The Greatest Movies in the World!
This is a list of every country from which I've seen at least one movie. And I'll be representing every country with my favorite movie from that country's national cinema. I'll also try to say a few words about whether or not I've seen enough movies from that country to have an opinion that's worth very much.
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- 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.AFGHANISTAN - The only film I've ever seen from Afghanistan.
- DirectorFabián BielinskyStarsRicardo DarínGastón PaulsGraciela TenenbaumTwo con artists try to swindle a stamp collector by selling him a sheet of counterfeit rare stamps (the "nine queens").ARGENTINA - I'm sure I've seen a few other films from Argentina but right now I can't think of any other titles. Still, it isn't a bad choice. A really good film about con artists!
- DirectorNicolas RoegStarsJenny AgutterDavid GulpililLuc RoegTwo city-bred siblings are stranded in the Australian Outback, where they learn to survive with the aid of an Aboriginal boy on his "walkabout": a ritual separation from his tribe.AUSTRALIA - I've probably seen around 20 Australian films.
- DirectorMichael HanekeStarsSusanne LotharUlrich MüheArno FrischTwo violent young men take a mother, father, and son hostage in their vacation cabin and force them to play sadistic "games" with one another for their own amusement.AUSTRIA - It was either this or The Piano Teacher!
- DirectorChantal AkermanStarsDelphine SeyrigJan DecorteHenri StorckA lonely widowed housewife does her daily chores, takes care of her apartment where she lives with her teenage son, and turns the occasional trick to make ends meet. However, something happens that changes her safe routine.BELGIUM - I've not seen that many Belgian films, but they've made two ten-star movies that I know of - Jeanne Dielman and Man Bites Dog.
- DirectorJorge SanjinésStarsMarcelino YanahuayaBenedicta MendozaVicente Verneros SalinasThe reaction of an indigenous community against a group of foreigners who under the guise of development assistance are forcibly sterilizing the peasant women.BOLIVIA - This is the only film I've seen from Bolivia. And I've seen it twice. Great movie!
- DirectorNelson Pereira dos SantosStarsArduíno ColassantiAna Maria MagalhãesEduardo Imbassahy FilhoIn 1594 in Brazil, the Tupinambás Indians are friends of the French and their enemies are the Tupiniquins, friends of the Portuguese. A Frenchman (Arduíno Colassanti) is captured by the Tupinambás and, in spite of his trial to convince them that he is French, they believe he is Portuguese. The Frenchman becomes their slave, and maritally lives with Seboipepe (Ana Maria Magalhães). *Contains Spoilers* Later, he uses powder in the cannons that the Portuguese left behind to defeat the Tupiniquins in a battle. In order to celebrate the victory, the Indians decide to eat him.BRAZIL - I've seen less than ten movies from Brazil and most of them have been really good to great! This one stands out for its dark humor and its rather whimsical approach to cannibalism.
- DirectorGuy MaddinStarsDarcy FehrAnn SavageLouis NeginFact, fantasy and memory are woven seamlessly together in this portrait of film-maker Guy Maddin's home town of Winnipeg, Manitoba.CANADA - I guess I've seen a few movies from Canada. And I have a few - Naked Lunch, Videodrome and Leolo come to mind - that I like more than My Winnipeg. But I do love My Winnipeg so much, and it's a lot more intrinsically "Canadian" than my other choices, so I decided to make it my choice. (This is a bit unfair to Leolo, I realize. I might change it.)
- DirectorErnesto Díaz EspinozaStarsFernanda UrrejolaMatías OviedoJorge AlísTimid, video game-loving DJ Santiago seemingly digs his own grave when he agrees to bring a violent criminal kingpin the head of Machine Gun Woman.CHILE - I've probably seen less than five films from Chile and some of them are really fantastic! But this movie ...
- DirectorYimou ZhangStarsGong LiJingwu MaSaifei HeChina in the 1920s. After her father's death, Songlian is forced to marry the wealthy Master Chen. With three wives already, each living in a separate house, there is fierce competition for his attention and the privileges that are gained.CHINA - I'm guessing I've seen around 20 films from China.
- DirectorHumberto SolásStarsRaquel RevueltaEslinda NúñezAdela LegráTraces episodes in the lives of three Cuban women, each named Lucía, from three different historical periods: the Cuban war of independence (with Spain), the 1930s, and the 1960s.CUBA - I've only seen two or three movies from Cuba and this one is pretty good!
- DirectorVera ChytilováStarsIvana KarbanováJitka CerhováMarie CeskováAfter realizing that all world is spoiled, Marie and Marie are committed to be spoiled themselves. They rip off older men, feast in lavish meals and do all kinds of mischief. But what is all this leading to?CZECHOSLOVAKIA - I couldn't decide between Daisies and Marketa Lazarova and The Firemen's Ball. I haven't seen very many Czech films (less than ten) but I am impressed by the high quality and how different they are.
- DirectorGabriel AxelStarsStéphane AudranBodil KjerBirgitte FederspielDuring the late 19th century, a strict religious community in a Danish village takes in a French refugee from the Franco-Prussian War as a servant to the late pastor's daughters.DENMARK - I was afraid I was going to have to chose my least disliked Dreyer film or my least disliked von Trier film (I like Dancer in the Dark a lot, to be honest), and then I remembered Babette's Feast! I think I've seen maybe 10 or 12 Danish films.
- DirectorWolfgang StaudteStarsWerner PetersPaul EsserRenate FischerDiederich Heßling is scared of everything and everyone. But as he grows up, he comes to realize that he has to offer his services to the powers-that-be if he wants to wield power himself. His life motto now runs: bow to those at the top and tread on those below. In this way, he always succeeds: as a student in a duel-fighting student fraternity and as a businessman in a paper factory. He cajoles the obese district administrative president Von Wulkow and wins his favor. He slanders his financial rivals and hatches a plot with the social democrats in the town council. On his honeymoon with his rich wife Guste, he finally finds a chance to do his beloved Kaiser a favor. And when a memorial to the Kaiser is unveiled in the town where Diederich lives and works, he delivers the address. He stands behind the lectern in the pouring rain, saluting his Kaiser. The crowd is dispersed. Everything is laid in ruins...EAST GERMANY - Also known as The Kaiser's Lackey. The only movie I've ever seen from East Germany. Highly recommended!
- DirectorYoussef ChahineStarsFarid ShawqiHind RustumYoussef ChahineA newspaper salesman at the train station in Cairo develops an unhealthy obsession with a woman who sells refreshments.EGYPT - It's not the only Egyptian film I've seen. Almost.
- DirectorPekka ParikkaStarsTaneli MäkeläVesa VierikkoTimo TorikkaIn 1939, two Finnish brothers are conscripted in the army to fight in the war between Finland and the Soviet Union.FINLAND - I can think of three or four more Finnish films I've seen. This is by far my favorite.
- DirectorGeorges FranjuStarsPierre BrasseurAlida ValliJuliette MaynielA surgeon causes an accident which leaves his daughter disfigured and goes to extreme lengths to give her a new face.FRANCE - I've seen LOTS of French films! I watch Eyes Without a Face every year around Halloween.
- DirectorGeorg Wilhelm PabstStarsLouise BrooksFritz KortnerFrancis LedererThe rise and inevitable fall of an amoral but naive young woman whose insouciant eroticism inspires lust and violence in those around her.GERMANY - Between Pabst and Lang and Herzog and a few others, I've seen a few dozen German films.
- DirectorMichael CacoyannisStarsIrene PapasKostas KazakosKostas KarrasTo appease offended gods before going to war, a commander must sacrifice his favorite daughter to them but does so under the pretext of marrying her off.GREECE - I've seen five to ten Greek films, and my favorites are the adaptations of the ancient Greek plays.
- DirectorJohn WooStarsChow Yun-FatDanny LeeSally YehA disillusioned assassin accepts one last hit in hopes of using his earnings to restore vision to a singer he accidentally blinded.HONG KONG - I've seen a lot of Hong Kong films. This is one is a great action film!
- DirectorMiklós JancsóStarsKrystyna MikolajewskaMikhail KozakovTatyana KonyukhovaDuring the Russian Civil War, the Red Army - aided by Hungarian Communists - and the White Army fight for control of the area surrounding the Volga.HUNGARY - I've only seen one other Hungarian film,
- DirectorSatyajit RayStarsChhabi BiswasGangapada BasuPadmadeviDepicts the end days of a decadent zamindar (landlord) in Bengal, and his efforts to uphold his family prestige even when faced with economic adversity.INDIA - I've probably seen about 15 Indian films.
- DirectorRocky SorayaStarsShandy AuliaDenny SumargoSara WijayantoEerie things begin to happen after a man gives his wife a doll, unaware it once belonged to a girl who was murdered. The first of the "Doll" films.INDONESIA - This is a pretty cool Indonesian horror film. It's on Netflix!
- DirectorJafar PanahiStarsSima Mobarak-ShahiShayesteh IraniAyda SadeqiThe struggle of women in a country that excludes them from entering stadiums.IRAN - I've seen less than ten films from Iran. Offside is awesome!
- DirectorNeil JordanStarsStephen ReaFiona ShawEamonn OwensThe antisocial son of an alcoholic father and a bipolar mother grows up in 1960s Ireland.IRELAND - I've seen a few Irish films. 10? Maybe a few more.