no mediocre sh!t, honest.
Dus Kahaniyaan (2007)
Six Visionary Directors… Ten Spectacular Stories… One Cinematic Journey.
finally got around watching this! it took me forever to find out what it’s called (because i only caught the last two short films on TV) and another forever to actually find a copy (including renting video stores, oh yeah, i’ve looked everywhere). it’s basically a collection of short films, all great actors and all great stories. brilliant cinematography and a really good watch. ah, bollywood at its finest. because i like spoiling you, i took the liberty of striping the internet to find an onine version. you’re welcome.
on imdb
watch full film(s) (via samaikiller)
Avaze gonjeshk-ha (The song of Sparrows) (2008)
When an ostrich-rancher focuses on replacing his daughter’s hearing aid, which breaks right before crucial exams, everything changes for a struggling rural family in Iran. Karim motorbikes into a world alien to him - incredibly hectic Tehran, where sudden opportunities for independence, thrill and challenge him. But his honor and honesty, plus traditional authority over his inventive clan, are tested, as he stumbles among vast cultural and economic gaps between his village nestled in the desert, and a throbbing international metropolis
one of the reviewers called it ‘deeply humanistic’, i agree.
on imdb
watch full film (via youtube)
5 Nov 2012 / 9 notes / film persian iranian iran foreign drama slice of life full film
A-I-Deul (Children) (2011)
The film is based on a true yet unsolved murder case from the early 1990s that is known among Koreans as the “disappearance of the frog children.” In 1991, five elementary school students told their parents that they were going to hang out on a nearby mountain to catch frogs.
They never came back. In the movie, a TV producer, the devastated parents of the missing children, a professor and a detective all take different stances on the case and in the end one of the parents becomes a primary suspect. In reality, the case morphed into a national scandal.
a very emotional film and a must watch.
Micmacs à tire-larigot (Micmacs) (2009)
A man and his friends come up with an intricate and original plan to destroy two big weapons manufacturers.
the best way to describe ‘micmacs’ is that it’s a humorous -french- version of lucky number slevin. (if you haven’t seen either one of them, then you should)
a huge thank you goes to faisal.
Celda 211 (Cell 211)(2009)
The story of two men on different sides of a prison riot — the inmate leading the rebellion and the young guard trapped in the revolt, who poses as a prisoner in a desperate attempt to survive the ordeal.
developing some admirations towards the spanish film industry. excellent film. very heartbreaking, intense and unpredictable.
nadine labaki x2
an actor and director, this woman is insanely gorgeous and brilliant. i’ve only watched these two films, and if i can obtain the others i will. for now, these two will do. they’re both in arabic (lebanese) but i’m sure subtitles are available.
سكر بنات - sukkar banat - caramel (2007)
A romantic comedy centered on the daily lives of five Lebanese women living in Beirut.
و هلق لوين - wu hala’ la wein - where do we go now? (2011)
A group of Lebanese women try to ease religious tensions between Christians and Muslims in their village.
this is such a gorgeous film, very heartwarming. soundtrack is lovely. the entire thing is a beautiful watch. great for movie nights
31 Aug 2012 / 13 notes / film arabic foreign comedy drama lebanon middle east lebanese
Turtles can fly (2004)
Near the Iraqi-Turkish border on the eve of an American invasion, refugee children like 13-year-old Kak (Ebrahim), gauge and await their fate.
a heartbreaking watch.
30 Aug 2012 / 0 notes / film iraqi turkish foreign
Iranian film آواز گنجشک ها Avaze gonjeshk-ha (The Song of Sparrows) by Majid Majidi. Full fill subtitled in English.
Tells the story of a poor, rural ostrich farmer who loses his job. Upon travelling to Tehran to have his deaf daughter’s hearing aid repaired, he is mistaken for being a taxi. He thinks that life is slowly improving, until he comes to the realisation that his life has gone in the wrong direction.
so glad this is available online for those who can’t download torrents. it’s a beautiful film.
Brick Lane (2007)
A young Bangladeshi woman, Nazneem, arrives in 1980s London, leaving behind her beloved sister and home, for an arranged marriage and a new life. Trapped within the four walls of her flat in East London, and in a loveless marriage with the middle aged Chanu, she fears her soul is quietly dying. Her sister Hasina, meanwhile, through letters to Nazneed, tells of her carefree life back in Bangladesh, stumbling from one adventure to the next. Nazneen struggles to accept her lifestyle, and keeps her head down in spite of life’s blows, but she soon discovers that life cannot be avoided - and is forced to confront it the day that the hotheaded young Karim comes knocking at her door.
another wonderful mai recommendation. a definite must watch.
10 Aug 2012 / 0 notes / film foreign english london brick lane drama
nyfes - brides (2004)
Set in 1922, is the story of a mail order bride, one of 700, aboard the SS KING ALEXANDER, who falls in love with an American photographer. She is bound for her new husband, in New York; he is on his way home to a failed marriage.
dear hollywood, this is how good romantic films are done. wonderful soundtrack, great plot and acting, and it’s not a happy ending, but it’s okay, because not all films need to have a pleasant ending.
ps: thank you mai.
