No-one Knows About Persian Cats: showcase of Iranian pop culture and contemporary society
Bahman Ghobadi, “No-one Knows About Persian Cats” (2009) An ingenious film that uses a fiction plot to structure and showcase the Iranian pop music scene and…
nausika
Latin American Films (Spanish language)
Simon of the Desert: film of a saint dehumanised by his own self-righteous hypocrisy and pride
Luis Buñuel, “Simon of the Desert / Simón del Desierto” (1965) Buñuel skewers again institutional religion and sanctimonious belief, this time in a satire based on the…
French and French-language Films
L’Amour Monstre de tous les temps: threadbare portrait of Serbian-born French painter
Walerian Borowczyk, “L’Amour Monstre de tous les temps: Portrait de Ljuba” (1977) Borowczyk gave up directing animation films in the late 1960s and turned to live-action…
Latin American Films (Spanish language)
The Exterminating Angel: satire on bourgeois hypocrisy and human inability to overcome oppression
Luis Buñuel, “The Exterminating Angel / El ángel exterminador” (1962) So far everything I have seen of Luis Buñuel has been supremely first class and “The Exterminating…
Rusalka: beautiful painterly film about faith, courage and self-sacrifice in fighting dark forces and vengeance
Alexander Petrov, “Rusalka” (1996) Often referred to as “The Mermaid” in English, though mermaids and Russian rusalki are quite different creatures, this is a very beautiful…
Dimensions in Dialogue: three types of communication satirise society and politics
Jan Svankmajer, “Dimensions in Dialogue / Moznosti Dialogu” (1982) Hilarious three-part stop-motion animated film that investigates communication breakdown in its various forms, “Dimensions in Dialogue” is…
Sara in 10 Minutes: portrait of a young orphan girl expresses hope for a better life
Sadaf Foroughi, “Sara in 10 Minutes / Sara Dar Dah Daghighe-h” (2007) This is a charming documentary about a young orphan Sara, living in an orphanage…
Our Lady of the Sphere: experimental film’s welcome wears out quickly
Larry Jordan, “Our Lady of the Sphere” (1969) An intriguing and colourful film, “Our Lady of the Sphere” is based on the Bardo Thodol, a Tibetan…
Asparagus: colourful surreal exploration of female sexuality
Suzan Pitt, “Asparagus” (1979) A stunning and very colourful film short with a distinct animation style reminiscent of old cartoons from the 1930s, “Asparagus” is an…
Stairs: a deceptively simple film with a deep and powerful message about finding meaning and purpose in an alienated life
Stefan Schabenbeck, “Stairs / Schody” (1969) A minimalist claymation 7-minute piece, “Stairs” is one of those teeny-tiny classics about the human search for meaning in life…