INTERESTING & ACCLAIMED WORLD CINEMA FILMS
· World cinema is a term used primarily in English language speaking countries to refer to the films and film industries of non-English speaking countries. It is often used interchangeably with the term “Foreign film”.
· The huge movie database at the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) can be searched for world cinema films: www.imdb.com/Sections/Countries/
You will find information about plots, directors, actors, themes, awards etc
· Wikipedia has a good overview of world cinema: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_cinema
Go to the list at the end of the article for a table that has links to “Cinema by continent and country”. You will find information about films made in various years, directors, history of film etc You can also search for terms such as African cinema; Korean cinema etc
· Awards are given each year for films from around the world. Search for awards such as Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film; BAFTA Award for Best Film not in the English Language; Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film; the Palme d’Or Award at the Cannes Film Festival.
· Visit your local video store such as Blockbuster or Video-Ezy. Browse the Foreign Films section. Read the blurb on the box or ask staff for help in locating well-known foreign films. The ACT Public Library also loans out DVD films for free. You can check their online catalogue: www.library.act.gov.au
· Check your TV guide for movies screened on SBS. There are world cinema films on several days each week.
Suggested list of world cinema films & directors
FRENCH
Amelie – Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Paris, je t’aime – 18 short films. Directors include Gurinder Chadha, Sylvain Chomet, Gus Van Sant, Joel & Ethan Coen, Alfonso Cuarón, Tom Tykwer, Walter Salles.
Persepolis – Vincent Paronnaud & Marjane Satrapi
Delicatessen – Mark Caro & Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Jean de Florette – Claude Berri
La haine (hate) – Mathieu Kassovitz
The diving bell and the butterfly – Julian Schnabel
The city of lost children – Mark Caro & Jean-Pierre Jeunet
The crimson rivers - Mathieu Kassovitz
3 colours trilogy: Blue, Red, White – Krzysztof Kieslowski
La pianiste – Michael Haneke
Indochine – Regis Wargnier
GERMAN
Goodbye Lenin! – Wolfgang Becker
Faraway, so close! – Wim Wenders
The tin drum – Volker Schlondorff
Das boot (The boat) - Wolfgang Petersen
Films by Werner Herzog, Rainer Werner Fassbinder
ITALIAN
The son’s room – Nanni Moretti
Life is beautiful – Roberto Benigni
Cinema Paradiso – Giuseppe Tornatore
OTHER EUROPEAN FILMS
My life as a dog – Lasse Hallstrom (Swedish)
As it is in heaven – Kay Pollak
Festen (The celebration) – Thomas Vinterberg (Danish)
Underground – Emir Kusterica (Czech)
Mongol – Sergei Bodrov (Russian/Kazakhstani/Mongolian/German co-production)
SPANISH / SOUTH AMERICAN / MEXICAN
Films by Pedro Almodovar – eg. All about my mother; Talk to her; Volver (Spanish)
Films by Alejandro Amenabar – eg. Open your eyes; The sea inside. (Spanish)
Pan’s labyrinth – Guillermo del Toro (Mexican)
Y tu mama tambien – Alfonso Cuaron
The motorcycle diaries – Walter Salles (Brazilian / Argentinian)
City of God – Fernando Meirelles (Brazilian)
Nine Queens – Fabian Bielinsky (Argentinian)
Amores perros – Alejandro Inarritu (Mexican)
CHINESE
Films by Ang Lee – eg. Crouching tiger, hidden dragon; The wedding banquet; Eat drink man woman.
Films by Zhang Yimou – eg. Hero; House of the flying daggers; Curse of the golden flower; Raise the red lantern.
Balzac and the little Chinese seamstress – Dai Sijie (Chinese/French)
Farewell my concubine – Chen Kaige
JAPANESE
Films by Hayao Miyazaki – eg. Princess Mononoke; Nausicaa of the valley of the wind; Spirited away; Laputa - castle in the sky.
Films by Akira Kurosawa – eg. Ran; Rashomon; Throne of blood.
KOREAN
Spring summer autumn winter …and spring – Ki-duk Kim
Oldboy – Chan-wook Park
INDIAN
Films by Mira Nair – eg. Monsoon wedding
Films by Deepa Mehta – eg. Fire; Water; Earth
MIDDLE EASTERN
The circle – Jafar Panahi (Iranian)
The wind will carry us – Abbas Kiarostami (Iranian)
A time for drunken horses – Bahman Ghobadi (Kurdish / Iranian)
Children of heaven – Majid Majidi (Iranian)
Waltz with Bashir – (Israeli)
AFGHANI
Osama – Siddiq Barmak
AFRICAN
Cry the beloved country – Darrell Roodt (South African)
Yesterday – Darrell Roodt (South African / Zulu)
Tsotsi – Gavin Hood (South African)
NEW ZEALAND / PACIFIC ISLANDER
The land has eyes – Vilsoni Hereniko (Fijian / Rotuman)
Once were warriors – Lee Tamahori (New Zealand)