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Foreign Films

Embassy

By Embassy,
in General Education Discussion Board

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Embassy

Embassy

Posted
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What are your favorite foreign films? Dh and I love foreign films and want to introduce more to our children too. I know there are so many we haven't seen or heard about yet. If your favorites are suitable for children please make note of it and we'll check to see if our library has it.

 

:bigear::lurk5::bigear:

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Wendi

Wendi

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We just adore Hayao Miyazaki's films! They are gorgeously animated, wonderful stories! For young kids, I'd recommend starting with "My Neighbor Totoro" and "Ponyo", then "Kiki's Delivery Service". Usually the DVD will have both and English and Japanese track for those two. We prefer watching in Japanese with English subtitles. Some of his films ("Grave of the Fireflies", "Princess Mononoke", "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind") are not for young kids.

 

You should definitely watch "Children of Heaven" (your kids will like it) and "The Color of Paradise" (I don't remember anything inappropriate, but it's a more somber story). Both of these were directed by Majid Majidi.

 

For grown-ups, you must watch "Babette's Feast", based on a story by one of my favorite writers, Isak Dinesen. Not sure it would be good for kids. It's been awhile since I saw it.

 

Wendi

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Natalieclare

Natalieclare

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I lovelovelove My Father's Glory and My Mother's Castle. I have shown them to my kids, but there is a spot in which a naked boy is frolicking a bit. Not too long. They just looked away (this was a few years ago.)

 

Babette's Feast is good, especially if you can do something with your hands while still reading the subtitles. :D

 

And what was the German one about a chef? Then Catherine Zeta Jones starred in the American version. Hmmm, I can't remember the title, but I liked it. I think Milovany (a poster here) recommended it to me. Let's see if she chimes in.

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Wendi

Wendi

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I will definitely be following this thread. I would love to find some great foreign films to share with my kids.

 

We love the Miyazaki films recommended above, but funny because I don't truly think of them as foreign since they've been so Americanized.

 

They're better in Japanese. But they haven't been edited; they just produced an American (English) soundtrack. Miyazaki doesn't let his films be cut or edited when re-released abroad. Some of his other movies are more "Japanese", like "Princess Mononoke" and "Pom Poko".

 

Wendi

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Punchie

Punchie

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And what was the German one about a chef? Then Catherine Zeta Jones starred in the American version. Hmmm, I can't remember the title, but I liked it. I think Milovany (a poster here) recommended it to me. Let's see if she chimes in.

 

Mostly Martha is the film.

 

I love:

Bread and Tulips

Amelie

Run Lola Run

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KristinaBreece

KristinaBreece

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We just adore Hayao Miyazaki's films! They are gorgeously animated, wonderful stories! For young kids, I'd recommend starting with "My Neighbor Totoro" and "Ponyo", then "Kiki's Delivery Service". Usually the DVD will have both and English and Japanese track for those two. We prefer watching in Japanese with English subtitles. Some of his films ("Grave of the Fireflies", "Princess Mononoke", "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind") are not for young kids.

 

You should definitely watch "Children of Heaven" (your kids will like it) and "The Color of Paradise" (I don't remember anything inappropriate, but it's a more somber story). Both of these were directed by Majid Majidi.

 

For grown-ups, you must watch "Babette's Feast", based on a story by one of my favorite writers, Isak Dinesen. Not sure it would be good for kids. It's been awhile since I saw it.

 

Wendi

 

Yeah, I really liked Princess Mononoke, but it's definitely not for children. I watched it in college.

 

I think my favorite foreign film is Amelie, but that's not altogether child-friendly either. ("Quinze!")

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stripe

stripe

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Posted (edited)
You should definitely watch "Children of Heaven" (your kids will like it) and "The Color of Paradise" (I don't remember anything inappropriate, but it's a more somber story). Both of these were directed by Majid Majidi.

You must watch "Gabbeh" -- it's completely gorgeous. No kids in it.

 

Depressing suggestions: "Baran" from Iran and "Nobody Knows" from Japan. Seriously two movies I won't watch again anytime soon. Very memorable. The NYTimes reviewer said about "Nobody Knows" that "watching the film is, to some extent, a punishing immersion in impotent dread," which is absolutely true. I couldn't stop watching it until I got to the end. I think my mouth was hanging open, I was so incredulous and horrified.

 

I find Iranian directors to have produced some of the most nuanced films about the female experience. "The Day I Became A Woman" is an interesting combination of three short films. "Secret Ballot" is also interesting.

Edited by stripe
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LAS in LA

LAS in LA

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More votes for Babette's Feast and Jean de Floret/Manon!

 

Cyrano de Bergerac with Gerard Depardieu is beautiful.

 

Ikiru (To Live) is a thoughtful Japanese film from the 1950s (I think).

 

The Spanish Prisoner is in English and set in the US, but definitely has a foreign feel (director/producer was non-American maybe??).

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Parker Martin

Parker Martin

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I second Ikiru. That would be within my top ten films of all time. Kurosawa is my favorite. Anything he did is wonderful.

 

If you like cop dramas, Infernal Affairs cannot be beat. For comedic cop drama, Beast Cops.

 

For comedies, Day for Night and all of the Stephen Chow movies.

 

For dark humor, With a Friend Like Harry.

 

For mainstream romantic comedy, Needing You.

 

For modern mystery, Memories of Murder.

 

Those are the ones I can think off of the top of my head.

 

ETA: Also agree with Jean de Florette, Manon of the Spring, and The Red Balloon. Kids can watch The Red Balloon; my kids love it.

 

ETA Again: For suspense, The Wages of Fear.

 

ETA Yet Again: For dark action, Battle Royale and The Vengeance Trilogy. Note that these are especially violent if I recall correctly.

Edited by Parker Martin
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pooh bear

pooh bear

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Some movies my 11 yo ds has liked

 

La Belle et la Bete - Original French version of Beauty and the Beast

 

Ohayo/Good Morning - Japanese movie, that focus on a 1950's Tokyo suburb, and the efforts of two brothers, who are trying to get their parents to buy a TV.

 

Gojria - Original Japanese Godzilla movie

 

Seven Samurai - Japanese, long but good

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stripe

stripe

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Le huitième jour is one of my all-time favorite foreign films

I loved this movie too.

 

Vitus is a great film for kids.

And adults! I came back to this thread intending to post it. That is one of the cutest boys EVER.

 

Favorite adult foreign film is The Battle of Algiers.

I've been meaning to watch this!

 

I also recently watched the Spanish movie "Butterfly" (Lengua de la Mariposas) and found it not at all to be what I expected, but an interesting movie about a great teacher, and also how a changing political climate changes people's personal lives. "My Name is Khan" is also interesting. For another movie with Shahrukh Khan, this time about education, not one of the greatest of all time, but that shows the importance of a good teacher, "Like Stars on Earth."

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Chris in VA

Chris in VA

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The Red Balloon.

 

I also like the Heidi version that is quite old and in another language--I'm sorry, I don't know if it's in German or what, but it's black and white, and has them singing on the mountain.

 

For a teenager (older teen), The 400 Blows is wonderful. My son calls it the best coming-of-age story ever made. Very French, contains a plot line including adultery, but no sex to speak of. Really, really good.

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Mrs.MacGyver

Mrs.MacGyver

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Another vote for:

Hayao Miyazaki's films: after the kids have watched them a hundred times, we made them start watching them in the French language setting... they still love them! :D

 

Amelie - - one of my favorite movies ever... (adult)

 

We also enjoy Kung Fu Hustle (it is a Kung Fu movie... so there is violence and some bad language)

 

And, of course, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is always a good watch if you are into action and beautiful cinematography..

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radiobrain

radiobrain

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I have to really start thinking, I love foreign films, but am generally terrible at remembering titles.

 

Jaques Tati is great and kid friendly.

 

You might want to get a catalog from Facets in Chicago. They have an amazing selection of movies, you can buy them or rent them, or use it for reference. My parents used to own a gallery next door when it was just a little art house movie theatre, so I got to see all sorts of cool movies on a big screen with popcorn. :D

 

I love Ran. A Kurasawa film based on King Lear, except with samurai.

Amelie, Delicatessen, Wings of Desire, L'Avventura, gosh... I really need to wrack my brain. I just saw one that I thought was awesome and I have no idea what it was.

 

One of my all time favorite directors is Pedro Almodovar.

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Parker Martin

Parker Martin

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Our kids love Miyazaki too. They're not old enough to see a lot of his movies, but they especially like My Neighbor Totoro and Kiki's Delivery Service. They absolutely love Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, but we've decided that it's just over the line for violence for their age, so they'll have to wait to watch it in its entirety again.

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Scarymelon

Scarymelon

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OUr families movie tastes land on the darker side, but these movies are all wonderful:

The Best of Youth; it is an 8 hour Italian Mini Series that is one of the best things I have ever seen.

Fanny and Alexander, my favorite Bergman movie

All About My Mother; Almodovar movies are definitely not for everyone, but this movie is incredible and moving

Au Revoir Les Enfant; the only of these movies we watched with our kids, who were really moved by this movie about the hiding of several Jewish children at a Catholic school during WWII.

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Sebastian (a lady)

Sebastian (a lady)

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I would recommend these French films for high school + :

Jean de Florette

Manon des Sources

 

Manon is the sequel and I think should be watched right after Jean de Florette for the complete story.

 

I'm sorry, I don't know of any children's films.

 

We watches these a couple years ago. I thought they were incredibly depressing. Probably worth watching, but very much a downer.

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Sebastian (a lady)

Sebastian (a lady)

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My husband and I are both big fans of "The Lives of Others". The imdb description is "In 1984 East Berlin, an agent of the secret police, conducting surveillance on a writer and his lover, finds himself becoming increasingly absorbed by their lives."

 

Not appropriate for kids.

 

Erica in OR

 

In a similar vein, Goodbye Lenin (which predated Lives of Others by about 6 years, but feels like a companion piece) and Was Tun Wenn's Brennt (about a bunch of former Berlin radicals who have grown up and settled down, when their former crimes come back to haunt them).

 

Vitus is a good movie and is ok for kids.

 

JSA is an intersting South Korean movie set on the DMZ (I can't remember if there are scenes inappropirate for younger viewers. I'd guess teens and above only.)

 

Shall We Dance is a Japanese movie that was remade with Richard Gere. Really good original. Ok for younger viewers. (some suggestive content but pretty tame).

 

North Face about climbing the Eiger. Wonderful and heartbreaking. I was actually sitting on the edge of my chair the last 30 min. I didn't let my kids watch it, because the ending is so compelling (and they enjoy rock climbing).

 

Merry Christmas set in WWI . Haven't shown the kids, because the warfare is not vanillaized. One scene of a couple in bed.

 

Chak de! about an Indian women's field hockey team. Uplifting and typical sports movie with underdogs trying to come together. But I thought it was brilliant in how it showcased a lot of the different cultures in modern India. I also enjoyed China Gate (a remake of the Seven Samurai/Magnificent Seven story set in an Indian village) and What's Your Raashee (which I found to be incredibly enlightening on the different views on women and marriage in India, but some commenters found too risque - which is itself telling, since the movie is probably about as risque as The Parent Trap).

 

DH enjoyed Katyn, but I haven't watched it yet.

Edited by Sebastian (a lady)
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Mama_Rana

Mama_Rana

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One of our favorite films is "Girl in a Cafe". It's British [bill Nighy], so it's in English, but the major part of the action occurs in Iceland, and it's really interesting. [not really child-friendly, depending on your children's ages]

 

My husband really likes Eat Drink Man Woman. I don't LOVE it, but I did enjoy it.

 

Ok, two more that are not strictly foreign, but have that sort of feel to me:

 

Under the Tuscan Sun--Truly well-loved here

Lost in Translation--So thought-provoking

 

And finally, just for pure fun, the other day I watched this British parody of Jane Austen-like stories called Stiff Upper Lips. NOT child-friendly, really, but SOOOO funny [or at least I found it so].

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dkholland

dkholland

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Posted (edited)

Chinese film for families:

 

CJ7 by Stephen Chow

 

It is a wonderful story of a father and son. It has subtitles, but all my kids watched it. They laughed out loud, one even cried. It has some pretty funny potty humor if your kids are into that!

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eternalknot

eternalknot

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I like Kitchen Stories, Downfall, Nobody Knows, Talk to Her, The Butcher, Sophie Scholl, Daughters of Danang ... and not for everyone, but Delicatessen is a classic. My all-time favorite is Wild Strawberries.

 

My nephew watched Downfall, Sophie Scholl and Daughters of Danang with me when he was in the 10-13 range, but we're pretty relaxed about that sort of thing -especially WRT history- and I don't remember enough of the specifics to be able to give fair warning on what to look out for (to see if it'd be good for your family).

 

Sweet Land isn't a foreign film per se, but it's a neat story that includes dialogue in both German and Norwegian.

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LostSurprise

LostSurprise

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A lot of the more common ones have been listed.

 

You can't go wrong with a Kurasawa. This summer they even had Rashomon and The Seven Samurai on Hulu. I also like Red Beard and Yojimbo by him. He also did Shakespeare/Samurai films like Ran and Throne of Blood.

 

We liked Ingmar Bergman's fairy-tale-like Fanny & Alexander and The Seventh Seal. Persona was okay.

 

For kind of a kooky, random, Surrealist vibe, Delicatessan and City of the Lost Children are really intriguing. Beautiful and dark. Amalie kind of rides the same quirky wave while being lighter and more romantic.

 

Kieslowski has some interesting work. He did The Color trilogy (3 films entitled Blue, White, and Red). You can watch the all separately if you wish..they don't depend on each other. We liked White the best and I liked his The Decalogue, which is a series of 10 short films on Polish society filmed during the Communist years.

 

If you like ground-breaking silent films Metropolis and M are both classic. Watching Peter Lorre in M just gives me the creeps, but in a sad way. More modern German films like Run, Lola, Run or Wim Wender's Wings of Desire (angel movie) or Let the Right One In (vampire movie) seem to appeal to almost everyone.

 

Elling, a Norwegian comedy about surviving mental illness, was fun. Both dh and I liked it.

 

del Toro, who now makes American movies, has some imaginative and dark movies such as Cronos, The Devil's Backbone, and Pan Labyrinth.

 

Totally random:

 

Cinema Paridiso

Farewell My Concubine

Raise the Red Lantern

Mostly Martha

The Return of Martin Guerre

Shall We Dance (Japanese version)-very sweet

Kung-Fu Hustle -if you or your dh likes kungfu movies this is hilarious

The Science of Sleep

The Motorcycle Diaries

Amores Perros

City of God

all of the above related Miyazaki films

 

I keep thinking of this sweet Chinese film I saw, where an old man adopts a little boy from the street and teaches him his trade making masks and entertaining on street corners. I can't find the title anywhere, but if anyone else knows what I'm talking about let me know!

 

 

As for child friendliness, it really depends on what you think is appropriate. I wouldn't recommend anything, even Miyazaki, without having the parent watch it first. Miyazaki makes children's movies (for the most part) but some people might be uncomfortable with his use of spirits or some of his films may be too dark for younger children. The same goes for everything else. I may be comfortable letting my kids watch The Seven Samurai, but even I have to pre-watch scenes to make sure they're age appropriate for my kids.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Negin

Negin

Posted
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You must watch "Gabbeh" -- it's completely gorgeous. No kids in it.

 

Depressing suggestions: "Baran" from Iran

 

I find Iranian directors to have produced some of the most nuanced films about the female experience. "The Day I Became A Woman" is an interesting combination of three short films. "Secret Ballot" is also interesting.

Being Iranian, I appreciate your suggestions. :)

Dh and I saw Gabbeh before having our dc.

Have not seen Baran. Mind you, I really dislike the depressing stuff.

Have you seen:

Offside (fine for kids - we all love this)

Lizard

Maxx (fine for kids and very funny)

 

cine-offside-dvd-sm.jpg

 

maxx.jpg

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veggiegal

veggiegal

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I second Cinema Paradiso. Il Postino and The Red Balloon. And for the adults, I loved Mediterraneo; contains one of my all time favourite movie scenes. Kolya is another title that comes to mind. And Billy Elliot, if you can call Brit films 'foreign'--due to language and other content, for teens and adults only, but the uplifting nature of this movie about a boy pursuing his unpopular passion makes it one of my faves. Whale Rider from New Zealand has a similar feel, though entirely different storyline (teen girl lead character and difficulties pursuing her passion in the Maori culture in which she lives). In a totally different vein, Wallace and Gromit, Shaun the Sheep, and Chicken Run are again all technically foreign, and kid-friendly.

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