Spotlight: Best International Feature Oscar Submissions Part One
Ninety-three countries submitted a film for consideration for the Best International Feature Film Award as part of the 94th Academy Awards. Here you'll find three of the films that were nominated as well as nine other fine films that weren't.
Flee
(Flugt)
Part memoir, part documentary, this animated film recounts the story of a refugee from Afghanistan to Denmark.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Denmark, France, Sweden • 2021
- Director Jonas Poher Rasmussen
- Cast Daniel Karimyar, Fardin Mijdzadeh, Milad Eskandari, Belal Faiz, Elaha Faiz, Zahra Mehrwarz
- Genre Animation, Documentary
- Available on DIRECTV, Microsoft Store, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, AMC on Demand, Vudu, Hulu, YouTube, Apple TV
Submersible
(Sumergible)
A handmade narco sub on the verge of sinking becomes a powder keg of fear, desire, and greed.
- ✭ ✭
- Ecuador, Colombia • 2020
- Director Alfredo León León
- Cast Natalia Reyes, Leynar Gomez, José Restrepo, Carlos Valencia
- Genre Thriller
- Available on Apple TV, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Yellow Cat
(Сары мысық)
Inspired by his love of Alain Delon, ex-con Kermek dreams of building a movie theater in the Kazakh mountains.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Kazakhstan, France • 2020
- Director Adilkhan Yerzhanov
- Cast Azamat Nigmanov, Kamila Nugmanova, Sanjar Madi
- Genre Comedy, Drama
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom
(ལུང་ནག་ན)
A teacher in search of inspiration travels to the most remote school in the world.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Bhutan, China • 2019
- Director Pawo Choyning Dorji
- Cast Sherab Dorji, Ugyen Norbu Lhendup, Keldon Lhamo Gurung, Pem Zam, Chimi Dem
- Genre Drama
- Available on Netflix, Hoopla, Netflix basic with Ads, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, YouTube, DIRECTV, Amazon Video, Kanopy
Escape from Mogadishu
(모가디슈)
In the Somali civil war, embassy staff from North and South Korea must come together if they want to make it out of the country alive.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Korea • 2021
- Director Ryoo Seung-wan
- Cast Kim Yoon-seok, Jo In-sung, Heo Joon-ho, Kim So-jin, Jeong Man-sik, Koo Kyo-hwan
- Genre Action, Drama
- Available on Rakuten Viki, Apple TV, Vudu, Amazon Video, Redbox, AMC on Demand, KoreaOnDemand, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Kanopy
The Hand of God
(È stata la mano di Dio)
Based in part on the life of director Paolo Sorrentino, this film tells the story of a fateful encounter with soccer superstar Diego Maradona.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy • 2021
- Director Paolo Sorrentino
- Cast Filippo Scotti, Toni Servillo, Teresa Saponangelo, Luisa Ranieri, Marlon Joubert, Massimiliano Gallo
- Genre Comedy, Drama
- Available on Netflix basic with Ads, Netflix
Lamb
(Dýrið)
An Icelandic couple takes a human-sheep hybrid as their child, with tragic consequences.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Iceland, Sweden, Poland • 2021
- Director Valdimar Jóhannsson
- Cast Noomi Rapace, Hilmir Snær Guðnason, Björn Hlynur Haraldsson, Ingvar E. Sigurðsson, Ester Bibi
- Genre Drama, Horror, Mystery
- Available on DIRECTV, Microsoft Store, Redbox, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Showtime, Vudu, Showtime Roku Premium Channel, YouTube, Showtime Amazon Channel, Apple TV, Paramount+ Showtime
Luzzu
A struggling fisherman enters the black market to provide for his family.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Malta • 2021
- Director Alex Camilleri
- Cast Jesmark Scicluna, Michela Farrugia, David Scicluna, Frida Cauchi
- Genre Drama
- Available on Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Vudu, Kino Now, Kanopy, YouTube, Apple TV, MUBI Amazon Channel, MUBI
I'm Your Man
(Ich bin dein Mensch)
To secure funding for her work, an archeologist signs up to test a robot designed to be her perfect partner.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Germany • 2021
- Director Maria Schrader
- Cast Maren Eggert, Dan Stevens, Sandra Hüller, Hans Löw, Annika Meier
- Genre Comedy, Romance, Science Fiction
- Available on Redbox, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, AMC on Demand, Hoopla, Vudu, Kanopy, Hulu, YouTube, Apple TV
The Intruder
(El prófugo)
A traumatic experience leaves a young woman with delusions that the characters in her dreams are trying to take over her body.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Argentina • 2021
- Director Natalia Meta
- Cast Érica Rivas, Nahuel Pérez Biscayart, Daniel Hendler, Cecilia Roth, Agustín Rittano
- Genre Thriller
- Available on HBO Max, HBO Max Amazon Channel, DIRECTV
Titane
A near-fatal car crash leaves a girl with physical and emotional trauma that shapes her future — and her fetishes.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France, Belgium • 2021
- Director Julia Ducournau
- Cast Vincent Lindon, Agathe Rousselle, Garance Marillier, Laïs Salameh, Mara Cissé, Marin Judas
- Genre Drama, Horror, Thriller
- Available on Hulu, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Microsoft Store, Redbox, AMC on Demand, DIRECTV, Kanopy
Hive
(Zgjoi)
Fahrije’s husband has been missing since the war in Kosovo: does she wait for his return, or move forward on her own?
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Kosovo, Switzerland, Albania • 2021
- Director Blerta Basholli
- Cast Yllka Gashi, Çun Lajçi, Aurita Agushi, Kumrije Hoxha, Adriana Matoshi, Molike Maxhuni
- Genre Drama
- Available on Criterion Channel, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Hoopla, Vudu, Kino Now, Kanopy, YouTube, Apple TV
Spotlight: Beyond Studio Ghibli Part Two
We’re back this week with part two of our Spotlight series of worthy, wonderful anime films to enjoy outside of the Studio Ghibli catalogue. This time we’re showcasing anime films released from the turn of the millennium to present day — check out last week’s Spotlight to find great films from before the year 2000.
Wolf Children
(おおかみこどもの雨と雪)
After her werewolf lover unexpectedly dies in an accident, a woman must find a way to raise the son and daughter that she had with him.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 2012
- Director Mamoru Hosoda
- Cast Aoi Miyazaki, Takao Osawa, Haru Kuroki, Yukito Nishii, Momoka Ohno, Amon Kabe
- Genre Animation, Drama, Family, Fantasy
- Available on No streaming locations found.
A Silent Voice
(聲の形)
Shouya Ishida starts bullying the new girl in class, Shouko Nishimiya, because she is deaf. When they leave elementary school, Shouko and Shouya do not speak to each other again... until an older, wiser Shouya, tormented by his past behaviour, decides he must see Shouko once more. He wants to atone for his sins, but is it already too late...?
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 2016
- Director Naoko Yamada
- Cast Miyu Irino, Saori Hayami, Aoi Yuki, Kensho Ono, Yuki Kaneko, Yui Ishikawa
- Genre Drama, Animation, Romance
- Available on Netflix, Netflix basic with Ads, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, YouTube, Microsoft Store
Cowboy Bebop: The Movie
(カウボーイビバップ 天国の扉)
The crew of the spaceship Bebop must stop a terrorist from destroying the human population of Mars.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan, United States • 2001
- Director Shinichiro Watanabe
- Cast Kouichi Yamadera, Unsho Ishizuka, Aoi Tada, Ai Kobayashi, Megumi Hayashibara
- Genre Action, Animation, Science Fiction
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Millennium Actress
(千年女優)
A documentary filmmaker interviews an aged actress about her legendary career.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 2002
- Director Satoshi Kon
- Cast Miyoko Shoji, Mami Koyama, Fumiko Orikasa, Shozo Iizuka, Masaya Onosaka, Showko Tsuda
- Genre Animation, Drama, Romance
- Available on Microsoft Store, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Hoopla, Vudu, Kanopy, YouTube, Apple TV
5 Centimeters per Second
(秒速5センチメートル)
Covering three stages of Takaki's life, from elementary school to adulthood, and the relationships with women that he navigates.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 2007
- Director Makoto Shinkai
- Cast Kenji Mizuhashi, Yoshimi Kondou, Satomi Hanamura, Risa Mizuno, Ayaka Onoue, Hiroshi Shimozaki
- Genre Animation, Drama, Romance
- Available on Microsoft Store, Redbox, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Vudu, YouTube, Apple TV
Redline
(レッドライン)
Daredevil driver JP is ready for the most dangerous and exciting car race in the universe, Redline.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 2010
- Director Takeshi Koike
- Cast Takuya Kimura, Yu Aoi, Tadanobu Asano, Takeshi Aono, Tatsuya Gashūin, Unsho Ishizuka
- Genre Action, Animation, Science Fiction
- Available on Freevee, Microsoft Store, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Vudu, VUDU Free, Plex, Tubi TV, YouTube, Apple TV
Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem
A visual companion to Daft Punk's Discovery, this follows an interstellar pop band kidnapped and forced to perform as humans.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan, France • 2003
- Director Kazuhisa Takenouchi, Daisuke Nishio, Bernard Deyriès, Hirotoshi Rissen
- Cast Romanthony, Thomas Bangalter, Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, Todd Edwards, DJ Sneak
- Genre Adventure, Animation, Music, Science Fiction
- Available on No streaming locations found.
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
(時をかける少女)
A teenage girl finds out she can travel through time and, after some missteps, must make things right again.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 2006
- Director Mamoru Hosoda
- Cast Riisa Naka, Takuya Ishida, Mitsutaka Itakura, Ayami Kakiuchi, Mitsuki Tanimura, Yuki Sekido
- Genre Animation, Drama, Fantasy, Science Fiction
- Available on Microsoft Store, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Vudu, YouTube, Apple TV
Metropolis
(メトロポリス)
Android Tima befriends young Kenichi, who must investigate how Tima is being used by those trying to gain destructive power.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 2001
- Director Rintaro
- Cast Kei Kobayashi, Yuka Imoto, Kōki Okada, Taro Ishida, Kousei Tomita, Norio Wakamoto
- Genre Animation, Science Fiction
- Available on No streaming locations found.
The Animatrix
A collection of short animated films that provide background for the Matrix universe from the creators of the Matrix trilogy.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- United States, Japan • 2003
- Director Koji Morimoto, Peter Chung, Andrew R. Jones, Yoshiaki Kawajiri, Takeshi Koike, Mahiro Maeda, Shinichiro Watanabe
- Cast Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Clayton Watson, Pamela Adlon, Melinda Clarke
- Genre Animation, Science Fiction
- Available on Microsoft Store, Redbox, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Vudu, YouTube, Apple TV
Weathering with You
(天気の子)
Hodaka runs away from home to rainy Tokyo and meets a young girl with a mysterious and magical power.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 2019
- Director Makoto Shinkai
- Cast Kotaro Daigo, Nana Mori, Tsubasa Honda, Sakura Kiryu, Sei Hiraizumi, Yūki Kaji
- Genre Animation, Drama, Fantasy, Romance
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Mind Game
After an encounter with the Japanese mafia in which he fails to save his crush, Nishi journeys to heaven and back.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 2004
- Director Masaaki Yuasa
- Cast Koji Imada, Sayaka Maeda, Takashi Fujii, Seiko Takuma, Tomomitsu Yamaguchi
- Genre Adventure, Animation, Mystery
- Available on DIRECTV, Shudder, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Hoopla, Vudu, AMC+ Amazon Channel, YouTube, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, Shudder Amazon Channel, Apple TV, MUBI Amazon Channel, MUBI
Your Name.
(君の名は。)
High schoolers Mitsuha and Taki are complete strangers living separate lives. But one night, they suddenly switch places.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 2016
- Director Makoto Shinkai
- Cast Ryunosuke Kamiki, Mone Kamishiraishi, Masami Nagasawa, Etsuko Ichihara, Ryou Narita, Aoi Yuki
- Genre Romance, Animation, Drama
- Available on Apple TV, Vudu, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, AMC on Demand, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Tekkonkinkreet
(鉄コン筋クリート)
Orphans Black and White must fight off assassins' in order to save their town from an angered Yakuza boss.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 2006
- Director Michael Arias
- Cast Kazunari Ninomiya, Yusuke Iseya, Yu Aoi, Kankuro Kudo, Min Tanaka, Rokuro Naya
- Genre Action, Adventure, Animation
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Tokyo Godfathers
(東京ゴッドファーザーズ)
A bizarre, heartwarming holiday tragicomedy film inspired by Peter B. Kyne's novel "Three Godfathers."
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 2003
- Director Satoshi Kon
- Cast Aya Okamoto, Yoshiaki Umegaki, Toru Emori, Satomi Kourogi, Mamiko Noto, Ryûji Saikachi
- Genre Animation, Drama
- Available on Microsoft Store, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Hoopla, Vudu, VUDU Free, Tubi TV, YouTube, The Roku Channel, Pluto TV, Apple TV
Paprika
(パプリカ)
Just anyone can let themselves into your dreams now...
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 2006
- Director Satoshi Kon
- Cast Megumi Hayashibara, Tōru Furuya, Kouichi Yamadera, Katsunosuke Hori, Toru Emori
- Genre Animation, Drama, Mystery, Science Fiction, Thriller
- Available on Microsoft Store, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, AMC on Demand, Vudu, Spectrum On Demand, YouTube, Apple TV
Spotlight: Beyond Studio Ghibli Part One
For many, the filmography of beloved animation studio Studio Ghibli was what kick-started their journey into anime, and for good reason. However, there are plenty of non-Ghibli anime films out there that are just as important and incredible, even if they haven’t received the same degree of international attention. In this two-part Spotlight, we're showcasing some of the best non-Ghibli anime films created.
Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade
(人狼 JIN-ROH)
Trouble follows after officer Kazuki befriends the sister of a young girl he failed to stop from detonating a bomb.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1999
- Director Hiroyuki Okiura
- Cast Yoshikatsu Fujiki, Sumi Mutou, Hiroyuki Kinosha, Eri Sendai, Kenji Nakagawa, Kohsei Hirota
- Genre Animation, Drama, Science Fiction, Thriller
- Available on VRV, Tubi TV
Memories
(MEMORIES)
An anime trilogy of sci-fi and the supernatural.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1995
- Director Koji Morimoto, Katsuhiro Otomo, Tensai Okamura
- Cast Shigeru Chiba, Hisao Egawa
- Genre Animation, Fantasy, Science Fiction
- Available on Amazon Video, Tubi TV, Amazon Prime Video
Barefoot Gen
(はだしのゲン)
Gen cares for his pregnant mother and assists other survivors in the aftermath of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1983
- Director Mori Masaki
- Cast Issei Miyazaki, Masaki Kouda, Seiko Nakano, Takao Inoue, Yoshie Shimamura, Takeshi Aono
- Genre Animation, Drama, War
- Available on Retrocrush
Akira
(アキラ)
Neo-Tokyo is about to E.X.P.L.O.D.E.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1988
- Director Takashi Nakamura
- Cast Mitsuo Iwata, Nozomu Sasaki, Mami Koyama, Tesshou Genda, Hiroshi Ohtake, Kōichi Kitamura
- Genre Science Fiction, Animation
- Available on Vudu, Hulu, Funimation Now
Perfect Blue
(パーフェクトブルー)
A retired pop singer starts to lose her hold on reality when she is stalked by an obsessive fan.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1997
- Director Satoshi Kon
- Cast Junko Iwao, Rica Matsumoto, Shinpachi Tsuji, Masaaki Ōkura, Yōsuke Akimoto, Yoku Shioya
- Genre Animation, Thriller
- Available on Microsoft Store, Shudder, Redbox, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Vudu, AMC+ Amazon Channel, YouTube, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, Shudder Amazon Channel, Apple TV
Neo Tokyo
(迷宮物語)
Three shorts directed by the same names that brought you Metropolis, Ninja Scroll, and Akira.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1989
- Director Katsuhiro Otomo, Yoshiaki Kawajiri, Rintaro
- Cast Banjo Ginga, Masane Tsukayama, Hideko Yoshida, Iemasa Kayumi, Hiroshi Ôtake, Kazumi Tanaka
- Genre Adventure, Animation, Fantasy, Science Fiction
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Ninja Scroll
(獣兵衛忍風帖)
Feudal Japan—a time of danger, intrigue and deception . . .
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1993
- Director Yoshiaki Kawajiri
- Cast Koichi Yamadera, Emi Shinohara, Takeshi Aono, Daisuke Gouri, Toshihiko Seki, Shûichirô Moriyama
- Genre Adventure, Animation, Fantasy
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Ghost in the Shell
(Kôkaku Kidôtai)
A group of cybernetically enhanced cops are called into a stop a biohacking threat.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan, United Kingdom • 1995
- Director Mamoru Oshii
- Cast Atsuko Tanaka, Akio Otsuka, Iemasa Kayumi, Kouichi Yamadera, Yutaka Nakano, Tesshou Genda
- Genre Action, Animation, Science Fiction
- Available on Freevee, Microsoft Store, Redbox, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, AMC on Demand, Vudu, Tubi TV, YouTube, Apple TV, MUBI Amazon Channel, MUBI
Vampire Hunter D
(バンパイアハンターD)
A young girl requests the help of a vampire hunter to kill the vampire who has bitten her and thus prevent her from becoming a vampire herself.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1985
- Director Toyoo Ashida
- Cast Kaneto Shiozawa, Michie Tomizawa, Seizō Katō, Ichirō Nagai, Kazuyuki Sogabe, Kan Tokumaru
- Genre Animation, Fantasy, Horror
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Angel's Egg
(天使のたまご)
A young girl protects a mysterious egg while exploring the ruins of a city and bonding with a young boy.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1985
- Director Mamoru Oshii
- Cast Keiichi Noda, Mako Hyoudou, Jinpachi Nezu
- Genre Animation, Drama, Fantasy, Mystery, Science Fiction
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Robot Carnival
(ロボット・カーニバル)
An anthology of nine robot themed shorts from some of Japan's most well known artists and directors.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1987
- Director Koji Morimoto, Katsuhiro Otomo, Hiroyuki Kitakubo, Yasuomi Umetsu, Atsuko Fukushima, Hiroyuki Kitazume, Takashi Nakamura, Manabu Oohashi, Hidetoshi Omori
- Cast Kumiko Takizawa, Katsue Miwa, Chisa Yokoyama, Koji Moritsugu, Keiko Hanagata, Aya Murata
- Genre Animation, Science Fiction
- Available on Freevee, Amazon Video, Vudu, Retrocrush, VRV, AsianCrush, VUDU Free, Peacock Premium, Tubi TV, Pluto TV, Peacock
Royal Space Force - The Wings Of Honneamise
(王立宇宙軍 オネアミスの翼)
On a future Earth, a small group seeks to propel mankind into space in order to escape Armageddon.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1987
- Director Hiroyuki Yamaga
- Cast Leo Morimoto, Mitsuki Yayoi, Aya Murata, Kazuyuki Sogabe, Masato Hirano, Masahiro Anzai
- Genre Animation, Science Fiction
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Spotlight: Nordic Noir
Now that we’ve reached the dead of winter, what better time for a little Nordic noir? Originally a literary genre, Nordic noir has given rise to a large and growing number of films and, perhaps most notably, series. Produced by countries with long, dark winters, these shows are known for their grisly murders, the troubled detectives who solve them.
The Sandhamn Murders
(Morden i Sandhamn)
Lawyer Nora Linde assists in the police force's investigations in this Swedish series based on the books by Viveca Sten.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Sweden • 2010
- Creator Viveca Sten
- Cast Jakob Cedergren, Alexandra Rapaport, Jonas Malmsjö, Anki Lidén, Louise Edlind
- Genre Drama, Thriller
- Available on Amazon Video, Viaplay, Hoopla, MZ Choice Amazon Channel, Mhz Choice
Wallander
Detective Kurt Wallander investigates crimes in a small Swedish town alongside the newest addition to the force, his daughter Linda.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Sweden, Germany, Denmark • 2005
- Creator Henning Mankell
- Cast Krister Henriksson, Charlotta Jonsson, Signe Dahlkvist, Mats Bergman, Fredrik Gunnarsson
- Genre Drama, Mystery
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Before We Die
(Innan vi dör)
Stockholm police inspector Hanna is drawn into her colleague and lover's investigation of a criminal motorcycle gang when he disappears.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Sweden, Germany, Norway • 2017
- Creator Wilhelm Behrman, Niklas Rockström
- Cast Marie Richardson, Adam Pålsson, Magnus Krepper, Cedomir Djordjevic
- Genre Crime, Drama, Mystery
- Available on PBS Masterpiece Amazon Channel
Bordertown
(Sorjonen)
DI Kari Sorjonen heads the Serious Crime Unit in the Finnish city of Lappeenranta, near the Russian Border.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Finland, France • 2016
- Creator Miikko Oikkonen
- Cast Ville Virtanen, Matleena Kuusniemi, Olivia Ainali, Anu Sinisalo, Lenita Susi, Kristiina Halttu
- Genre Crime, Drama, Mystery
- Available on Netflix, Netflix basic with Ads
Trapped
(Ófærð)
A small town is trapped after a heavy snowstorm, with a killer hiding among them.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Iceland, Denmark, Finland • 2015
- Creator Baltasar Kormákur
- Cast Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Ilmur Kristjánsdóttir
- Genre Crime, Drama, Mystery
- Available on Amazon Video
The Bridge
(Bron/Broen)
Detectives from neighboring countries must work together on the case of a body found on the Swedish-Danish border.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Sweden, Denmark, Germany • 2011
- Creator Hans Rosenfeldt
- Cast Sofia Helin, Thure Lindhardt, Mikael Birkkjær, Sarah Boberg, Selma Modéer Wiking, Rafael Pettersson
- Genre Crime, Mystery
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Ragnarok
Norwegian teeanger Magne discovers that he is the reincarnation of Thor and must help prevent the end of the world.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Denmark • 2020
- Creator Adam Price
- Cast David Alexander Sjøholt, Jonas Strand Gravli, Theresa Frostad Eggesbø, Herman Tømmeraas, Emma Bones, Synnøve Macody Lund
- Genre Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
- Available on Netflix, Netflix basic with Ads
Fallet
British and Swedish police join forces to solve a case in this spoof on the Nordic noir genre.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Sweden • 2017
- Creator Erik Hultkvist, Rikard Ulvshammar
- Cast Adam Godley
- Genre Comedy, Crime, Drama
- Available on Viaplay, Hoopla
Quicksand
(Störst av allt)
Teenage Maja reveals details that suggest she may also be a victim while on trial for murder after a shooting.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Sweden • 2019
- Creator Per-Olav Sørensen, Lisa Farzaneh
- Cast Hanna Ardéhn, Felix Sandman, David Dencik, Rebecka Hemse, Anna Björk, Reuben Sallmander
- Genre Crime, Drama
- Available on Netflix, Netflix basic with Ads
The Killing
(Forbrydelsen)
It's Inspector Sarah Lund's last day at work until a dead body is found with links to a local politician.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Denmark, Norway, Sweden • 2007
- Creator Søren Sveistrup
- Cast Sofie Gråbøl, Morten Suurballe
- Genre Crime, Drama, Mystery
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Dicte
Newly divorced Danish crime reporter Dicte comes into conflict with the local police over the course of an investigation.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Denmark, Sweden, Germany • 2013
- Creator Kasper Barfoed
- Cast Iben Hjejle, Lars Brygmann, Lærke Winther Andersen, Emilie Kruse
- Genre Crime, Drama
- Available on Viaplay, MZ Choice Amazon Channel, PBS Masterpiece Amazon Channel, Mhz Choice
Deadwind
(Karppi)
Recently widowed detective Sofia Karppi investigates the murder of a woman with ties to Helsinki wind power research firm, Tempo.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Finland, Germany, France • 2018
- Creator Rike Jokela
- Cast Pihla Viitala, Lauri Tilkanen, Mimosa Willamo, Noa Tola, Ville Myllyrinne
- Genre Crime, Drama
- Available on Netflix, Netflix basic with Ads
Spotlight: Who Runs the World?
Girls! .... Except in Bollywood where actresses have long been delegated to the roles of a romantic interest or an "item girl," while the lead roles are given to men. This curation of female-centric movies aims to depict the wide range of possibilities that exist when women are at the center of the story, as opposed to the sidelines.
Queen
When her fiancé calls off their wedding, Rani embarks on a journey around Europe to find who she truly is.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- India • 2013
- Director Vikas Bahl
- Cast Kangana Ranaut, Rajkummar Rao, Lisa Haydon, Mish Boyko, Jeffrey Ho, Yogendra Tiku
- Genre Bollywood, Comedy, Drama
- Available on Google Play Movies, Netflix basic with Ads, Netflix, YouTube, Apple TV
Pink
In this gripping courtroom drama, three women are accused of solicitation and attempted murder.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- India • 2016
- Director Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury
- Cast Amitabh Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari, Andrea Tariang, Angad Bedi
- Genre Bollywood, Drama, Thriller
- Available on Apple TV, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Kahaani
A pregnant mother desperately tried to find her husband in Kolkata, a city drenched in corruption.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- India • 2012
- Director Sujoy Ghosh
- Cast Vidya Balan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Parambrata Chatterjee, Saswata Chatterjee, Indraneil Sengupta, Darshan Jariwala
- Genre Mystery, Thriller
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Neerja
(नीरजा)
Based on Neerja Bhanot, a flight attendant who sacrificed her life to save the other passengers during a terrorist hijacking.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- India • 2016
- Director Ram Madhvani
- Cast Sonam Kapoor, Shabana Azmi, Shekhar Ravjiani, Yogendra Tiku, Jim Sarbh
- Genre Bollywood, Drama, Thriller
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Lipstick Under My Burkha
Four ordinary women, inflicted by silly societal norms, have to steal, lie, cheat and hide in order to lead the lives that they rightfully deserve.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- India • 2017
- Director Alankrita Shrivastava
- Cast Konkona Sen Sharma, Ratna Pathak, Aahana Kumra, Plabita Borthakur, Sushant Singh, Vikrant Massey
- Genre Comedy, Drama
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Margarita with a Straw
A college student with cerebral palsy seeks her independence by spending a semester abroad in New York City.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- India • 2015
- Director Shonali Bose
- Cast Kalki Koechlin, Revathi, Sayani Gupta, William Moseley, Hussain Dalal
- Genre Bollywood, Drama, Family
- Available on Apple TV, Vudu, Amazon Video, Kanopy
Umrao Jaan
(امراؤ جان)
Can the legendary courtesan Umrao Jaan escape the confines of her circumstances to find love and happiness?
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- India • 1981
- Director Muzaffar Ali
- Cast Rekha, Farooq Shaikh, Naseeruddin Shah, Raj Babbar, Shaukat Azmi, Prema Narayan
- Genre Bollywood, Drama, Music
- Available on No streaming locations found.
English Vinglish
(इंग्लिश विंग्लिश)
A middle-class Indian housewife enrolls in English language classes after her family makes her feel insecure for not knowing the language.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- India • 2012
- Director Gauri Shinde
- Cast Sridevi, Adil Hussain, Mehdi Nebbou, Navika Kotia, Shivansh Kotia, Priya Anand
- Genre Bollywood, Comedy, Drama, Family
- Available on Microsoft Store, Eros Now, Google Play Movies, realeyz, Kanopy, YouTube, Apple TV
Dear Zindagi
An unconventional thinker helps a budding cinematographer gain a new perspective on life.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- India • 2016
- Director Gauri Shinde
- Cast Alia Bhatt, Shah Rukh Khan, Ali Zafar, Kunal Kapoor, Angad Bedi, Ira Dubey
- Genre Bollywood, Drama, Romance
- Available on Netflix, Netflix basic with Ads, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Mother India
In this Bollywood classic, a poverty-stricken woman rises above her circumstances to be there for her children and for herself.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- India • 1957
- Director Mehboob Khan
- Cast Nargis, Sunil Dutt, Rajendra Kumar, Raaj Kumar, Kanhaiyalal, Kumkum
- Genre Drama
- Available on Eros Now, Amazon Video
Raazi
(राज़ी)
A young woman from India agrees to marry a Pakistani military officer in order to spy for her country.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- India • 2018
- Director Meghna Gulzar
- Cast Alia Bhatt, Jaideep Ahlawat, Vicky Kaushal, Soni Razdan, Rajit Kapoor
- Genre Action, Bollywood, Drama, Thriller
- Available on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Thappad
(थप्पड़)
Amrita, a devoted house wife, finds her perfect life shattered when her husband slaps her.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- India • 2020
- Director Anubhav Sinha
- Cast Taapsee Pannu, Pavail Gulati, Dia Mirza, Manav Kaul, Naila Grewal, Ram Kapoor
- Genre Bollywood, Drama
- Available on Amazon Prime Video
Spotlight: Cities: Paris
Paris: the birthplace of cinema, home to some of the best filmmaking of all time, and a city that has inspired filmmakers from around the world. This week’s Spotlight features the city in its glamour, grittiness, and everything in between.
The 400 Blows
(Les Quatre Cents Coups)
The story of a misunderstood adolescent boy growing up in Paris.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 1959
- Director François Truffaut
- Cast Jean-Pierre Léaud, Claire Maurier, Albert Rémy, Georges Flamant, Patrick Auffay, Robert Beauvais
- Genre Drama
- Available on TCM, HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Vudu, Kanopy, YouTube, Apple TV, HBO Max
Cléo from 5 to 7
(Cléo de cinq à sept)
A young singer awaiting life-changing medical results embarks on a journey of self-discovery.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France, Italy • 1962
- Director Agnès Varda
- Cast Corinne Marchand, Antoine Bourseiller, Dominique Davray, Dorothée Blanck, Michel Legrand, José Luis de Vilallonga
- Genre Comedy, Drama
- Available on TCM, HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, Kanopy, HBO Max
Moulin Rouge!
An English poet falls in love with the star courtesan of the Moulin Rouge, but she hides a dark secret
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Australia, United States • 2001
- Director Baz Luhrmann
- Cast Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor, John Leguizamo, Jim Broadbent, Richard Roxburgh, Garry McDonald
- Genre Drama, Romance
- Available on Redbox, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, AMC on Demand, Vudu, Starz Roku Premium Channel, Starz, YouTube, Starz Amazon Channel, Apple TV
La Haine
In the banlieues of France, the immigrant populations' resentment simmers away -- until it starts to boil.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France, United States • 1995
- Director Mathieu Kassovitz
- Cast Vincent Cassel, Hubert Koundé, Saïd Taghmaoui, Abdel Ahmed Ghili, Souleymane Dicko, Héloïse Rauth
- Genre Drama
- Available on Criterion Channel, Amazon Video, Apple TV
Les Misérables
An epic tale of the life of a French prisoner set against the backdrop of the June 1832 Rebellion
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- United Kingdom, United States, France • 2012
- Director Tom Hooper
- Cast Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Sacha Baron Cohen, Helena Bonham Carter
- Genre Drama, History
- Available on Microsoft Store, Redbox, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, AMC on Demand, Netflix basic with Ads, Vudu, Spectrum On Demand, Netflix, YouTube, Apple TV
La Vie en Rose
(La Môme)
The extraordinary story of Edith Piaf, a singer and icon
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- France, United Kingdom, Czech Republic • 2007
- Director Olivier Dahan
- Cast Marion Cotillard, Sylvie Testud, Pascal Greggory, Emmanuelle Seigner, Jean-Paul Rouve, Gérard Depardieu
- Genre Drama, Music
- Available on Microsoft Store, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Vudu, YouTube, Apple TV
Girlhood
(Bande de filles)
They exist for each other, and no one else.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 2014
- Director Céline Sciamma
- Cast Karidja Touré, Assa Sylla, Lindsay Karamoh, Mariétou Touré, Idrissa Diabaté, Rabah Nait Oufella
- Genre Drama
- Available on DIRECTV, fuboTV, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Showtime, Hoopla, Vudu, Showtime Roku Premium Channel, Kanopy, YouTube, Showtime Amazon Channel, Apple TV, Paramount+ Showtime
Children of Paradise
(Les Enfants du Paradis)
This French masterpiece centers around the theatrical life of a courtesan and the four men who love her.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 1945
- Director Marcel Carné
- Cast Arletty, Jean-Louis Barrault, Pierre Brasseur, María Casares, Marcel Herrand, Louis Salou
- Genre Drama, Romance
- Available on Criterion Channel, Amazon Video, IndieFlix, Apple TV
Hôtel du Nord
A young couple's failed double suicide sets off a chain of events in the Hotel du Nord
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 1938
- Director Marcel Carné
- Cast Annabella, Jean-Pierre Aumont, Louis Jouvet, Arletty, Paulette Dubost, Andrex
- Genre Drama, Romance
- Available on Criterion Channel
The Red Balloon
(Le ballon rouge)
A boy discovers a red balloon, with a mind and life of its own, on the streets of Paris.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 1956
- Director Albert Lamorisse
- Cast Pascal Lamorisse, Georges Sellier, Paul Perey, Vladimir Popov, Sabine Lamorisse, Michel Pezin
- Genre Drama, Family, Fantasy
- Available on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, Amazon Video, Vudu, Plex, FlixFling, IndieFlix, Apple TV, HBO Max
Breathless
(À bout de souffle)
When you discover the dirty truth about the person you love...
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 1960
- Director Jean-Luc Godard
- Cast Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jean Seberg, Daniel Boulanger, Jean-Pierre Melville, Henri-Jacques Huet, Van Doude
- Genre Crime, Drama
- Available on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Vudu, Kanopy, YouTube, Apple TV, HBO Max
The Class
(Entre les murs)
Based on his real life, a teacher must deal with the challenging dynamics of his multicultural classroom.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 2008
- Director Laurent Cantet
- Cast François Bégaudeau, Franck Keïta, Louise Grinberg, Rabah Nait Oufella, Esmeralda Ouertani, Rachel Regulier
- Genre Drama
- Available on Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Vudu, YouTube, Apple TV
Spotlight: Best Films of 2021
As we head into the final days of 2021, another challenging year for filmmakers and film viewers alike, we are pleased to present twelve of the best international films of the year that are currently available for streaming.
Beginning
(Დასაწყისი)
Yana is the wife of a Jehovah’s Witness who begins to question her faith — with dramatic and devastating results.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Georgia • 2020
- Director Dea Kulumbegashvili
- Cast Ia Sukhitashvili, Rati Oneli, Kakha Kintsurashvili, Saba Gogichaishvil, Giorgi Tsereteli, Ia Kokiashvili
- Genre Drama
- Available on Amazon Video, Apple TV, MUBI Amazon Channel, MUBI
Belfast
A young boy grows up in Northern Ireland during The Troubles of the late 1960s.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- United Kingdom • 2021
- Director Kenneth Branagh
- Cast Jude Hill, Caitriona Balfe, Judi Dench, Jamie Dornan, Ciarán Hinds, Lara McDonnell
- Genre Drama
- Available on DIRECTV, Microsoft Store, HBO Max Amazon Channel, Redbox, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, AMC on Demand, Vudu, Alamo on Demand, YouTube, Apple TV, HBO Max
Spencer
A fictionalized account of Princess Diana's decision to leave the British royal family
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Germany, Chile, United Kingdom • 2021
- Director Pablo Larraín
- Cast Kristen Stewart, Jack Farthing, Sally Hawkins, Timothy Spall, Sean Harris, Thomas Douglas
- Genre Drama
- Available on DIRECTV, Redbox, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, AMC on Demand, Vudu, Spectrum On Demand, Kanopy, Hulu, YouTube, Apple TV
The Power of the Dog
In Montana, in 1925, a rancher responds with cruelty when his brother brings home a new wife and her son.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- United Kingdom, Australia, United States • 2021
- Director Jane Campion
- Cast Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Thomasin McKenzie, Frances Conroy
- Genre Drama, Western
- Available on Netflix, Netflix basic with Ads
The Disciple
A young man devotes his life to achieving greatness in Indian classical music, which proves difficult.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- India • 2020
- Director Chaitanya Tamhane
- Cast Aditya Modak, Arun Dravid, Sumitra Bhave, Deepika Bhida Bhagwat, Kiran Yadnyopavit, Abhishek Kale
- Genre Drama, Music
- Available on Netflix basic with Ads, Netflix
Bergman Island
Art imitates life and life imitates art.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 2021
- Director Mia Hansen-Løve
- Cast Tim Roth, Vicky Krieps, Mia Wasikowska, Anders Danielsen Lie, Wouter Hendrickx, Gabe Klinger
- Genre Drama, Romance
- Available on Hulu, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube
The Velvet Underground
An exploration of the multiple threads that converged to bring together one of the most influential bands in rock and roll.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- United States • 2021
- Director Todd Haynes
- Cast John Cale, Lou Reed, Sterling Morrison
- Genre Documentary, Music
- Available on Apple TV Plus
I'm Your Man
(Ich bin dein Mensch)
To secure funding for her work, an archeologist signs up to test a robot designed to be her perfect partner.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Germany • 2021
- Director Maria Schrader
- Cast Maren Eggert, Dan Stevens, Sandra Hüller, Hans Löw, Annika Meier
- Genre Comedy, Romance, Science Fiction
- Available on Redbox, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, AMC on Demand, Hoopla, Vudu, Kanopy, Hulu, YouTube, Apple TV
Identifying Features
(Sin señas particulares)
Magdalena sets out on an epic journey in search of her son, who disappeared en route to the US border.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Mexico, Spain • 2020
- Director Fernanda Valadez
- Cast Mercedes Hernández, David Illescas, Juan Jesús Varela
- Genre Drama
- Available on DIRECTV, Hoopla, Kino Now, HBO Max
Titane
A near-fatal car crash leaves a girl with physical and emotional trauma that shapes her future — and her fetishes.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France, Belgium • 2021
- Director Julia Ducournau
- Cast Vincent Lindon, Agathe Rousselle, Garance Marillier, Laïs Salameh, Mara Cissé, Marin Judas
- Genre Drama, Horror, Thriller
- Available on Hulu, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Microsoft Store, Redbox, AMC on Demand, DIRECTV, Kanopy
Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy
(偶然と想像)
Three women deal with the problems of modern relationships in this anthology of unique stories.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 2021
- Director Ryusuke Hamaguchi
- Cast Kotone Furukawa, Ayumu Nakajima, Hyunri, Kiyohiko Shibukawa, Katsuki Mori, Shouma Kai
- Genre Drama, Romance
- Available on Criterion Channel, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Vudu, Kanopy, YouTube, Apple TV
Mogul Mowgli
A terminal illness threatens a British Pakistani rapper's career.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- United Kingdom, United States • 2020
- Director Bassam Tariq
- Cast Riz Ahmed, Aiysha Hart, Nabhaan Rizwan, Kiran Sonia Sawar, Anjana Vasan
- Genre Drama, Music
- Available on HBO Max, HBO Max Amazon Channel, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, YouTube
Spotlight: Lina Wertmuller
Provocative, outrageous, and larger-than-life, the films of this week’s spotlight comprise the early work of filmmaker Lina Wertmuller, the first woman nominated for a Best Director Oscar (for Seven Beauties). This week we offer a tribute to the Italian iconoclast’s controversial work.
Seven Beauties
(Pasqualino Settebellezze)
To survive, an Italian thief submits to the female commandant of a Nazi prison camp.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy • 1975
- Director Lina Wertmüller
- Cast Giancarlo Giannini, Fernando Rey, Shirley Stoler, Elena Fiore, Roberto Herlitzka, Piero Di Iorio
- Genre Comedy, Drama, War
- Available on Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Vudu, Kino Now, Kanopy, YouTube, Apple TV
Swept Away
(Travolti da un insolito destino nell'azzurro mare d'agosto)
A spoiled rich woman and a brutish Communist deckhand become stranded on a desert island.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy • 1974
- Director Lina Wertmüller
- Cast Mariangela Melato, Giancarlo Giannini, Riccardo Salvino, Isa Danieli, Aldo Puglisi, Eros Pagni
- Genre Comedy, Drama, Romance
- Available on Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Vudu, OVID, Kino Now, Kanopy, YouTube, Apple TV
The Seduction of Mimi
(Mimì metallurgico ferito nell'onore)
Mimi, forced to leave his family in Sicily, finds a job in a factory in Turin, where he gets involved in an extramarital affair.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy • 1972
- Director Lina Wertmüller
- Cast Giancarlo Giannini, Mariangela Melato, Agostina Belli, Livia Giampalmo, Luigi Diberti, Turi Ferro
- Genre Comedy
- Available on Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, OVID, Cohen Media Amazon Channel, Kino Now, Kanopy, YouTube, Apple TV
Blood Feud
(Fatto di sangue fra due uomini per causa di una vedova. Si sospettano moventi politici)
A recent widow is romanced by both an attorney and a local crook.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy, United Kingdom • 1978
- Director Lina Wertmüller
- Cast Sophia Loren, Marcello Mastroianni, Giancarlo Giannini, Turi Ferro, Mario Scarpetta, Antonella Murgia
- Genre Thriller
- Available on Shout! Factory TV, Amazon Video, Plex, Tubi TV
A Night Full of Rain
(La fine del mondo nel nostro solito letto in una notte piena di pioggia)
A communist journalist and an American liberal photographer try to cohabit with their different perspectives of love and life.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy, Canada • 1978
- Director Lina Wertmüller
- Cast Giancarlo Giannini, Candice Bergen, Michael Tucker, Mario Scarpetta, Lucio Amelio, Massimo Wertmüller
- Genre Drama
- Available on Amazon Video, Apple TV
All Screwed Up
(Tutto a posto e niente in ordine)
A multitude of immigrants, struggling to survive in Milan, rent an apartment and face the reality of everyday life in the metropoly.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy • 1974
- Director Lina Wertmüller
- Cast Luigi Diberti, Lina Polito, Sara Rapisarda, Giuliana Calandra, Isa Danieli, Cesare Gelli
- Genre Comedy, Drama
- Available on Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Kino Now, Kanopy, YouTube, Apple TV
The Belle Starr Story
(Il mio corpo per un poker)
The story of a woman in the West
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy • 1968
- Director Lina Wertmüller, Piero Cristofani
- Cast Elsa Martinelli, George Eastman, Robert Woods, Francesca Righini, Bruno Piergentili, Bruno Corazzari
- Genre Western
- Available on Google Play Movies, Vudu, Plex, Tubi TV, YouTube, The Roku Channel, FlixFling, Apple TV
Behind the White Glasses
(Dietro gli occhiali bianchi)
A deep dive into the life of the first woman nominated for the Best Director Oscar.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy • 2015
- Director Valerio Ruiz
- Cast Lina Wertmüller, Massimo Wertmüller, Martin Scorsese, Sophia Loren, Harvey Keitel, Rutger Hauer
- Genre Documentary
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, YouTube, Kino Now, Kanopy
Summer Night with Greek Profile, Almond Eyes and Scent of Basil
(Notte d'estate con profilo greco, occhi a mandorla e odore di basilico)
A charming billionaire kidnaps a criminal and locks him up in her private villa in Sardinia.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy • 1986
- Director Lina Wertmüller
- Cast Mariangela Melato, Michele Placido, Roberto Herlitzka, John Steiner, Arnaldo Ninchi
- Genre Comedy
- Available on Google Play Movies, Kino Now, Kanopy, YouTube
Love and Anarchy
(d'amore e d'anarchia)
A melancholy farmer takes up residence in a Roman brothel as he and an anarchist prostitute plot to assassinate Mussolini.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy, France • 1973
- Director Lina Wertmüller
- Cast Giancarlo Giannini, Mariangela Melato, Lina Polito, Eros Pagni, Pina Cei, Elena Fiore
- Genre Drama
- Available on Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Cohen Media Amazon Channel, Kino Now, Kanopy, YouTube, Apple TV
Ferdinando and Carolina
(Ferdinando e Carolina)
A lusty Italian ruler must marry, and an Austrian empress has her daughter ready to become his wife.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy, France • 1999
- Director Lina Wertmüller
- Cast Sergio Assisi, Gabriella Pession, Nicole Grimaudo, Adriano Pantaleo, Lola Pagnani, Carlo Caprioli
- Genre Comedy, Drama, History, Romance
- Available on Amazon Video, Vudu, Kino Now, Kanopy, Apple TV
The Basilisks
(I basilischi)
The uneventful lives of three young men who live in a small, poverty-stricken village in southern Italy.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy • 1963
- Director Lina Wertmüller
- Cast Stefano Satta Flores, Antonio Petruzzi, Rosanna Santoro, Sergio Ferranino, Luigi Barbieri, Flora Carabella
- Genre Drama
- Available on Amazon Video, Amazon Prime Video
Spotlight: Yasujiro Ozu
Honoring the anniversary of both his birth and his death on December 12th, this week’s spotlight is a curation of the filmography of Yasujiro Ozu that highlights not only his famed melodramas but also his delightful comedies and thrilling yakuza films.
Floating Weeds
(浮草)
Members of a traveling theater troupe meddle in the personal life of the troupe's leader.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1959
- Director Yasujirō Ozu
- Cast Ganjiro Nakamura, Machiko Kyō, Hiroshi Kawaguchi, Ayako Wakao, Haruko Sugimura, Chishū Ryū
- Genre Drama
- Available on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, Kanopy, HBO Max
The Only Son
(一人息子)
A poor factory worker finds even her son's college degree doesn't make a difference in Depression era Japan.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1936
- Director Yasujirō Ozu
- Cast Chôko Iida, Shinichi Himori, Masao Hayama, Yoshiko Tsubouchi, Mitsuko Yoshikawa, Chishū Ryū
- Genre Drama
- Available on Criterion Channel, Plex
Tokyo Story
(東京物語)
Shukishi and his wife, Tomi, journey to visit their adult children in Tokyo.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1953
- Director Yasujirō Ozu
- Cast Chishū Ryū, Chieko Higashiyama, Setsuko Hara, Haruko Sugimura, Sō Yamamura, Kuniko Miyake
- Genre Drama
- Available on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, FilmBox+, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Vudu, Kanopy, YouTube, Apple TV, HBO Max
Dragnet Girl
(非常線の女)
In this silent gangster film, a career criminal is drawn to a sweet, strait-laced girl much to the ire of his longtime moll.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1933
- Director Yasujirō Ozu
- Cast Kinuyo Tanaka, Joji Oka, Sumiko Mizukubo, Kōji Mitsui, Yumeko Aizome, Chishū Ryū
- Genre Crime, Drama, Romance
- Available on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, HBO Max
Early Summer
(麦秋)
28-year-old Noriko's parents pressure her to marry in postwar Japan.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1951
- Director Yasujirō Ozu
- Cast Setsuko Hara, Chishū Ryū, Chikage Awashima, Kuniko Miyake, Ichirô Sugai, Chieko Higashiyama
- Genre Drama
- Available on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, Apple TV, HBO Max
Good Morning
(お早よう)
Two young boys stop speaking in protest when their parents refuse to buy a television set.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1959
- Director Yasujirō Ozu
- Cast Keiji Sada, Yoshiko Kuga, Chishū Ryū, Kuniko Miyake, Haruko Sugimura, Kôji Shitara
- Genre Comedy, Family, Drama
- Available on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Vudu, YouTube, Apple TV, HBO Max
An Autumn Afternoon
(秋刀魚の味)
An aging widower arranges a marriage for his only daughter.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1962
- Director Yasujirō Ozu
- Cast Chishū Ryū, Shima Iwashita, Keiji Sada, Mariko Okada, Teruo Yoshida, Noriko Maki
- Genre Drama
- Available on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, Amazon Video, Apple TV, HBO Max
Late Spring
(晩春)
Widower Shukichi feels obligated to marry off his only daughter.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1949
- Director Yasujirō Ozu
- Cast Chishū Ryū, Setsuko Hara, Yumeji Tsukioka, Haruko Sugimura, Hohi Aoki, Jun Usami
- Genre Drama
- Available on Fandor, HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, Amazon Video, Plex, Tubi TV, Fandor Amazon Channel, Apple TV, HBO Max
I Was Born, But...
(大人の見る繪本 生れてはみたけれど)
In moving to a new town, two young brothers come of age when faced with new social and class struggles.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1932
- Director Yasujirō Ozu
- Cast Tomio Aoki, Tatsuo Saitô, Mitsuko Yoshikawa, Hideo Sugawara, Takeshi Sakamoto, Teruyo Hayami
- Genre Comedy, Drama
- Available on Criterion Channel
Early Spring
(早春)
A young salary man and his wife struggle within the confines of their passionless relationship while he has an extramarital affair.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1956
- Director Yasujirō Ozu
- Cast Chikage Awashima, Takako Fujino, Ryô Ikebe, Daisuke Katô, Keiko Kishi, Kuniko Miyake
- Genre Drama
- Available on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, HBO Max
There Was a Father
(父ありき)
Widower and father Shuhei Horikawa grapples with raising his son amidst financial strife and personal failings of honor.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1942
- Director Yasujirō Ozu
- Cast Chishū Ryū, Shûji Sano, Haruhiko Tsuda, Shin Saburi, Takeshi Sakamoto, Mitsuko Mito
- Genre Drama
- Available on Criterion Channel
The End of Summer
(小早川家の秋)
The Kohayakawa family is thrown into distress when childlike father Manbei takes up with his old mistress.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 1961
- Director Yasujirō Ozu
- Cast Ganjiro Nakamura, Setsuko Hara, Yôko Tsukasa, Michiyo Aratama, Keiju Kobayashi, Masahiko Shimazu
- Genre Drama
- Available on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, Kanopy, HBO Max