i saw a great swedish movie called kitchen stories recently. it was pretty great if you ask me. which reminds me, aki kaurismäki makes some wonderful films as well (check out the man without a past). there's something about dry nordic humor that is irresitable to me. perhaps because my town is like 70% finnish.

yeah that movie rules. i'd like to see more of his stuff, especially from the finnish triology.

there's a compendium of ten minute films by various directors (godard, herzog, claire denis, jim jarmusch, etc.) called Ten Minutes Older. one of the two DVDs opens with a Kaurismaki short featuring the same actors as the Man Without a Past. it's really good. but most video stores don't carry it.

Eksvplot wrote:there's a compendium of ten minute films by various directors (godard, herzog, claire denis, jim jarmusch, etc.) called Ten Minutes Older. one of the two DVDs opens with a Kaurismaki short featuring the same actors as the Man Without a Past. it's really good. but most video stores don't carry it.

strangely enough, i rented that in kyoto a few months ago. of all places...

i agree, it was great.

wow, that's cool.

it's a great little compilation, barring a couple minor duds.

random associations...

Poland:
As already mentioned, Krzysztof Kieslowski and his "Three Colours" trilogy in brighter lights and/or "Decalog" in shades of gray. "White" is for some reason my favourite, and in the same time the closest to Poland, of the three colours.

Czech Republic:
"Kolja" Kolya
- nobody likes Russians anymore, sweet film, touchy subject

Russia:
the Return
- don't believe run joe, run chap, this one is majestic

ex-Yugoslavia
BIH:
"Otac na službenom putu" When father was away on business
- in my opinion this is the most beautiful Kusturica's film

Macedonia:
"Pred Doždot" Before the rain
- a modern day love story with distinctive scent of Byzantium

Serbia:
"Rane" the Wounds
- pure teenage violence, Serbian cinematography is quite good, the best in ex-YU

Btw,"Good Bye Lenin" is lovable entertainment about life in DDR, especially if you can recall the time and place (behind the Iron Curtain). I liked it.

Listen attentively, keep your left eye on subtitles and enjoy the show...

rachael wrote:No other fans of Francois Ozon?
My favorite contemporary french director. Pretty much any of his films are totally worth it.

I find François Ozon interesting.His best film in my opinion is Under the Sand. It was inspired by another film called L'aventura(1960) by Michelangelo Antonioni.
Ozon also directed a fine movie called Swimming Pool.
If you really enjoy French movies,I highly recommend:

A Summer's Tale (Conte d'été) by Eric Rohmer



On Connait La Chanson (Same Old Song) written and stared by Agnès Jaoui and directed by Alain Resnais.

Cranius wrote:
Woman of the Dunes(1964)-by Hiroshi Teshigahara. This might be my favourite film of all time. About an entomologist who is trapped in a pit by local villagers and forced to share a house with the widowed woman of the title. They are both compelled to labour all day to prevent their house from being overwhelmed by sand. Utterly beautiful and genuinely erotic.

I watched this last night. So bizarre and unique and brilliant.

For those who said they couldn't find it the BFI have released it on DVD. The spelling and syntax in the booklet is all fucked up. I didn't mind though.

Oh yeah (sorry for the double post gramsci!), I have referred to this thread many times when purchasing or renting DVDs.

I have thoroughly enjoyed all the Herzog films I've seen, Breathless, Wings of Desire, La Dolce Vita, Ponette, New Jack City, Oldboy, Delicatessen.

I have Betty Blue, Cinema Paradiso and an Ingmar Bergman collection still to get through. Then I'll be back to this thread, no doubt.


Thank you, you beautiful bastards.

Nueve Reinas, Argentinian film from 2000 I guess.
Cidade de Deus (?) City of God or Ciudad de Dios, Brazilian film from a couple years ago.

Some films I've liked: Beijing Bicycle (China), Moonlight Whispers (Japan), Homem Do Ano (Brazil), The Blue Kite (China), Take Care of My Cat (South Korea), Tokyo Eyes (Japan). All of these I found at the local library.