster Online.
Old 08-21-05, 02:30 PM
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Uzak - Turkish
Werckmeister Harmonies - Hungarian
Lilja 4-ever - Swedish

Last edited by Cygnet74; 08-21-05 at 02:32 PM.
Old 08-21-05, 04:39 PM
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Originally Posted by vhgong
Are these out on DVD or did you catch them in theaters??
Heard Sepet is good.
Saw them all in theatres. The Big Durian should be out on DVD soon. Sepet is on VCD. The other two I'm not sure, though I personally have copies of them.

But the trick is that you may have to order 'em from Malaysia.
Old 08-21-05, 10:13 PM
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I was quite surprised when I watched Taste of Cherry. An amazing movie from a place I never expected.
Old 08-21-05, 11:00 PM
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Iran has a gargantuan amount of great films being produced every year:

Five
Ten
Taste of Cherry
The Wind Will Carry Us
Where Is My Friend's Home?
Through the Olive Trees
And Life Goes On...
Close-Up
Blackboards
At Five in the Afternoon
The Day I Became a Woman
Stray Dogs
Story Undone
Turtles Can Fly
A Time for Drunken Horses
Crimson Gold
The Mirror
The White Balloon
The Silence
Gabbeh
The Cyclist
Kandahar
20 Fingers
Silence Between Two Thoughts
Secret Ballot
Women's Prison
Delbaran
Abjad

And even films I don't care for, like Djomeh, The Circle, The Apple, Marooned in Iraq and a few others.
Old 08-22-05, 12:18 AM
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Originally Posted by PopcornTreeCt
I was quite surprised when I watched Taste of Cherry. An amazing movie from a place I never expected.
I went to add this to my queue and it turned out that I already had it in there . . .

I've been very impressed with the films coming out of Iran . . . looks like I've got a few more to watch thanks to Grimfarrow . . . I've got a lot of work ahead of me . . .
Old 08-22-05, 09:46 AM
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Originally Posted by talemyn
I've heard of Chun King Express and In The Mood for Love sounds familiar, but I really don't know to much about his films. Any suggestions?
I think Chungking Express should be a good start. I have In the Mood for Love sitting on my rack unwatched so I can't tell yet. Or, you can check for his short film The Follow from www.bmwfilms.com - which I liked very much.

And keeping on the original topics, I have found that Bride and Prejudice and Moonson Wedding (both from India) to be very entertaining.

A little bit obvious but I wasn't expecting the Japanese film Be With You to be a very delightful experience.

I also second the OP's opinion about Behind the Sun. A little bit monotonous for my taste but interesting anyway.
Old 08-22-05, 09:54 AM
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Some "smaller" countries whose films have been memorable (I'm also a big a fan Iranian cinema):

Argentina — La Cienaga
Hungary — Satantango
Iceland — 101 Reykjavik
Iran — Close-Up, Bitter Dream, The Deserted Station
Mali — Yeelen
Portugal — Oporto of My Childhood
Taiwan — What Time is it There?
Thailand — Mysterious Object at Noon

Last edited by sundog; 08-22-05 at 10:42 AM.
Old 08-22-05, 10:35 AM
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Originally Posted by sundog
Some "smaller" countries whose films have been memorable (I'm also a big a fan Iranian cinema):

Argentina — La Cienaga
Hungary — Satantango
Iceland — 101 Reykjavik
Iran — Close-Up, Bitter Dream, The Deserted Station
Portugal — Oporto of My Childhood
Taiwan — What Time is it There?
Thailand — Mysterious Object at Noon
Yeelen — Mali
Thanks sundog . . . I added a number of those to my queue (the ones that were available), plus stumbled upon another interesting looking one in the process (Come And See from Russia).

Two things about the last suggestion . . .

1) I assume you accidentally switched the country and the film name on that one?
2) I'm glad you suggested one from Africa as that is sort of the next area of the world that I wanted to explore from a cinematic point of view. Anyone else have any other favorites from Africa?
Old 08-22-05, 10:41 AM
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Originally Posted by talemyn
1) I assume you accidentally switched the country and the film name on that one?
ack! an error in my formatting! must. fix. quickly.

edit: what the hell are talking about? why are you altering my posts?

Last edited by sundog; 08-22-05 at 10:43 AM.
Old 08-22-05, 11:10 AM
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Originally Posted by sundog
ack! an error in my formatting! must. fix. quickly.

edit: what the hell are talking about? why are you altering my posts?


Of course, that still doesn't fix the error in Porto of My Childhood . . .

Last edited by talemyn; 08-22-05 at 11:12 AM.
Old 08-22-05, 12:02 PM
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Just rent "A Talking Picture" instead as it is available (which was titled "A Talking Movie" when I saw it screened, much like the other feature, which at that screening, was titled "Oporto of My Childhood").

aah, the vagaries of foreign film titles . . .
Old 08-22-05, 01:28 PM
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Israel:

Late Marriage
Walk on Water

Poland:

The Debt

Sweden

All Things Fair

Hungary

Kontroll

Denmark

In China They Eat Dogs

Australia

Gettin' Square
Old 08-22-05, 01:56 PM
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From what i have seen recently it has to be the Thai film Tropical Malady <-- going into it i had no idea what to expect, having seen it i still dont know what to feel - that in my opinion is true cinema .
Old 08-22-05, 03:27 PM
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I agree... "Tropical Malady" from Thailand. What a fantastic film, utterly unique, and from a country that doesn't exactly have anything comparable to a cinematic tradition.

(Hong Kong? Sweden? Russia? Surprised? C'mon, guys, those countries are cinematic treasure troves!)
Old 08-23-05, 09:59 AM
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Thailand
- Bang Rajan

Kazakhstan
- Shizo

Netherlands
- The Pointsman

okay, help me out here, I'm forgetting a title of a movie that was filmed in Lapland. It had a lot of snow, the film was about an adolescent boy (sorry I'm having a senior moment).
Old 08-23-05, 12:41 PM
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Here are some I really like
Shop on Main Street - Czechoslovakia
Nosferatu, the Vampire - Germany (Herzog version)
Kanal - Poland
Matando Cabos - Mexico
Tampopo - Japan
Mediterraneo - Italy
Old 08-23-05, 12:59 PM
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