The Seventh Seal: examining a man’s crisis of faith and his quest for meaning to his existence
Ingmar Bergman, “The Seventh Seal / Det Sjunde Inseglet” (1957) Set in Sweden during the
Australian and New Zealand Films
The Hunter: a mix of good acting, stunning cinematography and a forced, unrealistic plot loaded with stereotyping
Daniel Nettheim, “The Hunter” (2011) Based on the novel by Julia Leigh, “The Hunter” is
The Gatekeepers: a powerful indictment of Israel’s obsession with security and use of fear, terror and violence
Dror Moresh, “The Gatekeepers” (2012) An astonishing and powerful documentary about the Israeli internal intelligence
Stoker: psychological thriller let down by stereotyped characters and poor scripting
Park Chanwook, “Stoker” (2013) Appropriately Chanwook Park’s Hollywood directing debut is a psychological thriller featuring
Once Upon a Time (dir. Walerian Borowczyk and Jan Lenica): an oddball pair trying to find their identity and place in an abstract world
Walerian Borowczyk and Jan Lenica, “Once Upon a Time / Byl sobie raz” (1957) An
My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done? – celebrating absurdity and eccentricity in a bland and indifferent world
Werner Herzog, “My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done?” (2009) In this film, based
Battle Royale (Director’s Cut): satire on Japanese society and militaristic values with plenty of teen angst and splatter gore
Kinji Fukasaku, “Battle Royale (Director’s Cut)” (2000) For all its extreme violence and other liberties
Persona: visually stunning minimalist meditation on identity, duality and the art of film-making
Ingmar Bergman, “Persona” (1966) A visually stunning film, shot in black and white film and
Chinese and Chinese-language Films | French and French-language Films
Clean: a tale of caution and redemption lacking in spark and realism
Olivier Assayas, “Clean” (2004) Rare are the movies in which two main characters happen to
Upstream Color: how love and hope can overcome a cycle of evil and bring about healing
Shane Carruth, “Upstream Color” (2012) Since making “Primer”, Shane Carruth’s career as film director and