Foreign Language Films I Have Seen
Here I will simply list all the foreign language films I've seen, good, bad, and ugly. By foreign language I mean any film where the main language NOT English, or even if it's half and half. I will not list any Indian-language films here (Hindi, Punjabi, Telugu etc) because I have a separate list for that! World cinema is amazing because they have so much flavour and beauty that a lot of English films cannot create. I definitely recommend some, if not all of these films to you! You may see a pattern in the films I choose to watch. Listed in no particular order.
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- DirectorEran RiklisStarsHiam AbbassRona Lipaz-MichaelAli SulimanThe story of a Palestinian widow who must defend her lemontree field when a new Israeli Defense Minister moves next to her and threatens to have her lemon grove torn down.Beautifully told and Hiam Abbass is a fantastic actress (I have seen her in quite a few films now!).
- DirectorHany Abu-AssadStarsKais NashifAli SulimanLubna AzabalTwo childhood friends are recruited for a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv.
- DirectorElia SuleimanStarsElia SuleimanManal KhaderGeorge IbrahimSeparated by a checkpoint, Palestinian lovers from Jerusalem and Ramallah arrange clandestine meetings.This unique Israeli/Palestinian film is unreal.
- DirectorNadine LabakiStarsNadine LabakiJoanna MoukarzelGisèle AouadA romantic comedy centered on the daily lives of five Lebanese women living in Beirut.Favourite, gorgeous. The Middle Eastern version of Sex and the City!
- DirectorNadine LabakiStarsClaude Baz MoussawbaaNadine LabakiYvonne MaaloufA group of Lebanese women try to ease religious tensions between Christians and Muslims in their village.
- DirectorTony AyresStarsClaudia KarvanAndy RodoredaOsamah SamiThe advocate for a young Iranian refugee held in detention. Amir Ali claims to be an Iranian student persecuted by the government but the Department of Immigration dispute his identity. When Julia meets Amir, he is severely depressed and close to deportation. Julia throws herself obsessively into Amir's case, causing friction between Julia and her husband, Peter. Julia eventually frees Amir and the young Iranian man moves in with Peter and Julia. As Julia helps Amir adjust to ordinary life, she finds herself increasingly attracted to this handsome, damaged young man. But she also starts to see the subtle cracks in Amir's story. Is he really who he claims he is? Or does he have a darker, more dangerous history?Mostly in English but included due to the themes explored (immigration, asylum, love between Australian woman and Iranian man).
- DirectorCostas KapakasStarsGeorges CorrafaceAgeliki SpiliopoulouAnny LoulouWith the sweet taste of love's first kiss in his mouth, an engineer takes a trip down memory lane after receiving an invitation from an old friend. Thirty years after that innocent peck on the lips, fate reunites two estranged soulmates.
- DirectorWojciech WójcikStarsAndrzej AndrzejewskiTomasz BlazejczykWojciech BrzezinskiMy first Polish film and hopefully not the last! Great romantic comedy drama.
- DirectorHideo NakataStarsNanako MatsushimaMiki NakataniYûko TakeuchiA reporter and her ex-husband investigate a cursed video tape that is rumored to kill the viewer seven days after watching it.
- DirectorFatih AkinStarsMoritz BleibtreuChristiane PaulMehmet KurtulusA young, insecure teacher embarks on a journey through Europe to Turkey, where he wants to see a woman again whom he believes to be his fate.One of my favourites, I adored this film and I've watched it several times now :3
- DirectorHayao MiyazakiStarsDaveigh ChaseSuzanne PleshetteMiyu IrinoDuring her family's move to the suburbs, a sullen 10-year-old girl wanders into a world ruled by gods, witches and spirits, and where humans are changed into beasts.Definitely watch this in the Japanese language with English subs - much better experience!
- DirectorHayao MiyazakiStarsShûichirô MoriyamaTokiko KatôBunshi Katsura VIIn 1930s Italy, a veteran World War I pilot is cursed to look like an anthropomorphic pig.
- DirectorHayao MiyazakiStarsKirsten DunstMinami TakayamaRei SakumaA young witch, on her mandatory year of independent life, finds fitting into a new community difficult while she supports herself by running an air courier service.
- DirectorHiromasa YonebayashiStarsBridgit MendlerAmy PoehlerWill ArnettThe Clock family are four-inch-tall people who live anonymously in another family's residence, borrowing simple items to make their home. Life changes for the Clocks when their teenage daughter Arrietty is discovered.
- DirectorCherien DabisStarsNisreen FaourMelkar MuallemHiam AbbassA drama centered on the trials and tribulations of a proud Palestinian Christian immigrant single mother and her teenage son in small town Indiana.I must admit, I was disappointed in this film. I bought it for Hiam Abbass, but I've only watched it once. This is one of those cases where buying a DVD on a whim can burn you!! But hey, at least I supported the film I guess... :)
- DirectorTom McCarthyStarsRichard JenkinsHaaz SleimanDanai GuriraA college professor travels to New York City to attend a conference and finds a young couple living in his apartment.This film probably has more English in it, but I included it because of its themes as well. Another amazing film!
- DirectorRaja AmariStarsHiam AbbassHend El FahemMaher KamounAfter the death of her husband, Lilia's life revolves solely around her teenage daughter, Salma. Whilst looking for Salma late one night, Lilia stumbles upon a belly dance cabaret and though initially reserved and taken aback by the culture of the place, Lilia gets consistently drawn back to it. She befriends one of the belly dancers and is encouraged into dancing for the audience. Lilia also starts a romance with one of the cabaret's musicians, who unbeknown to both of them, is also romancing Salma.Hiam, you are stunning! This was a great little Tunisian film.
- DirectorVincent ParonnaudMarjane SatrapiStarsChiara MastroianniCatherine DeneuveGena RowlandsA precocious and outspoken Iranian girl grows up during the Islamic Revolution.
- DirectorGuy NattivErez TadmorStarsLiron LevoLubna AzabalAbdallah El AkalSix days in the lives of an Israeli living in a kibbutz and a Palestinian living in Paris, which starts with an accidental meeting in the Berlin Subway during the World cup finals, will change them completely.Real and poignant, a must watch.
- DirectorJean-Pierre JeunetStarsAudrey TautouMathieu KassovitzRufusDespite being caught in her imaginative world, Amelie, a young waitress, decides to help people find happiness. Her quest to spread joy leads her on a journey where she finds true love.If you're new to foreign language cinema, I recommend this as a starting point. You can't go wrong!
- DirectorJean-Pierre JeunetStarsAudrey TautouGaspard UllielJodie FosterTells the story of a young woman's relentless search for her fiancé, who has disappeared from the trenches of the Somme during World War One.
- DirectorMajid MajidiStarsHossein AbediniZahra BahramiMohammad Amir NajiIn a building site in present-day Tehran, Lateef, a 17-year-old Turkish worker is irresistibly drawn to Rahmat, a young Afghan worker. The revelation of Rahmat's secret changes both their lives.The ending... I cried! (not telling if they were happy or sad tears though ;))
- DirectorKai WesselStarsHeike MakatschDan StevensMonica BleibtreuA biography of Hildegard Knef, one of Germany's biggest post-war stars.STUNNING. Dan Stevens was rather amazing in it too (he speaks German! HOT!) haha...
- DirectorAbdullah OguzStarsTalat BulutÖzgü NamalMurat HanWhen an unmarried teenage girl is believed by her family to have given up her virginity, she is ordered to be killed out of shame. But before her relative is able to complete the task, the two encounter a college professor.
- DirectorAlfonso CuarónStarsMaribel VerdúGael García BernalDaniel Giménez CachoIn Mexico, two teenage boys and an older woman embark on a road trip and learn a thing or two about life and each other.Better known as 'Y tu mama tambien'. Very interesting film with a surprise twist.
- DirectorMichel GondryStarsGael García BernalCharlotte GainsbourgMiou-MiouA man entranced by his dreams and imagination is love-struck with a French woman and feels he can show her his world.The French are just plain weird!
- DirectorCarlos BoladoStarsDiego LunaAlice BragaDamián AlcázarOn a lark in Tijuana, a carefree Brazilian art student crosses paths with a brooding Mexican journalist, sparking a cascade of events across both Mexico and Brazil. As Dolores and Damián discover an intimate love and a mysterious spiritual heritage, they struggle with ever more costly choices.Also called 'Sólo Dios Sabe'. First half good, second half quite strange.
- DirectorChristophe HonoréStarsLudivine SagnierLouis GarrelClotilde HesmeIsmael and Julie enter a playful yet emotionally laced threesome with Alice. When tragedy strikes, these young Parisians are forced to deal with the fragility of life and love.
- DirectorEric GuiradoStarsNicolas CazaléClotilde HesmeDaniel DuvalAntoine moves home to help his mom drive the mobile grocery, when his dad's hospitalized. He brings Claire along, hoping she'll become more than a friend. He drives around Provence's countryside, selling mainly to old people.Eye candy 8D
Film was a little slow, but I liked the realisticness of the setting, themes and characters. - DirectorMarc ForsterStarsKhalid AbdallaAhmad Khan MahmoodzadaAtossa LeoniAfter spending years in California, Amir returns to his homeland in Afghanistan to help his old friend Hassan, whose son is in trouble.Loved the book, and by extension loved the film despite some changes.
- DirectorEran RiklisStarsHiam AbbassMakram KhouryClara KhouryIn Majdal Shams, the largest Druze village in Golan Heights on the Israeli-Syrian border, the Druze bride Mona is engaged to get married with Tallel, a television comedian that works in the Revolution Studios in Damascus, Syria. They have never met each other because of the occupation of the area by Israel since 1967; when Mona moves to Syria, she will lose her undefined nationality and will never be allowed to return home. Mona's father Hammed is a political activist pro-Syria that is on probation by the Israeli government. His older son Hatten married a Russian woman eight years ago and was banished from Majdal Shams by the religious leaders and his father. His brother Marwan is a wolf trader that lives in Italy. His sister Amal has two teenager daughters and has the intention to join the university, but her marriage with Amin is in crisis. When the family gathers for Mona's wedding, an insane bureaucracy jeopardizes the ceremony.The Golan Heights - what a fascinating situation... rather sad though, too. Great film!
- DirectorRanda Chahal SabagStarsFlavia BecharaMaher BsaibesRanda AsmarA young 15 year old girl, Lamia, lives in a southern Lebanese village on the border with Israel. She is given in marriage to her cousin on the other side of the border. As Lamia crosses the barbed wire she also passes from childhood into adulthood, as brutal as our countries and the events that are to follow.The imagery in this film was gorgeous.
- DirectorWarwick ThorntonStarsRowan McNamaraMarissa GibsonMitjili Napanangka GibsonA glue-sniffing boy and his girlfriend escape the government-controlled no-hope Aboriginal community they live in and go to the city, Alice Springs, looking for a better life.This is an Australian film but I've included it because it has a significant portion spoken in Aboriginal languages.
- DirectorMichel KammounStarsElie MitriGabrielle Bou RachedCaroline AzzamEverything bad that can happen on the way to a party happens to young Tou on this nighttime trip through Beirut.
- DirectorIsmaël FerroukhiStarsNicolas CazaléMohamed MajdJacky NercessianReda, a young French-Moroccan guy and his old father drive from the south of France to Mecca in order for the father to do his pilgrimage. At first distant, they gradually learn to know each other.One way to describe this film? A journey.
- DirectorAnna BroinowskiStarsNorma KhouriMalcolm KnoxRana HusseiniA dramatized documentary investigating accusations that "Forbidden Love" author Norma Khouri made up her biographical tale of a Muslim friend who was killed for dating a Christian.Included for themes explored.
- DirectorJaffar MahmoodStarsZachary LeviFran KranzSarah ShahiRay's half Pakistani and half white. When his parents' marriage dissolves, Ray's perspective of Ms. Right falls deeply into question.Again, included for themes explored despite most of film being spoken in English.
- DirectorDiane CrespoStefan C. SchaeferStarsZoe Lister-JonesFrancis BenhamouMimi LieberARRANGED centers on the friendship between an Orthodox Jewish woman and a Muslim woman who meet as first-year teachers at a public school in Brooklyn. Over the course of the year they learn they share much in common - not least of which is that they are both going through the process of arranged marriages.I adored this movie! Both lead actresses were so natural.
- DirectorMichael MacKenzieStarsJesse Aaron DwyreFlavia BecharaPaul AhmaraniAdam, a Jewish teenager and Yasmine, a young Lebanese girl, fall in love. Their relationship is overshadowed by the ongoing feud between their families, but also by the raging conflict in the Middle East. From the heart of Mile End, Montreal's multicultural neighborhood, comes this modern-day story of two lovers fighting against the walls that separate them.
- DirectorKarin AlbouStarsFanny ValetteElsa ZylbersteinBruno TodeschiniA beautiful Jewish young woman still living with her orthodox family in a Parisian suburb, falls in love with a Muslim co-worker.
- DirectorCathy Garcia-SampanaStarsToni GonzagaVhong NavarroDennis PadillaWhen sassy, spunky Winona is diagnosed with lupus, Bong, a guy who secretly loves her, will do everything for her to live to the fullest before she expires.My first Korean film! It was cute :)
- DirectorAndrés WoodStarsMatías QuerAriel MatelunaManuela MartelliTwo 12-year-old Chilean children from different social classes become friends in 1973. They both discover each other's world as political tensions in their country increase.
- DirectorScandar CoptiYaron ShaniStarsFouad HabashNisrin SiksikElias SabaAjami is the religiously mixed community of Muslims and Christians in Tel Aviv. These are five stories about the everyday life in Ajami.
- DirectorPark Chan-wookStarsLim Soo-jungRainPark Byeong-eunA girl who thinks she is a combat cyborg checks into a mental hospital, where she encounters other psychotics. Eventually, she falls for a man who thinks he can steal people's souls.SO WEIRD! I can't remember if I liked it or not!
- DirectorMichael James RowlandStarsKenneth MoraledaRodney AfifSrisacd SacdpraseuthThree mismatched blokes are stranded in the Australian desert.Only included for themes explored :)
- DirectorMakoto ShinkaiStarsKenji MizuhashiYoshimi KondouSatomi HanamuraTold in three interconnected segments, Takaki tells the story of his life as cruel winters, cold technology, and finally, adult obligations and responsibility converge to test the delicate petals of love.Bittersweet.
- DirectorOliver HirschbiegelStarsBruno GanzAlexandra Maria LaraUlrich MatthesTraudl Junge, the final secretary for Adolf Hitler, tells of the Nazi dictator's final days in his Berlin bunker at the end of WWII.Brilliant!
- DirectorThierry BinistiStarsAgathe BonitzerMahmud ShalabyHiam AbbassTal is 17 years old. Naim is 20. She's Israeli. He's Palestinian. She lives in Jerusalem. He lives in Gaza. They were born in a land of scorched earth, where fathers bury their children. They must endure an explosive situation that is not of their choosing at an age where young people are falling in love and taking their place in adult life. A bottle thrown in the sea and a correspondence by email nurture the slender hope that their relationship might give them the strength to confront this harsh reality to grapple with it, and thereby ever so slightly change it. Only 60 miles separate them but how many bombings, check-points, sleepless nights and bloodstained days stand between them?I LOVED this film, it was poignant and really made you think about both sides of the Israeli and Palestinian conflict. Both sides were evenly represented, which is quite difficult to do.
- DirectorHany Abu-AssadStarsAdam BakriLeem LubanyEyad HouraniA young Palestinian freedom fighter agrees to work as an informant after he's tricked into an admission of guilt by association in the wake of an Israeli soldier's killing.Fantastic Palestinian film, great acting, great story.
- DirectorIcíar BollaínStarsVerónica EcheguiSumyata BhattaraiNorbu Tsering GurungIn early-90s Kathmandu, an inspired Catalan teacher arrives in town to work at the local school; however, she will soon encounter the region's extreme poverty and its weak educational system.Loved this film, albeit the sadness. There is a particular scene which makes my heart melt, the actors had such chemistry!
- DirectorGiovanni VeronesiStarsRobert De NiroMonica BellucciRiccardo ScamarcioIn Italy three men fall in love with three women. First a young engaged lawyer has a fling, then the middle-aged married man has a fling, then a retired man (Robert DeNiro) falls in love with his friend's daughter (Monica Bellucci).
- DirectorIlksen BasarirStarsMert FiratSaadet AksoyLale MansurOnur, who has been deaf since birth, works as a librarian. His father had left him and his mother when he was seven, and Onur has always blamed himself for this. Although being able to speak, he has chosen to stay silent because of the pitying looks of the people around him.Gorgeous Turkish film with some great messages. Wonderfully acted, too!
- DirectorAtiq RahimiStarsGolshifteh FarahaniHamid DjavadanHassina BurganIn a war ridden country a woman watches over the husband reduced to a vegetable state by a bullet in the neck, abandoned by Jihad companions and brothers. One day, the woman decides to say things to him she could never have done before.Wow... amazing film. What a sublime performance by the lead actress, Golshifteh Farahani. Truly mesmerising.
- DirectorÖmer Faruk SorakStarsMehmet GünsürBelçim BilginAltan ErkekliYear 1977, a September morning in Ankara... Yilmaz tries to rush his pregnant wife Neriman to the hospital and he crushes into Omer's car. This accident causes Omer's pregnant wife Inci, who was in the back seat, to have a pre-term labor. The babies are born on the same day. They see each other for the first time.This film broke my heart!
- DirectorLeste ChenStarsHuang BoChi-Ling LinHailu QinYe Xun, a musician, and Huang Da, a small construction business owner, who would not ordinarily cross their paths, met each other when they were at their respective blind dates, from when their lives started to intertwine. However, Xu Zhuo, a man who has a past with Ye Xun, re-entered her life one day. Who will Ye Xun choose?The first Chinese film I've ever seen. It was rather cute! :)
- DirectorAytaç AgirlarStarsSezai ParacikogluMelike GünerSinan ÇaliskanogluOn a night of despair after being turned down continuously for the scripts he writes, Metin ends up in a bar where he meets a girl named Duygu. After spending the night together, she walks out in the morning before he wakes up and leaves only a short note.My Turkish friend Anıl recommended this to me, and I hate him for it because it broke my heart in five hundred places. AMAZING film!!!!
- DirectorÇagan IrmakStarsCemal HünalMelis BirkanYildiz KültürTells about those people whose lives have been isolated by modern lifestyles; It is also Foods, mothers, old songs and love that this movie is consists of.Turkish title is "Issız Adam" (Lonely Man). Unlike my friend Anıl, who also recced this film, I liked this film. I thought the lead actress was lovely, and the setting seemed realistic. Some really lovely scenes, I love the way it was edited. Anyway, see for yourself!
- DirectorAnnemarie JacirStarsSuheir HammadSaleh BakriRiyad IdeisA romantic drama about a working-class woman and her experiences traveling back home.Cinematography was stunning. But I didn't really connect with the main character, she frustrated me immensely. I didn't feel a lot of chemistry with her co-star either.
- DirectorMichel KhleifiStarsMohamad Ali El AkiliBushra KaramanMakram KhouryA Palestinian seeks Israeli permission to waive curfew to give his son a fine wedding. The military governor's condition is that he and his officers attend. The groom berates his father for agreeing. Women ritually prepare the bride; men prepare the groom. Guests gather. The Palestinian youths plot violence. One Israeli officer swoons in the heat and Palestinian women take her into the cool house. A thoroughbred gets loose and runs to a mined field; soldiers and Palestinians must cooperate to rescue it. As darkness falls, tensions between army and villagers rise, and the groom's wedding-night anger and impotence threaten family dignity and honor. Can cool heads prevail?Also known as "Wedding in Galilee". Interesting themes presented in this film... along with some strange Palestinian wedding traditions!
- DirectorKeren YedayaStarsDana IvgyMoni MoshonovRonit ElkabetzIn the city of Jaffa; a young girl plans to run away with her secret lover, when a tragedy forever changes the course of their lives.I didn't connect with this one the way I thought I would... still a decent film, a realistic drama about choices.
- DirectorYilmaz ErdoganStarsKivanç TatlitugMert FiratBelçim BilginIn a small Turkish town, two young tuberculous poets try to survive while publishing their poems. As they both fall in love, their life would never be the same.Cinematography is STUNNING. Slow-paced drama, but a beautiful and sad film.
- DirectorLaïla MarrakchiStarsMorjana AlaouiNadine LabakiHiam AbbassThe whole family is reunited when Sofia comes back for her father's funeral. Quickly, inner problems are revealed."A comedy about a tragedy" = very accurate! Loved the acting in this one, always nice to see Hiam Abbass (I love her) and Nadine Labaki! Also realised I've seen actress Lubna Azabal before, in the film "Strangers". The way this story unfolds is brillantly done. And of course, who couldn't love Omar Sherif?!?!
- DirectorFatih AkinStarsBaki DavrakGürsoy GemecCengiz DanerA Turkish man travels to Istanbul to find the daughter of his father's former girlfriend.This movie made me cry buckets. Why do you do this to me, Fatih Akin?!?!?!
- DirectorTom ZubryckiStarsMobarak TahiriMolly RuleLyn RuleMubarak is a young Afghan refugee who can't go home again. While he spends his days working in a slaughterhouse in Young, Australia, he spends his evenings and free times with a friendly local family. Molly is the daughter of the family and the two form a close bond. When Mubarak falls in love with Molly the situation becomes more difficult, adding to Mubarak's stress of trying to extend his visa so that he won't have to return to a probable bad fate in Afghanistan.Included for themes explored. Amazing doco :)
- DirectorCherien DabisStarsCherien DabisAlaadin KhasawnehAlia ShawkatMay returns to her childhood home in Jordan for her wedding. Shortly after reuniting with her sisters and their long-since divorced parents, myriad familial and cultural conflicts lead May to question the big step she is about to take.I really liked this film. Set in the backdrop of beautiful Amman, Jordan, a Palestinian-American woman re-evaluates her engagement to her Muslim fiance. Loved the relationships between the sisters and their mother. Hiam Abbass was sublime and I loved Cherien, wonderfully acted AND directed! Talented woman.
- DirectorDover KoshashviliStarsLior AshkenaziRonit ElkabetzMoni MoshonovZaza is a 31-year old Israeli bachelor, handsome and intelligent, and his family wants to see him married. But tradition dictates that Zaza has to choose a young virgin. She must be beautiful and from a good family, preferably rich. Zaza's parents, Yasha and Lily drag Zaza to meet potential brides and their families. Zaza has no choice. He plays along with his family, advocates of the suffocating traditions of their Georgian Jewish heritage. But Zaza always manages to somehow get out of being engaged. What his parents don't know is that Zaza is already in love. Judith is sensuous, strong and intriguing. She's also a divorcée with a 6-year-old daughter. So Zaza has kept Judith a secret from his family. He will have to choose between respect of the strict confines of family and tradition, or the love of his life.
- DirectorSiddiq BarmakStarsMarina GolbahariZubaida SaharKhwaja NaderAfter the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan and the restriction of women in public life, a pre-teen girl is forced to masquerade as a boy in order to find work to support her mother and grandmother.Powerful and tragic.
- DirectorDeniz Gamze ErgüvenStarsGünes SensoyDoga Zeynep DogusluTugba SungurogluWhen five orphan girls are seen innocently playing with boys on a beach, their scandalized conservative guardians confine them while forced marriages are arranged.Despite this apparently being an inaccurate depiction of Turkish life along the Black Sea coast, I still really liked this film.
- DirectorRama BurshteinStarsHadas YaronYiftach KleinIrit ShelegWhen the older sister of Shira, an 18-year-old Hasidic Israeli, dies suddenly in childbirth, Shira must decide if she can and should marry her widowed brother-in-law, which also generates tensions within her extended family.A fascinating look into the traditions and lifestyle of the conservative Hasidic Jewish community in Israel.
- DirectorAsghar FarhadiStarsPayman MaadiLeila HatamiSareh BayatA married couple are faced with a difficult decision - to improve the life of their child by moving to another country or to stay in Iran and look after a deteriorating parent who has Alzheimer's disease.Finally got around to watching this masterpiece. I can see why it has won so many awards. Brilliant film!
- DirectorAssad FouladkarStarsDarine HamzeRodrigue SleimanZeinab Hind KhadraFour tragicomic interconnected stories about how devoted Muslim men and women are trying to manage their love life and desires without breaking any religious rules.Cute and funny film. I forgot how much I love Lebanese cinema too!
- DirectorEmmanuel MouretStarsEmmanuel MouretPascale ArbillotAriane AscarideThe Art of Love (L'art d'aimer) is composed of several chapters following several Parisian couples. Isabelle (Julie Depardieu) has not had sex in a year. She declines an offer from her friend Zoé (Pascale Arbillot) to "borrow" her husband and instead winds up impersonating Amélie (Judith Godrèche), another friend who cannot bring herself to sleep with her buddy, Boris (Laurent Stocker). The singleton Achille (François Cluzet) thinks his prayers have been answered when his svelte new neighbor (Frédérique Bel) knocks on his door wearing a negligee and suggests they have an affair. In another chapter, a middle-aged couple's marriage is threatened when wife Emmanuelle (Ariane Ascaride) finds herself lusting after every attractive man she lays eyes upon and a pair of young lovers (Elodie Navarre and Gaspard Ulliel) discover the pangs of jealousy.
- DirectorAli Taner BaltaciCem YilmazStarsCem YilmazMazhar AlansonÖzlem TekinFailed magician Iskender decides to do a tour to save his career, but has to bring his grumpy and senile father along. The tour is quite unexpectedly interrupted when a bride actually disappears from the stage.A funny Turkish film!
- DirectorKivanç BaruönüStarsEzgi MolaMurat YildirimNevra SerezliA traditional Turkish woman tries to find love and is forced by her family members to get married.Original Turkish title: Kocan Kadar Konuş. Turns out I never added this film to my list, when I watched it last year sometime. Thought it was a fun little comedy albeit frustrating at times (main character being influenced by her family etc).
- DirectorKivanç BaruönüStarsEzgi MolaMurat YildirimNevra SerezliA girl tries to manage the demands of her traditional family's wishes and her own as she embarks on a journey to marry the love of her lifeI watched the sequel to the first film only yesterday (29/5/17). It was good, much like the first film and you can really see how family plays a big part in Turkish culture!
- DirectorAndrew KavanaghStarsSami MoukaddemKeshet ZurHasan Everywhere is an animation which broaches the subtlety of a relationship between a man and a woman who bear the passports of enemies, to sympathetically deal with the subjects of death, grief, lost opportunity; but mostly it seeks to demonstrate the possibility of friendship triumphing over the deepest of rifts between two people. In that regard it is most unusual among the standard fare of animated shorts.A poignant look at the meeting and special friendship between Dorit Rabinyan and Hasan Hourani. Delicately told. A life gone way too soon.
- DirectorHany Abu-AssadStarsClara KhouryKhalifa NatourIsmael DabbagAbout a Palestinian girl of 17 who wants to get married to the man of her own choosing. Rana wakes up one morning to an ultimatum delivered by her father: she must either choose a husband from a preselected list of men, or she must leave Palestine for Egypt with her father by 4:00 that afternoon. With ten hours to find her boyfriend in occupied Jerusalem, she sneaks out of her father's house at daybreak to find her forbidden love Khalil (Natour).
- DirectorFérid BoughedirStarsSonia MankaïAva Cohen-JonathanSarah ParienteSummer, 1967. La Goulette, the touristic beach of Tunisia, is the site where three nice seventeen-year-old girls live: Gigi, Sicilian and Catholic; Meriem, Tunisian and Arab; Tina, French and Jewish. They would like to have their first sexual experience during that summer, challenging their families. Their fathers, Youssef, Jojo and Giuseppe, are old friends and their friendship will be in crisis because of the girls, while Hadj, an old rich Arab, would like to marry Meriem.A little saucy Tunisian film set in the 60s. So many languages spoken in this film it was wonderful. Tunisian Arabic, French and Italian (and I swear I heard Hebrew but I might be wrong). Just showed how multicultural this place was back then, right before it all went wrong (the Six Day War).
- DirectorEran RiklisStarsTawfeek BarhomRazi GabareenYaël AbecassisA Palestinian-Israeli boy named Eyad is sent to a prestigious boarding school in Jerusalem, where he struggles with issues of language, culture, and identity.My third Eran Riklis film. Great director. I'm still a little puzzled by this story, but there was some wonderful cross-cultural relationships involved.
- DirectorJa'far 'Abd Al-HamidStarsNasri SayeghDaphne AlexanderAhlam ArabIn February 2003, an Iraqi underground blogger arrives in London to campaign against UN Sanctions on his country. Falling in love is not part of the plan.A lovely indie film with a sensitive and thoughtful performance from Nasri Sayegh (incidentally the third film I've seen him in).
- DirectorElite ZexerStarsLamis AmmarRuba BlalHitham OmariWhen their entire lives shatter, two Bedouin women struggle to change the unchangeable rules, each in her own individual way.
- DirectorJake WitzenfeldStarsKhader Abu SeifFadi DaeemNaeem JiryesA feature documentary that follows the lives of three gay Palestinian friends exploring their national and sexual identity in Tel-Aviv during the Israel-Gaza conflict of 2014.This documentary was brilliant, I loved it.
- DirectorClovis CornillacStarsMélanie BernierClovis CornillacLilou FogliA lone man who craves peace and quiet in his apartment is disturbed by his new neighbour, a female piano player. As they comedically strive to drive each other out, frustration turns to friendship and more.I freaking ADORED this film!! Very clever concept. The end truly made my heart sing.
- DirectorAlfonso ArauStarsMarco LeonardiLumi CavazosRegina TornéWhen tradition prevents her from marrying the man she loves, a young woman discovers she has a unique talent for cooking.
- DirectorAsghar FarhadiStarsShahab HosseiniTaraneh AlidoostiMina SadatiWhile Ranaa and Emad, a married couple, are participating in a production of "Death of a Salesman," she is assaulted in their new home, which leaves him determined to find the perpetrator over his wife's traumatized objections.Gripping Persian drama!
- DirectorAli SoozandehStarsJasmina AliHasan Ali MeteZar Amir EbrahimiIn their desperate search for freedom and happiness, four young people from Tehran, Iran are forced to break the taboos of a restrictive, islamic society.Wow. Gripping, raw, emotional. Islamic conservatism and a young society breaking free from its clutches in unique and 'taboo' ways. I loved it!
- DirectorKivanç BaruönüStarsTolga ÇevikEzgi MolaMurat BasogluSinan is sent to Capadocia by his boss, Isfendiyar to write a screenplay. As he waits for inspiration, Sinan finds himself running first into Eylul, the daughter of Izzet, who owns the hotel where he's booked to stay, and then into soap opera star Faruk, his former good friend and present enemy.This Turkish film was fantastic. I laughed out loud so many times! And oh gosh, the landscape of Kapadokya (Cappadocia) is incredible.
- DirectorHakan AlgülStarsGupse ÖzayDerya AlaboraEsin EdenCrazy Zeliha's story begins when she goes to a fortune-teller one day with her friends. The very same day, Cemal and his gorgeous-looking brother, Cemil, open a photography studio in the neighborhood and things become to get even more complicated.Haha Turks do kind of ridiculous comedies but for some reason I really enjoyed this one! Very cute.
- DirectorMahmoud SabbaghStarsHisham FageehFatima AlBanawiSami HifnyA middle-class man meets a girl from a rich family, and the two begin dating in a society where such unions are frowned upon.The first Saudi Arabian film I've ever watched. I loved it! Had a lot of good satirical humour.
- DirectorFrancis VeberStarsGérard DepardieuJean RenoRichard BerryA tough criminal is arrested after hiding the loot from a Paris armored truck robbery. A talkative dimwit befriends him in prison and escapes with him - chased by police and his evil crime boss.The French know how to do a comedy! Very funny.
- DirectorRamzy BediaEric JudorStarsRamzy BediaEric JudorHafid F. BenamarEverybody in Paris has vanished exept a clueless cop and the robber he's been pursuing for years.Another hilarious French comedy! I have no idea what they are on when they make these films :P
- DirectorJean-Luc GodardStarsJean-Paul BelmondoAnna KarinaGraziella GalvaniPierrot escapes his boring society and travels from Paris to the Mediterranean Sea with Marianne, a girl chased by hit-men from Algeria. They lead an unorthodox life, always on the run.I watched this years ago and turns out I forgot to add it to my list! I loved the cinematography. But from memory, it had a frustrating ending.
- DirectorYilmaz ErdoganStarsYilmaz ErdoganFarah Zeynep AbdullahSongül ÖdenPromising a visual feast of colors, costumes, light and locations, SOUR APPLES will have you simultaneously laughing and crying with its powerful acting performances as well as Yilmaz Erdogan's witty and memorable dialogues.What a fantastic film, showing a glimpse of life in rural south-eastern Turkey from the 1970s (ending in present day). The cultural traditions and family life, the hardships, marriages, sisterhood, first love. I laughed and I cried!
- DirectorGiulio BaseStarsMassimo BoldiMassimiliano TortoraAnna Maria BarberaTwo men must struggle to travel to Prague for Champions League Football Final match.Italian film. Only solicited a few laughs from me, pretty crappy film with unnecessary nudity and sexual harrassment.
- DirectorMakoto ShinkaiStarsRyunosuke KamikiMone KamishiraishiRyo NaritaTwo teenagers share a profound, magical connection upon discovering they are swapping bodies. Things manage to become even more complicated when the boy and girl decide to meet in person.I cannot even describe how breathtaking this film was... The animation is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. Not to mention the plot itself and the twists and turns that kept you on the edge and wondering what would happen next. Stunning. I highly recommend this film.
- DirectorEléonore PourriatStarsVincent ElbazMarie-Sophie FerdanePierre BenezitA shameless chauvinist gets a taste of his own medicine when he wakes up in a world dominated by women and locks horns with a powerful female author.Not perfect but clever idea and I enjoyed it.
- DirectorGennaro NunzianteStarsChecco ZaloneEleonora GiovanardiSonia BergamascoChecco was born into privilege in a small Italian town with a guaranteed job as a public servant. When a new reformist government vows to cut down on bureaucracy, Checco is forced to accept worsening conditions.A ridiculous yet funny Italian comedy.
- DirectorYilmaz ErdoganÖmer Faruk SorakStarsYilmaz ErdoganDemet AkbagAltan ErkekliLives of residents in a small, Anatolian village change when television is introduced to them.A classic Turkish film, thoroughly enjoyed!
- DirectorLone ScherfigStarsAnders W. BerthelsenAnn Eleonora JørgensenAnette StøvelbækSeveral lonely hearts in a semi-provincial suburb of a town in Denmark use a beginner's course in Italian as the platform to meet the romance of their lives.A lovely Danish film, quite bittersweet in some ways. I loved the way the characters were interconnected and how they bonded over learning the language of love. Definitely recommend!
- DirectorRiccardo MilaniStarsClaudio BisioKasia SmutniakGiuseppe FiorelloA Mr. Nobody is mistakenly elected President of the Italian Republic.Very funny Italian film!