And the Winners Today are...

One of the biggest things I miss out here is the availability of good movies to watch. I mean English movies you can still find if you have enough fire in you to search for the store, but world cinema? phewwww....I am a huge movie buff and when I have nothing better to do in life as is the case right now, find this rather irritating.

I really love watching world cinema and am fascinated by the way brilliant directors from diverse countries portray life, society, relationships, customs and most importantly people. The following is a non-comprehensive list of some of the best non-English movies among the long list of ones I have watched. It feels nice recollecting.....

Belle Epoque - Spanish (1992 Oscar winner Best Foreign Language film)
Romantic comedy set in 1930s and a story of a guy who falls in love with four sisters one by one before deciding whom to marry.


Kolja - Czech Republic (1996 Oscar winner Best Foreign Language film)
A touching drama which shows how the life of a middle-aged man is changed forever by a little girl. Sensitive, heartwarming.

Life is Beautiful - Italy (1998 Oscar winner Best Foreign Language film)
One of the most watched of all non-English movies this is a tale of unbelievable heroism and optimism displayed by a dad to insulate his young son from the horrors of holocaust in World War 2 Europe. Must cry movie while watching.

Amores Perros - Mexico (2000 Oscar nominee Best Foreign Language film)
This is the film on which the Mani Ratnam film Yuva is loosely based. The movie starts with an accident and shows us the lives of three protagonists from three different strata of society. Complex, superbly edited, non-linear this movie really transports one to the underbelly of life in Guadalajara, Mexico.

No Man's Land - Bosnia and Herzegovina (2001 Oscar winner Best Foreign Language film)
This is the story of 2 wounded soldiers, Bosnian and a Serb stuck in a trench in the demilitarized zone. Tragic with elements of comedy, it is a story of mental conflict, futility of war, common grounds and deep rooted will to survive.


Nowhere in Africa - Germany (2002 Oscar winner Best Foreign Language film)
This is an epic about a Jewish family who escape to Kenya from Europe to survive the onslaught by Germans during Second World War. Multiple layers of relationships, new life, twists and some sweeping landscapes of Central Africa.

Mar Adentro - Spain (2004 Oscar Winner Best Foreign Language film)
A movie which deals with the controversial topic of Euthanasia and the real life struggle of Ramon Sampedro for this right. Mind boggling performance by Javier Bardem (I became his BIG BIG fan after watching this movie) and wonderful juxtaposition of his free will and his physical disability. One scene where the camera pans from his room, through hills and mountains to the sea - the flight of fantasy of a quadriplegic Ramon is bound to bring tears.

Tsotsi - South Africa (2005 Oscar Winner Best Foreign Language film)
Set in the slums outside Johannesburg, it is the story of a small time thug who steals a car and finds a baby inside. The mental association that develops and how it plays out in his complicated life.

Talk to her - Spain (2003 Golden Globe winner Best Foreign Language film)
Another movie which deals with intricacies of relationships. It deals with intimacy, care, difficulty in communication between partners, secrets, infidelity and love under difficult circumstances. Moving performances and fantastic use of figurative. The scene where a play depicts the real life happenings in the lives of the protagonists is unforgettable.

El Crimen de Padro Amaro - Mexico (2002 Oscar nomination Best Foreign Language film)
Controversial and bold. Depicts the struggle faced by priests between faith, obedience and worldly desires.

Caveat: The above list is my personal preference and should be taken as such.