Back to Top
Top Nav content Site Footer
University Home

Research guides

Language & Culture

Research Guides

International Films

Africa

Cape of Good Hope

(Metro Home Entertainment, [2006])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .C338 2006

This South African movie of love and hope revolves around a Cape Town animal rescue shelter. Kate relates better to dogs than people and is oblivious to the charms of a kind veterinarian as she carries on with a married man. The shelter's receptionist is desperately trying to have a baby, while the handyman is trying to immigrate to Canada but his plans change as he starts to fall in love with a single mother.  In English.

District 9

(Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, c2009)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .D587 2009 DVD

Twenty years ago, aliens from another planet made contact with Earth. Now, the refugee camp they are forced to live in has deteriorated into a slum-like ghetto. When field operative Wikus van der Merwe is put in charge of evicting the aliens, he contracts a strange virus that changes his DNA to match that of the refugees. As his body begins to mutate, he becomes a hunted man, and the aliens' only hope for freedom. (South Africa)

Munyurangabo

(Film Movement, c2009)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .M875 2009 DVD

Two young men from separate tribes--one, an orphan of the Rwandan genocide looking for revenge, and the other just returning home to his family--travel from Kigali to the countryside. (In Kinyarwanda dialogue with optional English subtitles)

Tsotsi

(Miramax Home Entertainment, 2006)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .T796 2006

A young man running with a criminal gang on the streets of Johannesburg, Tsotsi - a nickname meaning thug - is immersed in a world of violence that seems to leave him unaffected, until he discovers an infant in the backseat of a car he has stolen.    Tsotsi-Taal dialogue with English subtitles.  [South Africa

Yesterday

(Home Box Office, [2006])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .Y48 2006

After falling ill, Yesterday learns that she is HIV positive. With her husband in denial and a young daughter to tend to, Yesterday's one goal is to live long enough to see her child go to school. Set against the awesome, harsh landscapes of South Africa.  In Zulu with subtitles in English or French.

Asia

The blue kite (Lan feng zheng)

(Kino International, c2002)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .B67815 2002

"Told from the perspective of a young boy, Tietou, the film traces the fate of a Beijing family and their neighbors through the political and social upheavals in 1950s and '60s."   In Mandarin with English subtitles.  [China]

The cave of the yellow dog

(Tartan Video, 2006)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .C38 2006

"A little girl in a family of nomads in Mongolia finds herself at odds with her family when she brings home a dog her father is certain killed their sheep, and he will not allow her to keep it."   In Mongolian and dubbed English or with English subtitles.  [Mongolia]

China strike force

Tong, Stanley - director. (Buena Vista Home Entertainment, [2003])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .C455 2003

This fast paced martial arts film from Hong Kong is about a young Chinese Security Officer trying to fight against drugs and corruption.   In Cantonese and English.  [China]

Crouching tiger, hidden dragon

Lee, Ang - director. (Crouching tiger, hidden dragon (Wo hu zang long Tigre et dragon))
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .C76 2001 DVD

Set in 19th-century China, two master warriors are faced with their greatest challenge when the treasured Green Destiny sword is stolen. A young aristocratic woman prepares for an arranged marriage, but soon reveals her superior fighting talents and her romantic past. As each warrior battles for justice, they come face-to-face with their worst enemy, and the enduring power of love. In Mandarin optional soundtracks in English or English subtitles.  [China]

Days of being wild (Afei cheng chuan)

Wong, Kar-wai, director. (Kino International Corp., 2004)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .D39 2004

"The story of six young people in the 1960s in Hong Kong interweaved with love-hate relationships and passion."    In Cantonese with English subtitles.  [China]

Endless way

(MagicPlay Entertainment, c2004)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .E49 2005

"As he comes of age, Ah Ming must begin a life of endless labor to bring sacred water to his family. Forced into an arranged marriage with a young girl from a neighboring village, he must forsake his true love, Ah Shui. Unable to cope with the harsh routine that each villager must endure, Ah Ming's wife leaves, never to return, and the long suffering Ah Shui steps forth to care for Ah Ming and his ailing mother, sharing their pain and grief."  In Mandarin dialogue with optional English.  [China]

Hero (Ying xiong)

Yimou, Zhang (director). (Miramax Home Entertainment , 2004)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .H476 2004 DVD

A nameless soldier seeks revenge after his people are massacred. In Mandarin or dubbed into English or English subtitles.  [China]

Himalaya

(Kino on Video, c2002.)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .H56 2002

After the chief of a tiny Tibetan mountain village is killed in a tragic accident, a struggle for power arises between the proud old chief and a young headstrong caravanner.  The balance of power shifts uneasily as they make a dangerous trek across the Himalayas on their annual pilgrimage to gather salt  they need to trade for grain to survive the winter.   In Tibetan with English subtitles.  [Tibet]

Hula girls

(Viz Pictures, [2007])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .H85 2007

"When a coal-mining town in northeastern Japan falls on hard times, its citizens unite to create a "Hawaiian Center", in hopes of boosting tourism. A group of coal miners' daughters devote themselves to the cause, and train to become professional hula dancers. "    [Japanese with English subtitles]

Kabe

(Strand Releasing Home Video, [2009])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .K32 2009 DVD

"After her husband is arrested on suspicion of being a Communist, a woman is suddenly in charge of taking care of her household and her two daughters, with the help of her husband's sister, during the early days of World War II.  In Japanese with English subtitles

Love and honor (Bushi no ichibun)

(FUNimation, [2008])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .L816 2008 DVD

Shinnojo Mimura is a samurai, sharing a hand-to-mouth life with his beautiful wife, until he goes blind, and loses everything.  (Japanese with English subtitles)

Mongol

(Warner Home Video, [2008])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .M652 2008

"Delves into the dramatic and harrowing early years of the ruler who was born as Temudgin in 1162. Follows Temudgin from his perilous childhood to the battle that sealed his destiny. Shows the future conqueror and revealing him not as the evil brute, but as an inspiring, fearless and visionary leader." [Mongolia]

Mother (Mado)

(CJ Entŏteinmŏntŭ , 2009)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .M672 2009

When mentally slow Do Joon gets arrested for murder, his mother faces an uphill battle to clear his name. Everyone including the police are convinced that Do Joon is the culprit, but she knows that her son wouldn't kill. She begins to search for the real killer, but her sleepy hometown holds many secrets that are best left unturned." Korean

Seven samurai

Kurosawa, Akira - director. (Criterion Collection, 1998.)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .S478 1998 DVD

This 1954 epic Japanese masterpiece is about a group of 16th century samurai who are hired to defend a small Japanese village that finds itself annually raided by an army of bandits who steal the meager crops harvested by the peasants. Tired of relinquishing their food supply but woefully inept in combat skills, the villagers decide to hire a band of samurai to protect them. In addition to the primary conflict between the villagers and the bandits, much of the tale revolves around young Katsushiro's coming-of-age, both sexually and emotionally. Kikuchiyo's search for acceptance forms the other major storyline. Indeed, everyone in Seven Samurai is searching: for adventure, for experience, for freedom from their oppressors. In Japanese with optional English subtitles.   [Japan]

Okuribito

(E1 Entertainment, [2009])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .D467 2010 DVD

Daigo Kobayashi is a devoted cellist in an orchestra that has just been dissolved and finds himself without a job. He decides to move back to his old hometown with his wife to look for work and start over. He answers a classified ad entitled 'Departures' thinking it is an advertisement for a travel agency. He discovers that the job is actually for a 'Nokanshi' or 'encoffineer,' a funeral professional who prepares deceased bodies for burial and entry into the next life. While his wife and others despise the job, Daigo takes a certain pride in his work and begins to perfect the art, acting as a gentle gatekeeper between life and death, between the departed and the family of the departed. (In Japanese with English subtitles)

Riding alone for thousands of miles (Qian li zou dan qi)

(Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, c2007)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .R53 2007 DVD

Takata is an aging Japanese fisherman who has been estranged from his son for many years. When the son is diagnosed with terminal cancer his daughter-in-law, Rie, summons him to the hospital. When his son refuses to see him, Rie gives him a videotape about the work his son was doing on a documentary film in a remote region of China's Yunnan province. Still troubled by the relationship, Takata decides to go to China and complete his son's work in part to develop an understanding of his son, and in part to do something for him. Once in China a series of obstacles and relationships bring him unexpectedly closer to both an understanding of himself and of his son.  (Chinese with English subtitles)

Spring, summer, fall, winter-- and spring

(Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment, [2004],)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .S688 2004

A chronicle of the life of a Buddhist monk from childhood to the end of his days.  In Korean with English subtitles. [Korea]

Still life

(New Yorker Video, [2008])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .S745 2008

"After a town is completely destroyed by a flood, the residents must try to rebuild their homes, the town, and their lives."  [China]

The story of the weeping camel

(New Line Home Entertainment, c2005.)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .S75 2005

"In the Gobi Desert, a family of nomads, who assist in the birth of its camel herd, face a crisis when one white calf is rejected by its mother. With all hope lost, the family sends its two young boys on a journey to a far-off village to fetch a musician capable of performing a magical ceremony."    In Mongolian with English subtitles.  [Mongolia]

Taste of tea (Cha no aji)

(Viz Media, [2007])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .T3677 2007

"Meet the Harunos, a rather unconventional but happy and loving family. They live in a small town in the mountains just outside Tokyo where life is good and quiet - but that doesn't mean they don't have their own little problems"  [Japanese]

Train man (Denshaotoko)

(Viz Media, 2006)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .T72 2006

"A film adaptation of a true event, a shy nerd falls hard for a girl he rescues on a commuter train. Seeking advice on how to ask her out, he turns to the internet and begins soliciting help through an online forum."  [Japan]

Travellers & magicians

(Zeitgeist Films, c2005)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .T743 2005

This movie from Bhutan is about "Dondup, a young government official who dreams of escaping his rural village for America, misses his bus to the city and is forced to hitchhike with an elderly apple seller, a young monk, and an elderly man and his beautiful daughter. Along the way, the monk tells the story of another young man that mirrors Dondup's ambitions."   In Dzongkha with English subtitles.

Warm Spring (Nuan chun)

(Razor Digital Entertainment, 2002.)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .W375 2002

Hua, a poor homeless girl, is taken home by a kind old man in a small village.  However, the old man's son and daughter-in-law refuse to accept Hua into their family.      In Mandarin with English subtitles.  [China]

Windhorse

(New Yorker Video, 2005.)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .W5594 2005

Three young Tibetan children witness the murder of their grandfather by the Chinese.  In Tibetan and Chinese with English subtitles.  [Tibet]

The World (Shi jie )

(Zeitgeist Video, c2005)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .W665 2005

Young twenty somethings from China's remote provinces get jobs at a Disney-like park near Beijing.    In Chinese with English subtitles. 

Australia/New Zealand

Candy

(Thinkfilm, [2007])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .C336 2007

"Dan is a poet who falls in love with two kinds of Candy: a woman of the same name and heroin. As Dan goes from a smart-aleck to someone trying to find a vein to inject, Candy changes from an actress to a streetwalker and then a madwoman. Starting in Sydney, the two eventually end up in Melbourne to try and go clean, but they fail. This leads them to turn to finding money and heroin, while other posessions and attachments become unimportant."  [Australia]

The Man from Snowy River

(Fox Video, c1984.)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1995 .M26

This Australian film of love and family feuds takes place on a ranch in the Australian frontier during the 1880s. 

Whale Rider

Sanders, Tim - Producer. (Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment, 2003)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .W53 2003 DVD

Pai tries to convince her grandfather that she possesses the skills to become the next chief of the Whangara people, even though she is only a girl. [New Zealand]

Eastern Europe

Ararat

Egoyan, Atom - director. (Buena Vista Home Entertainment, [2003])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .A517 2003 DVD

Edward, a veteran filmmaker of Armenian descent, is in Toronto shooting a film about the Siege of Van, which lead to the genocide of over a million Armenian people at the hands of Turkish troops. Raffi has been sent to Turkey to shoot background footage for the film. Raffi's mother Ani, an author and historian, is also involved in the project as a consultant. As Raffi attempts to re-enter Canada with cans of exposed film, he's detained by David, a suspicious customs official who has his own tenuous link to the film.  [Turkey]

Bliss (Mutluluk)

(First Run Features, [2010?])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .B6735 2007 DVD

After being raped, a young girl is condemned to death by the people in her village to get rid of the shame it brought her family. When the man who is to kill her runs away with her instead, they set off on a journey through past and present-day Turkey to escape their fate and start a new life. [Turkey]

The Decalogue (Dekalog)

(Facets Video, [1999])
McNichols Campus Library
BV 4655 .D43 1999 v.1-5

Ten short films based on the Ten Commandments which takes place in the same apartment building in Warsaw.    [Poland]

4 months, 3 weeks & 2 days ( 4 luni, 3 saptamâni si 2 zile)

(IFC Films, 2008)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .A114 2008

"Two college roommates have 24 hours to make the ultimate choice as they finalize arrangements for a black market abortion."   [Romania]

No man's land

(MGM Home Entertainment, c2002.)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .N626 2001

Set during the height of the Bosnian War in 1993, a group of Bosnian soldiers are advancing on Serb territory under the cover of a foggy night. At daybreak, the fog lifts, and the Serbs open fire. Soon there is only one Bosnian survivor because he was able to dive into a trench in no man's land. He then watches as two Serbian soldiers use the body of a fallen Bosnian to bait a land mine. He fires on them, killing one, and taking the second hostage. Now both are alone and equally armed, so they are forced to share a wary trust as they try to attract help from either side.    Serbo-Croatian and English with optional subtitles in English.  [Bosnia]

The way I spent the end of the world (Cum mi-am petrecut sf�rșitul lumii)

(Film Movement, 2007)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .W395 2007

After 17 year old Eva breaks a statute at school she is sent away to reform school where she meets Andrei.  Her and Andrei decide to escape from communist Romania, but Eva starts to have second thoughts. (Romanian)

Zelary

(Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment, [2005])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .Z45 2005

During WWII, nurse Eliška is part of a secret resistance movement with her lover, surgeon Richard. When he is discovered, she is forced to leave the hospital in order to hide from the Nazis as well. A sympathetic colleague sends her off with a patient whose life she saved, to the remote Moravian mountain village of Želary, where time has stopped, as he has agreed to hide her as his wife. They live in a modest cabin for two years, waiting for the Nazi occupation to end and begin to form a bond despite their differences.    Czech dialogue, with English subtitles. [Czeckeslovakia]

French

Amelie [Le fabuleux destin d

Jean-Pierre Jeunet, director. (Miramax Home Entertainment, 2001)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .A34 2002

Amelie has an unusual childhood. Having been misdiagnosed with a heart condition, she doesn't attend school, but instead spends most of her days in her room, where she develops an active fantasy life. Amelie grows into a healthy, beautiful young woman with a whimsical, romantic nature who decides to help others. French, English subtitles.

Artemisia

(Miramax Home Entertainment, 2001)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .A73 2001 DVD

Motion picture about Artemisia Gentileschi, who is forbidden to pursue her passion for painting. She convinces a renowned artist to tutor her.  He not only liberates her into the world of art but initiates her into the world of love.  (France)

 

Avenue Montaigne

(Thinkfilm, 2007)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .A96 2007

"Jessica is a beautiful young woman from the provinces who has come to Paris and lands a job waiting tables at a chic bistro on fabled Avenue Montaigne. Jessica's customers include a popular TV actress who is courting a major Hollywood director for her first serious film role; a wealthy art collector who is about to liquidate a lifetime's worth of treasures at auction; and an illustrious classical pianist who is at odds with his manager/wife as to where his career is headed. Precisely because Jessica doesn't know how celebrated these people are, her guileless and completely unintimidated engagement in their lives has a transforming effect on them and ultimately her."   [France]

Barbarian invasions (Les invasions barbares)

(Buena Vista Home Entertainment, 2004)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .B2723 2004

A narrow minded professor has trouble connecting with his son.  [France]  

The Battle of Algiers

(Criterion Collection, c2004.)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .B29 2004

The true story of Algeria's struggle of independence from France in 1957.    In French and Arabic with English subtitles. 

Beat that my heart skipped (De battre mon coeur s'est arrete)

(Wellsprihg Media, c2005.)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .B428 2005

Tom leads a shady life working with two scheming real estate men.   He's also a talented pianist and practices for an important audition that could change his life, but his past catches up with him.    In French with English subtitles. 

Blame it on Fidel! (La faute � Fidel!)

(Koch Entertainment, 2007)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .B629 2007

"When Fernando and Marie decide to dedicate themselves full time to various political causes, their nine-year-old daughter, Anna, must learn to face the world on her own."   In French with English subtitles.  {France}

The chorus (Les choristes)

(Buena Vista Home Entertainment, 2005)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .C464 2005

"Unemployed music teacher Clement Mathieu becomes the supervisor at a boarding school for the rehabilitation of minors. Dismayed by the repressive administration, he works to positively transform the students' lives through music."   In French with English or Spanish subtitles. 

The Class (Entre les murs)

(Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, c2009.)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .C527 2009 DVD

A high school teacher in a tough neighborhood outside of Paris tries unconvential ways to reach his students.  In French with English subtitles.

Coco avant Chanel

(Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, [2010])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .C67 2010 DVD

The story of Gabrielle Chanel, who later became one of the world's most influential designers, Coco Chanel.  (In French with English subtitles)

Code Unknown (Code inconnu)

Haneke, Michael - Written and directed by. (Kino on Video, c2002)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .C675 2002

Starring Juliette Binoche. Four separate lives intersect on a Paris street corner, interweaving the stories of a promising actress, her photojournalist boyfriend, a teacher of African descent, and a Romanian illegal immigrant. A portrait of life in a fractured, lonely world. In French with English subtitles.

Diary of a Country Priest

Bernanos, Georges. (Facets Multimedia, [198-?])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1995 .D538

A young country priest engenders hostility, indifference, and rejection among his parishioners. In French with English subtitles.

The diving bell and the butterfly (Le scaphandre et le papillon)

(Buena Vista Home Entertainment, [2008])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .D59 2008

"The French editor of Elle magazine, Jean-Dominique Bauby, who, in 1995 at the age of 43, suffered a stroke that paralyzed his entire body, except his left eye. Using that eye to blink out his memoir, Bauby eloquently described the aspects of his interior world, from the psychological torment of being trapped inside his body to his imagined stories from lands he'd only visited in his mind."  In French with English subtitles. 

Family pack

(Ariztical Entertainment, [2005].)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .F358 2005

In July, 1969, man prepares to walk on the moon but in a small town in Belgium... Sacha's family believes her to be in Montreal, going to medical school, and maybe finding a handsome husband. Instead, she found Odilie, a woman who has given her an ultimatum. Sacha must come out to her family or the relationship is over.    French, with English subtitles

The 400 blows (Les quatre cents coups)

François Truffaut - director. (Criterion Collection, 2006)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .A185 2006

This classic 1959 French film portrays the directors own childhood of aloof parents, oppressive teachers, petty crime, and a friendship that would last a lifetime. In French with English subtitles.

Le grand voyage

(Film Movement, c2005)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .G7349 2005 DVD

A few weeks before his college entrance exams, Réda, a young man who lives in the south of France, finds himself obligated to drive his father to Mecca. The wide cultural and generational gap between the two is worsened by their lack of communication. Réda finds it hard to accommodate his father, who demands respect for himself and his pilgrimage. From France, through Italy, Serbia, Turkey, Syria, Jordan to Saudi Arabia, the two embark on a road trip that will change their lives.  (French and Arabic with English subtitles)

Hate (La haine)

(Criterion Collection, 2007)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .H339 2007

Three young, unemployed Frenchmen living in the ghettos surrounding Paris get embroiled in a violent conflict with the local police. (In French with optional English subtitles)

He loves me, he loves me not ( À la folie-- pas du tout)

(Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment, c2003.)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .H4 2003

"Angelique, a young student, is in love with a married doctor. She tries to convince him to leave his pregnant wife. Is the love affair the one-sided obsession of a desperate woman clinging to a hopeless dream, and turning it into a nightmare when she realizes it may not come true?"   In French with English subtitles. 

A heart in winter (Un cœur en hiver)

(KOCH Lorber Films, [2006])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .C677 2006

Camille, a concert violinist, becomes intrigued by her lover's business partner, Stephane. She interprets his distance as a sign of intellectual seduction. The love triangle that develops reveals the complexity and imperfection of the three characters.   French dialogue with optional English subtitles.

I've loved you so long (Il y a longtemps que je t'aime)

(Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, [2009])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .I29 2009

"A shell-shocked Juliette is released from prison after serving 15 years for murdering her young son. As life has moved on, she must relearn certain basics. After being banished from her family, she is now reunited with her younger sister, Lea. Hopefully, Juliette will learn to forgive herself in the process."  In French with English subtitles.

Jean de Florette

(Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Home Entertainment 2000)
McNichols Campus Library
PQ 2631 .A27 E22 pt.1 2000

Set amidst the rugged hills of Provence, this epic saga follows the heroic efforts of Jean Cadoret who inherits a farm from his mother, Florettte, and leaves his city job behind, hopping to create a "new Eden" with his loving wife and daughter. But, unbeknownst to Jean, his greedy neighbor, Cesar Soubeyran, is plotting to steal the land out from under him. With the help of his corrupt nephew, the collusion of the clannish villagers and the added effects of a severe drought, Cesar hatches a wicked scheme that drives Jean to the brink of desperation.       In French with English subtitles. 

La petite Jerusalem

(Kino Video, [2006])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .P475 2006

In a Paris suburb nicknamed Little Jerusalem, a family of Sephardic Orthodox immigrants shares a low-income apartment. Beautiful, teenaged Laura distances herself from her family's religion and her own burgeoning desire by devoting every waking moment to intellectual discipline and secular philosophy. Mathilde, Laura's married older sister, worries that strict observance of the Torah's marital codes has driven her husband Ariel into the bed of another. When Laura falls under the spell of Djamel, a handsome Muslim journalist, and Mathilde discovers that her worst fears are true, the two very different sisters find themselves in very similar crises.    In French, Arabic, and Hebrew with optional English subtitles.

Look at me (Comme une image)

(Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, [2005].)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .L667 2005

Lolita competes for the attention of her famous father.   In French with English or Spanish subtitles. 

Merry Christmas (Joyeux Noël)

(Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, [2006])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .J695 2006

Loosely based on true episodes, this film tells the story of German, French, and Scottish soldiers in the bloody trenches of World War I and the miraculous Christmas Eve truce they unexpectedly forge. Follows a French lieutenant, a Scottish priest, and a German tenor and his beloved Danish soprano as music and the spirit of Christmas create bonds between enemies.    French, English, and German soundtrack; optional English, Spanish, or Portuguese subtitles. 

Moliere

(Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, [2008])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .M645 2008

"Molière is a down-and-out actor and playwright who is up to his ears in debt. The wealthy Jourdain offers to cover that debt so that Molière's theatrical talents might help Jourdain win the heart of a certain widowed marquise. Disguised as a priest, Molière becomes a guest in Jourdain's palace on the subtext of teaching Jourdain the craft of the stage, all this to the annoyance of Jourdain's wife, Elmire. But, soon after, the confrontation between Elmire and Molière turns seductive. Jourdain enlists the aid of a well-connected and scheming acquaintance to help him pursue the widowed marquise."

Persepolis

(Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, [2008])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .P474 2008

"In 1970s Iran, Marjane 'Marji' Stat dialoguerapi watches events through her young eyes and her idealistic family. Their long dream is realized when the hated Shah is defeated in the Iranian Revolution of 1979. Now ruled by Islamic fundamentalists, Marji grows up to witness first hand how the new Iran has become a repressive tyranny on its own. With Marji dangerously refusing to remain silent at this injustice, her parents send her abroad to Vienna to study. This change proves an equally difficult trial for Marji as she finds herself in a different culture loaded with abrasive characters and profound disappointments that deeply trouble her. Even when she returns home, Marji finds that both she and her homeland have changed too much and the young woman and her loving family must decide where she truly belongs."  In French or dubbed in English.

Ponette

Sarde, Alain. (Fox Lorber Home Video, c1998.)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .P66 1998 DVD

Sent to live with her relatives, Ponette experiences the hopes, dreams and fears of a child following the loss of a parent. Ultimately, it is her faith, love and strength of character that enables Ponette to triumphantly overcome her tragedy. In French with English subtitles.

Red lights (Feux rouges)

(Wellspring Media, [2005])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .R442 2005

In this suspenceful thriller, Antoine and Helene drive to South France to pick up their kids from summer camp. After getting off at the wrong exit they begin to quarrel and Helene presumably takes the train while Antioine decides to drive by himself through the night.  Along the way he picks up a strange hitchhiker and starts to think that maybe his wife didn't take the train after all.   French dialogue, with English subtitles. 

Sugar Cane Alley (Alley Rue Cases-N�gres)

(New Yorker Video, c2004.)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .S84 2004

"The teenage life and adventures of young José, who lives in a shanty-town on Martinique in the mid-1930s, comprises the body of this film. José lives with his grandmother and is well aware of the French colonial presence. He gets into mischief, learns valuable lessons on living from an old former slave, drinks too much one time, and even sets fire to one of the run-down shanties. Regardless of his pranks, José never neglects his education."  French dialogue, English subtitles.

13 Tzameti

(Palm Pictures, ©2005.)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .T4287 2005

"22 year-old Sébastien leads an impoverished life constantly struggling to support his immigrant family. While repairing the roof of a neighbor's house, he overhears a conversation about a forthcoming package which promises to make the household rich. Seeking the opportunity of a lifetime, Sébastien intercepts the package which contains a series of veiled instructions."    In French with English subtitles.

Three Colors: Blue (Trois couleurs: Bleu)

Kieslowski, Krzysztof - director. (Miramax Home Entertainment, 1993)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1995.9 .M27 T77 no.1

Part 1 of a trilogy of films (Three colors) by director Krzysztof Kieslowski.    In the movie Blue, a young woman devastated by the unexpected death of her husband and child, retreats from the world around her, but is soon drawn into a web of lies and passion as the secret life of her husband unravels.     In French, with English subtitles.

Three Colors: Red (Trois Couleurs: Rouge)

Kieslowski, Krzysztof - director. (Miramax Home Entertainment, 1994)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1995.9 .M27 T77 no.3

Part 3 of the final installment in the director's trilogy, Three colors. In the movie Red, a young model's chance meeting with an unusual stranger leads her down a path of intrigue and secrecy. As her knowledge of the man deepens, she discovers an astonishing link between his past and her destiny. In French with English subtitles.

Three colors: White (Trois couleurs. Blanc)

Kieślowski, Krzysztof - director. (Miramax Home Entertainment 1995)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1995.9 .M27 T77 no.2

Part 3 of a trilogy of films (Three colors) by director Krzysztof Kieslowski.       The movie White presents the mysterious tale of a man whose life disintegrates when his beautiful wife of six months deserts him. Forced to begin anew, he rebuilds his life, only to plan a dangerous scheme of vengeance against her.    In French and Polish with yellow English subtitles.

Very long engagement (Un long dimanche de fiançailles)

(Warner Home Video, [2005].)
PN 1997 .V47 2005

"Mathilde is waiting desperately for her fiance to return from the war. When bad news arrives she refuses to believe he is dead. Instead, she begins her own investigation into his death, hiring a private detective and piecing together his war story."  In French with English subtitles. 

Wild child (L'enfant sauvage)

(MGM Home Entertainment, 2001)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .W55 2001 DVD

"Dramatized account of Dr. Jean-Marc-Gaspard Itard's efforts to civilize a young boy who was discovered living wild in a forest. The boy, named Victor, becomes increasingly divided between his longing for the wilderness and his new life with the doctor. Itard, whose teaching strategies survive today in the Montessori Method, is unsure whether he is helping a savage become human or turning a forest child into a semi-civilized idiot."  In French with English subtitles.

Wild Grass (Les herbes folles)

(Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, 2010.)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .W5484 2010 DVD

"A lost wallet opens the door to Georges and Marguerite's romantic adventure. After examining the ID of its owner, it is not a simple matter for Georges to turn the wallet he has found into the police. Nor can Marguerite retrieve her wallet without being piqued with curiosity about the person who found it. As George and Marguerite navigate the social protocols of giving and acknowledging thanks, turbulence enters their everyday lives."  (In French with English subtitles)

German & Dutch

After the wedding (Efter brylluppet)

(IFC Films, 2007)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .A324 2007

"Jacob, a Danish expatriate, runs a struggling orphanage in one of India's poorest regions. Desperate to save the orphanage from closing, he returns to Denmark to meet Jorgen, a wealthy businessman and potential benefactor. Jorgen invites Jacob to his daughter's wedding, seemingly as a friendly gesture, but the terminally ill Jorgen is also trying to find a new husband for his wife Helene. When Jacob meets Helene, he recognizes her as a person from a past he is trying to forget. The wedding invitation leads to a devastating series of surprises that change Jacob's life and force him to make a bitter choice."  In Danish and English.  [Holland]

Aguirre, the wrath of God (Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes)

Werner Herzog - director. (Anchor Bay Entertainment, 2000)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .A327 2000

This classic 1972 movie featuring Klaus Kinski is about "a band of Spanish conquistadors, led by Pizarro, go up the Amazon in search of gold. As the soldiers battle starvation, Indians, the forces of nature and each other, Don Lope de Aguirre (the self-styled "Wrath of God") is consumed by visions of conquering all of South America and leads a revolt, but Aguirre's megalomania turns the expedition into a death trip."  In German or English, with optional English subtitles.  [From Germany]

Alle Anderen

(Cinema Guild, [2010])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .E838 2010 DVD

"A young couple's relationship is pushed to the brink while vacationing in the Mediterranean. On the surface, Chris and Gitti appear blissfully in love while enjoying the sun and sand of Sardinia. But as they spend more time together, their silly games and playful teasing begin to unmask hidden fears and desires. When they accidentally run into another, seemingly happier and more successful couple, the tensions between them erupt." (German with English subtitles)

Antonia

(First Look Home Entertainment, c1995.)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .A56 1995 DVD

A portrait of a family and a community, of mothers and daughters, told through the life of one indomitable woman.  In Dutch with English subtitles. [Holland]

The Baader Meinhof complex

(MPI Home Video, 2010)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .B223 2010

Germany 1967: murderous bomb attacks, the threat of terrorism, and the fear of the enemy inside are rocking the very foundations of the still-fragile German democracy. The radicalized children of the Nazi generation, led by Andreas Baader, Ulrike Meinhof, and Gudrun Ensslin, are fighting a violent war against what they perceive as the new face of fascism. The man who understands them is also their hunter, the head of the German police force, Horst Herold. In German with optional English subtitles

Black box (Das experiment)

Hirschbiegel, Oliver - director. (Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment, 2003.)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .E97 2003

Based on the 1971 Stanford University prison experiment which studied the behavioral and psychological consequences of 24 male volunteers divided into groups of prisoners and prison guards.  This two week experiment was terminated after only six days.  In German with English subtitles. [Germany]

The counterfeiters (Die Fälscher)

(Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, [2008])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .C695 2008

True story of German counterfeiter  Salomon "Sally" Sorowitsch.  After being thrown into a concentration camp during WW II,  Sally is offered luxury conditions in exchange for making counterfeit bills to cause the collaspe of the British economy.  If he succeeds he gets to live another day , but if he fails he'll be put to death. 

Das Boot

Petersen, Wolfgang. (Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment, [2004])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .B679 2004

Portrays life in a German U-boat during World War II. Based on the novel by Lothar G. Buchheim. In German or English dialogue,with English or French subtitles.

Downfall

(Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, [2005].)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .D69 2005

The last days of Hitler as seen through the eyes of his secretary, Traudl Junge.  Based on the book "Inside Hitler's bunker" by Joachim Fest and "Until the final hour" by Traudl Junge and Melissa Müller.       In German with English subtitles.  

Edge of heaven (Auf der anderen Seite)

(Strand Releasing Home Video, [2008])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .E33 2008

"Six characters are drawn together by circumstances - an old man and a prostitute forging a partnership, a young scholar reconciling his past, two young women falling in love, and a mother putting the shattered pieces of her life back together." In German with English subtitles.

The enigma of Kaspar Hauser

(Anchor Bay Entertainment, 2001.)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .E535 2001

"Based on a real historical event, this is the story of Kaspar Hauser, a young man who appeared in a small German town in 1820 after having lived in total isolation from humans since birth. He is taught to speak, read, and write by townspeople, but is then mysteriously murdered."   In German with English subtitles.

In July

(Koch Lorber Films, [2004])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .I49 2005

A young teacher decides to spend his summer at home in Hamburg.  He meets a young Turkish girl at the flea market and follows her across the Balkans.       In German with English subtitles. 

May 6th

(Koch Lorber Films, [2007])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .M398 2007

"A dangerous game of cat and mouse is set in motion following the murder of a prominent Dutch politician. Tabloid photographer Jim de Booy, a crime scene witness, stumbles into an investigation that reveals a complex conspiracy, putting his life and the lives of everyone close to him at risk.   Based on events surrounding the 2002 assassination of Pim Fortuyn."      In Dutch with English subtitles.   [Holland]

Nowhere in Africa

Link, Caroline - Director. (Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment, 2003)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .N68 2003 DVD

True tale of a Jewish family who flee the Nazi regime in 1938 and learns to cope with their new life, and each other, on a remote farm in Kenya. In German, Swahili and English with English subtitles.  [Kenya]

Perfume: the story of a murderer

(DreamWorks Home Entertainment, [2007])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .P473 2007

"Jean-Baptiste Grenouille is born under his mother's table at the fish market, onto a pile of muddy fish guts, establishing from the beginning his repulsion for putrid scents. A childhood of neglect and, later, a job at a tannery, encourage Jean-Baptiste to develop his olfactory sense rather than his verbal skills. An opportunity to prove his worth to Parisian perfumist Giuseppe Baldini results in his immediate hire into a promising new career. His successes in perfume mixing are negated by a blinding obsession for capturing the sublime beauty of the human soul, which in his twisted logic requires the killing of young women to reduce their body fats to essential oils for the ultimate perfume."  {Germany}

Rosenstrasse

Margarethe von Trotta - director. (Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment, [2004])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .R66 2004 DVD

A woman tries to uncover the horrors of her mother's past during the Third Reich and World War II.

Run Lola Run (Lola rennt)

Tykwer, Tom - director. (Columbia TriStar Home Video, c1999)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .L65 1999

Two star-crossed lovers have only minutes to change the course of their lives. Lola has just received a frantic call from her boyfriend Manni, who's accidentally lost a small fortune he was to deliver to his mobster boss. If they cannot find a way to replace the money within twenty minutes, Manni will surely suffer severe consequences.  The story is told with three different endings.       In German with English subtitles.

Sophie Scholl the final days

(Zeitgeist Films, c2006.)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .S664 2006

The true story of Germany's most famous anti-Nazi heroine, Sophie Scholl, the fearless activist of the underground student resistance group, The White Rose. The last six days of Sophie Scholl's life are dramatized, from arrest to interrogation, trial, and sentence in 1943 Munich. Unwavering in her convictions and loyalty to her comrades, her cross-examination by the Gestapo quickly escalates into a searing test of wills as Scholl delivers a passionate call to freedom and personal responsibility that is both haunting and timeless.    German dialogue with English subtitles.

Vitus

(Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, 2007)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .V58 2007

"At six, Vitus is both incredibly talented and wonderfully precocious. When it becomes evident that he has an exceptionally high IQ and can play piano like a young Mozart, expectations run high. His parents love him, his grandfather understands him, but no one knows the truth - that his real genius is in his heart."    Swiss German dialogue, English, French, and Spanish subtitles.  {From Switzerland}

India

Bride & Prejudice

(Touchstone Home Video, 2005)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .B7525 2005

A remake of Jane Austen's classic Pride and Prejudice is turned into  modern Bollywood musical .  A love-hate relationship ignites between a small town girl and a wealthy American visiting friends in her modest Indian village. As her assumptions about him begin to fade love eventually conquers all.  In English, but some songs are sung in Panjabi with English subtitles.  [India]

Earth

Mehta, Deepa - Director. (New Yorker Video, 2003)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .E27 2003 DVD

A romantic drama set in 1947 in Lahore before India and Pakistan became independent, where Hindu, Sikh, Parsee, and Muslim share a peaceful co-existence. Events are seen from the point of view of eight-year-old Lenny, a girl from an affluent Parsee family. Lenny's nanny, Shantya, is involved with the Muslim Masseur. When a train of Muslims arrives at the local depot and all the passengers are found murdered, the various sects turn against each other, and the city is soon aflame. Dialogue in Hindi, Urdu, Parsee and Punjabi with English subtitles.

Gandhi my father

(Eros International, [2007])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .G2956 2007

The film tells an intensely personal story of Mahatma Gandhi's role as a leader in India's freedom movement and his struggles as a father to resolve his tumultuous relationship with his eldest son.  [From India]    Hindi dialogue with English subtitles.

Marigold

(Echo Bridge Home Entertainment, c2008.)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .M348 2008

In this Bollywood film "Ali Larter stars as feisty B-list actress Marigold Lexton, who, stranded and broke in Goa, India, after financing flops on her low-budget film, lands a role in a musical to pay her way home. Eager to prove herself, she seeks famed choreographer Prem Rajput's  guidance, and a whirlwind romance begins...until Marigold discovers Prem holds a powerful, inescapable past--and a future that holds no place for her."  [From India]  English dialogue

A peck on the cheek (Kannathil muthamittal)

(Film Movement, c2006.)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .P44 2006

"A little girl's search for her biological mother takes the family to strife-torn Sri Lanka."   In Tamil and Sinhala with English subtitles.

Water

Deepa Mehta - director. (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, [2006])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .W39 2006

A Hindu widow in 1938 could throw herself on her husband's funeral pyre, marry her husband's younger brother or live in poverty and self-denial from then on. When eight-year-old Chuyia is widowed, she is sent to a home in the Holy City of Varanasi where Hindu widows live in penitence. Her feisty presence affects the other residents, forcing each to confront their faith and society's prejudices, especially a young woman who has fallen in love with a follower of Gandhi.    In Hindi with English subtitles.

Italian

The Best of youth (La meglio gioventù)

(Miramax Home Entertainment, 2006)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .B474 2006 no.1-2

The story of two brothers spanning 40 years, during some of the most turbulent events in Italian history.   In Italian with English subtitles.   

Bicycle thieves (Ladri de biciclette)

(Criterion Collection, 2007)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .B53 2007 no.1-2

In postwar, poverty-stricken Rome, a man, hoping to support his desperate family with a new job, loses his bicycle and main means of transportation to work. With his wide-eyed young son in tow, he sets off to track down the thief.  In Italian with English subtitles or dubbed in English. 

Bread and Tulips (Pane e tulipani)

(Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment, [2002])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .B738 2002

 In this Italian film, a woman is left behind at a rest stop while on vacation with her family.  She decides to take a holiday of her own to Venice and falls in love with the city and her new found freedom.  Against her husband's wishes, she ends up renting a room and finding a job.             In Italian with English subtitles.

Cinema Paradiso

Cristaldi, Franco. (Miramax Home Entertainment, [2003])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .N86 2003 DVD

A young boy in a small Italian village is befriended by the projectionist at the movie theater, the Cinema Paradiso. As the boy grows up, he learns to love films, and is encouraged by his good friend to pursue his dream of one day making movies.      In Italian with English or French subtitles.

8 1/2

di Federico Fellini. (Criterion Collection, c2001)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .A1185 2001

"Fellini's autobiographical film about a famous film director who loses his inspiration in the midst of making a film.  Originally released in 1963.  Italian dialogue with English subtitles. 

Incantato

(Fox Lorber Home Video, 2006)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .I526 2006

"Nello is a shy and clumsy man devoted to the academic world. His lack of interest in women worries his father, who sends him to work at a school to find a wife. Nello finds himself at a dance where he meets and falls for a beautiful blind woman. "

Italian dialogue, with optional English subtitles.

Life is beautiful (La vita bella)

Benigni, Roberto.. (Buena Vista Home Video, [1999], c1997.)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .L53 1999 DVD

A charming but bumbling waiter who's gifted with a colorful imagination and an irresistible sense of humor has won the heart of the woman he loves and has created a beautiful life for his young family. Then that life is threatened by World War II. Italian or English, English subtitles.

The postman (Il postino)

(Buena Vista Home Entertainment, c1995.)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .P683 1995

The postman, Mario, enlists the aid of the poet Pablo Neruda to conquer the heart of the beautiful Beatrice.    In Italian with English subtitles

Vincere

(2009)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .V512 2009 DVD

The story of Ida Dalser's ill-fated relationship with Benito Mussolini.  (In Italian with English subtitles)

Middle East

Al-Nasir Salad al-Din

Chahine, Youssef - director. (Arab Film Distributios)
McNichols Campus Library
DS 38.4 .S2 N38 1990z

"Saladin unites the Arab nation, liberates Jerusalem from its European captors, and defeats the venal and treacherous Crusaders. The love interest subplot finally sees the union of a female Crusader and Saladin's Christian Arab lieutenant."  Arabic with English subtitles.  [Egypt]

The band's visit (Bikur ha-Tizmoret)

(Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, [2008])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .B266 2008

"The Alexandria Ceremonial Police Orchestra arrives in Israel from Egypt for a cultural event. Once there, they find the expected delegation is not there to meet them. Arrangements to get to their destination of Petah Tiqva have not been taken care of either. They find their own ride and arrive instead at the remote town of Beit Hatikva. Stuck there until the next morning's bus, the band, lead by the repressed Tawfiq Zacharaya, gets help from the worldly lunch owner, Dina, who offers to put them up for the night. As the band settles in the best it can, each of the members attempts to get along with the natives in their own way. What follows is a special night of quiet happenings and confessions as the band makes its own impact on the town and the town on them."  In Hebrew, Arabic and English dialogue, English subtitles.  [Israel]

Blackboards (Takht� siah)

Makhmalbaf, Samira. (Wellspring, [2004], c2000.)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .B673 2004 DVD

A group of male teachers travel to the remote Iranian Kurdish mountain regions with blackboards on their backs in search of students to teach. Kurdish dialogue with English subtitles.  [Iran]

The color of paradise

(Columbia TriStar DVD, c2000)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .C686 2000 DVD

Mohammad joyfully returns to his tiny village on summer vacation from the Institute for the Blind, unaware of his father's intentions to disown him. Engaged to be married, the widowed man has kept Mohammad a secret from his fiancee, certain the boy's disability will destroy his only chance for happiness. With the wedding swiftly approaching Mohammad's future hangs precariously in the balanceas his father struggles against his destiny, unable to see the wonder of life and love that's so clear to his son.    In Farsi with English, French, or Spanish subtitles.  [Iran]

Hidden half (Nīmah-ʾi pinhān)

(Iranian Film Society , 2001)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .H53 2001 DVD

"Khosro is sent from the president's office on a fact-finding mission to Shiraz, to investigate the complaints of a female political prisoner awaiting execution. Khosro's wife Fereshteh, being of the same generation as the prisoner, decides to do something about her situation. Fereshteh writes of her own participation in the revolution, of which her husband is unaware. In his hotel room in Shiraz, Khosro begins to read his wife's memoirs the night before he is to visit the prisoner."  In Farsi with English subtitles[Iran]

Kandahar (Safar-i Qandahar : Journey into the Heart of Afghanistan) [DVD]

Mohsen Makhmalbaf, writer and director (features Nelofer Pazira). (New Yorker Video, 2003)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .K36 2003

"Nafas, an Afghan-born Canadian journalist, returns to her homeland in a desperate attempt to reach her sister, who, overcome with grief after being injured by a landmine and her despair over the Taliban's oppression of women, has vowed that she will commit suicide at the time of the next solar eclipse, only three days away." In Farsi and English with optional English or French subtitles.

Jellyfish

(Zeitgeist Films, [2008])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .J43 2008

"While Batya, a struggling waitress, cares for a mysterious child that appeared to her out of the sea. Newlywed Keren nurses a broken leg and a ruined honeymoon. Filipino migrant worker Joy tries to support her son back home. A reflection on making connections and confronting destiny in a deconstructed urban landscape."   Hebrew dialogue with English subtitles.   [Israel]

Leila

(First Run Features, 2000)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .L45 2000

A young Iranian couple are unable to have children so Leila's mother-in-law insists that her son take a second wife to produce a heir.  In Farsi with English subtitles.  [Iran]

Marooned in Iraq

Ghobadi, Bahman - Director. (Wellspring Media, c2002)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .M35 2003 DVD

During the Iran-Iraq war, an aging Iranian-Kurd musician hears that his wife, a singer with a magical voice, who deserted him for his best friend and fled to Iraq, is in trouble. He cons his two sons into accompanying him on the search and they embark on an adventure filled with music, romance and danger.  In Kurdish with English subtitles.  [Iraq]

Offside (Afsaid)

(Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, [2007])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .O45 2007

"During the 2006 Iran-Bahrain match, the Tehran soccer stadium roars with 100,000 cheering men and, officially, no women. According to Islamic custom, women are not permitted to watch or participate in men's sports. Many of the ambitious young female fans who manage to sneak into the arena are caught and sent to a holding pen, guarded by male soldiers their own age. Duty makes these young men and women adversaries, but duty can't overcome their shared dreams, their mutual attraction, and ultimately their overriding sense of national pride and humanity."   In Farsi with English subtitles. 

Osama

Barmak, Siddiq - Director. (MGM Home Entertainment, 2004)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .O83 2004 DVD

"Chronicles the true story of a young girl in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan who must deguise herself as a boy to save her family from starvation.  The first feature film made in Afghanistan in the post-Taliban era."     In Pashtu with English subtitles. 

Paradise now

(Warner Home Video, 2006.)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .P36 2006

The story of what may be the last 48 hours in the lives of two Palestinian men who have been recruited as suicide bombers. When they are intercepted at the Israeli border, a young woman who discovers their plan causes them to reconsider their actions.   In Arabic with  English subtitles.

Return to Kandahar [DVD]

Nelofar Pazira, performer and narrator. (Bullfrog Films)
McNichols Campus Library
DS 352 .R48 2003

"Nelofar Pazira returns to Afghanistan to search for her childhood friend Dyana. Her first attempt to find Dyana inspired the fictional movie Kandahar. This film is the documentary account of her second journey, taken seven months after the fall of the Taliban. While searching for her friend, Pazira unravels her past and the troubled history of her country."

Satin Rouge

Amari, Raja. (Zeitgeist Video, [2003])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .S28 2003 DVD

A Tunisian widow embarks on a journey of self-discovery when she is drawn to the world of cabaret belly dancers. In Arabic with English subtitles.

Transit Cafe

(First Run Features, 2007)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .T737 2007

"When an Iranian widow takes over her husband's truck stop restaurant after his death, she must hide in the kitchen so she doesn't cause a scandal. Now her brother-in-law wants to be with her for the cafe, while a customer just wants to be with her."  In Farsi, Greek, Russian or Turkish dialogue with English subtitles.  {From Iran}

Turtles can fly

Ghobadi, Bahman - director. (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, [2005])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .T833 2005

Set in Kurdistan near the Iran - Turkey border, a 13 year old boy who likes to order other children around, installs an antennae so villagers can watch the fall of Saddam Hussein. He falls for a refugee girl whose brother is left armless after stepping on a landmine.   In Kurdish with English subtitles.

Walk on water

(Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, 2005.)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .W315 2005

"While on assignment in Berlin, a homophobic Israeli intelligence agent is ordered to assassinate a Nazi war criminal. However, he has a crisis of conscience after he befriends the target's gay grandson."  In English, Hebrew, and German, with English subtitles. {Israel}

Waltz with Bashir

(Buena Vista Home Entertainment, 2009)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .W358 2009

"An animated motion picture based on events in the director's own life, involving his attempts to both remember and verify his wartime experiences. After not being able to recall the time he spent on an Israeli Army mission during the Lebanon War, Ari attempts to unravel the mystery by traveling around the world to interview old friends and comrades. As the pieces of the puzzle begin to come together, his memory begins to return in illustrations that are surreal."  In Hebrew or English.

Russian

The Italian

(Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, 2007)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .I798 2007

After discovering his mother is still alive, a six-year-old Russian boy runs away from his orphanage and sets out on a perilous journey to find her. Pursued by orphanage staff and the police, Vanya Solntsev must now face the most difficult challenges of his young life in this story inspired by true events."   In Russian with optional English, French, or Spanish subtitles.  [Russian] 

Scandinavia

Adam's Apples

(Film Movement, c2007.)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .A288 2007

"Ivan, an unusually optimistic preacher, takes in convicts to help around the remote, rural church to which he ministers. One of his helpers, Adam, is a vicious neo-Nazi serving community service time. Grasping the extent of Ivan's preternatutal determination to look on the bright side of everything, Adam decides to shake Ivan out of his rose-colored world."   [Danish]

Babette's Feast

Dinesen, Isak. (MGM Home Entertainment, [2001])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .B25 2001 DVD

Life begins to change for two virtuous sisters and their tiny Dutch village with the mysterious arrival of Babette, a refugee from France's civil war. Babette prepares a grand feast for the sisters and their guests, which terrifies the town with the prospect of losing their souls for enjoying too much earthly pleasure. In Danish and French with soundtrack in English or Spanish; or subtitles in English, French or Spanish.

Elling

(First Look Home Entertainment, [2002],)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .E463 2002

After a two year stint in a state home, the shy and neurotic Elling and his sex-obsessed best friend, Kjell, are released and forced to enter the real world. They find themselves in a state funded apartment in the center of Oslo, told to behave responsibly and act like normal members of society. In time, the two adjust and find oddball ways of coping with society.    Norwegian dialogue, English subtitles.

Evil

(Magnolia Home Entertainment, [2006].)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .E84 2006

Erik's life is full of violence and conflict. When he is expelled from school, he is sent to a boarding school as a last chance and is tormented by his classmates. Can he revolt against the harassment without breaking the rules?    Swedish dialogue, English subtitles

The Girl who played with fire (Flickan som lekte med elden)

(Music Box Films, [2010])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .G4892 2010 DVD

"In this second installment of Stieg Larsson's phenomenal 'Millennium' trilogy, Lisbeth Salander is a wanted woman. A researcher and a Millennium journalist about to expose the truth about the sex trade in Sweden are brutally murdered and Salander's prints are on the weapon. Her history of unpredictable and violent behavior makes her an official danger to society. Mikael Blomkvist, Salander's friend and Millennium's publisher, is alone in his belief of Salander's innocence. Digging deeper, Blomkvist unearths evidence implicating highly placed members of Swedish society--as well as shocking details about Salander's past. He is desperate to get to her before she is cornered--but no one can find her anywhere" (Swedish or dubbed English dialogue, optional English subtitles)

The Girl with the dragon tattoo (M�n som hatar kvinnor)

(Music Box Films, [2010])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .G489 2010 DVD

Forty years ago, Harriet Vanger disappeared from a family gathering on the island owned and inhabited by the powerful Vanger clan. Her body was never found and her beloved uncle is convinced she was murdered and that the killer is a member of his own tightly knit but dysfunctional family. He employs disgraced investigative journalist Mickael Blomkvist and the tattooed and troubled yet resourceful computer hacker Lisbeth Salander to investigate. Based on the book by the Swedish author Stieg Larsson. (Swedish or dubbed English dialogue; English subtitles).

Let the right one in (L�t den r�tte komma in

(Magnolia Home Entertainment, [2009])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .L47 2009

"12-year-old Oskar is a fragile and bullied boy who finds love and revenge when he meets and befriends Eli. a beautiful but peculiar girl who has moved into his building. Oskar does not know that she and her father are vampires. When strange disappearances and murders start happening in the town and suspicions mount from her neighbors and police, Eli must move on to stay alive or remain to help Oscar the only way she knows how."  In Swedish with English subtitles.

Mother of mine (�ideist� parhain)

(Film Movement, 2007.)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .M677 2007

After nine-year-old Eero's father is killed during World War II, his mother sends him away to a foster family in Sweden, away from the war.  His has a hard time adjusting to his new life and has an even harder time readjusting after the war when he is reunited with his mother.  Finnish and Swedish dialogue with  English subtitles. 

Scenes from a marriage

(Criterion Collection, [2004])
PN 1997 .S34 2004

"Marianne and Johan always seemed to be the perfect couple. But when Johan suddenly leaves Marianne for another woman, they are forced to confront the disintegration of their marriage. Chronicles ten years of turmoil and love that bind the couple despite their divorce and subsequent marriages. Portrays the brutal pain and uplifting peace that accompany a lifetime of loving."   Originally released in 1973.   Swedish dialogue, English subtitles.

SOUTH AMERICA

Central Station

(Columbia TriStar Home Video, [1999])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .C423 1999

"When a young boy witnesses his mother's accidental death, a lonely, retired school-teacher reluctantly takes the child under her wing."      [From Brazil]  Portuguese dialogue, English subtitles. 

City of God

Ribeiro, Andrea Barata.. (Miramax Home Entertainment, 2003)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .C518 2003 DVD

This tale of gang wars in Rio de Janeiro is captured on film by an ex-gang member who takes pictures of the brutal war and makes their story famous. In Portuguese with English, French and Spanish subtitles.

The house of sand

(Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, 2006)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .H649 2006

"A woman and her mother are sent to an island and spend almost 60 years trying to leave it. Follow three generations of the woman's family as they all try and find happiness on a lagoon surrounded by shifting dunes."        [Portuguese]

Middle of the world (O caminho das nuvens)

(Film Movement, c2004)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .M535 2004

Based on a true story about a man and his family who undertake a 2,000 mile journey on bicycles across Brazil in search of a better life.     Portuguese with English subtitles.

Quilombo

(New Yorker Video, c2005.)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .Q55 2005 DVD

In 17th century Brazil groups of runaway black slaves escaped to mountainous jungle strongholds, where they formed self-governing communities known as quilombos. This film chronicles the most famous, the Palmares, and their legendary chieftain Ganga Zumba.  (Portuguese with English subtitles)

The year my parents went on vacation (O ano em que meus pais saíram de férias)

(Warner/Elektra/Atlantic, [2008])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .Y43 2008

"Mauro is a 12-year-old boy, who is left to fend for himself when his parents 'go on vacation' during the Communist regime in 1970's Brazil. The culturally diverse community of São Paulo unites to watch Péle lead his country in winning the World Cup of soccer."   In Portuguese with English subtitles.  [Brazil]

Spanish

All about my mother (Todo sobre mi madre)

(Sony Pictures Classics, [2009])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .A33532 2009 DVD

A woman must come to terms with the death of her 17-year-old son and her past when she seeks out her son's father. Spanish with English subtitles

Bad education (La mala educación)

(Sony Pictures Classics, 2005)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .B263 2005

"Traces the effects of sexual abuse and religious schooling on the lives of two lifelong friends."  In Spanish with English subtitles. 

Cielo

(Laguna Productions, [2008])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .C519 2008

After his mother's tragic death, Gabriel runs away from home, but life on the streets of Mexico City is much harder and dangerous than ever imagined.   (From Mexico - In Spanish with English subtitles). 

The Devil's Backbone (El Espinazo del Diablo)

(Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment, c2004)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .D485 2004

"Twelve-year-old Carlos is the latest arrival to Santa Lucia School, an imposing stone building that shelters the orphans of the Republican militia and politicians during the last days of the Spanish Civil War. Carlos gradually uncovers the dark ties that bind the inhabitants of the school: hidden riches, sexual intrigue and the restless ghost of a murdered student"  [Spain]

El Bola

(Film Movement, 2006)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .B6786 2006

"Pablo (El Bola) is a 12-year-old boy raised in a violent and unforgiving environment. Embarrassed by his family life, he retreats from his classmates, engaging them only through a dangerous game."  [Spain]

Eréndira

McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .E76 1985

"A black comedy about a wicked grandmother and her exploitation of her beautiful teenage granddaughter, Eréndira. Filmed in a surreal style similar to that found in so much of the writing of García Márquez."    In Spanish with English subtitles. 

The headless woman ( La mujer sin cabeza)

(Strand Releasing Home Video, [2009])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .H412 2009 DVD

"A bourgeois woman is driving alone on a dirt road when she becomes distracted and runs over something. In the days following this jarring incident, she becomes dazed and emotionally disconnected from the people and events in her life. She becomes obsessed with the possibility that she may have killed someone. The police confirm that there were no accidents reported in the area and everything returns to normal. That is until a gruesome discovery is made."

Maria Full of Grace

Marston, Joshua - Director. (HBO Home Video, [2004])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .M345 2004 DVD

Maria, a poor Columbian teenager, is offered a chance to go to the United States, the only catch is she must swallow packets of herion. The ruthless world of drug trafficking proves to be more than she bargained for. In Spanish with English subtitles.

The Motorcycle Diaries

Salles, Walter - Director. (Universal, 2005)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .M68 2005 DVD

Based on the true story of Che Guevare, who later becomes a communist and militant revolutionary, and his friend Alberto Granado. The two take a thrilling and dangerous road trip across Latin America in the 1950's, which becomes a life-changing journey of self-discovery. In Spanish or French, with English and French subtitles.

Open your eyes (Abre los ojos)

starring Penelope Cruz. (Artisan Home Entertainment, c2001.)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .O64 2001

"In this steamy, intriguingly complex, psychological thriller the line between reality and fantasy is hopelessly blurred. Csar tries to make sense of his life after a car crash leaves his once-handsome face grotesquely disfigured. After he is placed into a psychiatric penitentiary for a murder he doesn't remember committing, Csar's only hope is to delve into the depths of his subconscious mind where the answer to ending his living nightmare lies in his dreams." In Spanish with English subtitles.

The orphanage (El orfanato)

(Warner Home Video 2008)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .O77 2008

"A mother of a young boy decides to purchase the orphanage she spent her own childhood in, hoping to restore and reopen the long abandoned facility as both a home for them and a school for disabled children. However, her son's imagination seems to run wild in their new home, as he becomes increasingly involved with a group of seemingly imaginary friends."   In Spanish English or Spanish subtitles.

Pan's Labyrinth (El laberinto del fauno)

(New Line Home Entertainment, [2007])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .P358 2007 no.1-2

"Set in 1944 Spain against the backdrop of the anti-Franco guerrilla warfare. When young Ofelia and her mother go to live with her new stepfather on a rural military outpost, she finds herself in a world of unimaginable cruelty. Soon Ofelia finds the creatures of her imagination in which she used to escape have become a reality and she must battle them to save both her mother and herself. In the terrifying battle that ensues, Ofelia soon learns that innocence has a power that evil cannot imagine."    In Spanish with English subtitles. 

Quinceañera

(Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, [2007],)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .Q56 2007

On the evening before Magdalena's 15th birthday, her simple, blissful life is complicated by the discovery that she's pregnant. Forced to leave her house, she finds a new family with her uncle and gay cousin.  In Spanish with English subtitles or dubbed in English.

Reed, Mexico insurgente

(Meridian Video Corp., c1995.)
McNichols Campus Library
F 1234 .R322 1995

Based on the true story of  a young journalist's adventures with Pancho Villa's army in 1913-1914  during the Mexican Revolution.   In Spanish with English subtitles.   {Mexico}

The Sea inside (Mar adentro)

(Warner Home Video, [2005])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .S3478 2005

The true story of a quadriplegic man who fought a 30-year campaign to end his life.   In Spanish with English subtitles. 

Sin nombre

(Universal Studios Home Entertainment, c2009.)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .S5356 2009 DVD

A Honduran teenage girl forms an unlikely friendship with a Mexican gang member who is helping to smuggle her family into the United States. (In Spanish with English subtitles)  (Mexico)

The spirit of the beehive (Espíritu de la colmena)

(Distributed by Image Entertainment, [2006])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .S683 2006

"Shortly after the Spanish Civil War, a six-year-old girl attends a traveling movie show of Frankenstein and becomes haunted by her memory of it."  In Spanish with English subtitles.  {Spain}

Talk to Her (Hable con ella)

Almodóvar, Pedro - writer & director. (Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment, c2003)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .T35 2003

The story of four people whose lives are intertwined by fate. Marco's girlfriend Lydia is in a coma in a private clinic and he crosses paths with Benigno, who is the caregiver for Alicia also in a coma. In Spanish and French with English subtitles.

Under the same moon (La misma luna)

(20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, [2008])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .U536 2008

"Tells the parallel stories of nine-year-old Carlitos and his mother, Rosario. In the hopes of providing a better life for her son, Rosario works illegally in the U.S. while Rosario's mother cares for Carlitos in Mexico. Mother and son face daunting challenges and obstacles to reunite, but are sustained by their constant hope of finally being together again." In Spanish with English subtitles.  [Mexico]

Volver

starring Penélope Cruz. (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, [2007])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .V65 2007

Raimunda lives in Madrid with her daughter Paula and her drunk husband Paco. Her sister, Sole, is separated and works clandestinely as a hairstylist for women. Years ago, in the sisters birth village, they lost their parents in a fire in La Mancha. Their aunt, Paula, still lives in the village and continues to speak about her sister Irene, mother of the two sisters, as if she were still alive. When the old aunt dies the situation changes and the past returns (volver).      Spanish dialogue, English subtitles.

Y tu mama tambien

Cuaron, Alfonso - director. (Metro Goldwyn Mayer Home Entertainment, c2002)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .Y22 2002

Two teenage friends in Mexico, set off on a wild cross-country trip with seductive, 28-year-old Luisa. She schools them in the finer points of passion, but will their mutual desire for her destroy their friendship forever?  In Spanish with English subtitles. {Mexico}

United Kingdom

About a boy

Weitz, Paul and Chris Weitz - directors. (Universal, c2002.)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .A26 2002

Will is a good-looking, smooth-talking bachelor whose primary goal in life is to avoid any kind of responsibility. So he decides to invent an imaginary son in order to meet attractive single moms. Will gets a lesson about life from a bright but hopelessly geeky 12-year-old named Marcus. Now, as Will struggles to teach Marcus the art of being cool, Marcus teaches Will that you are never too cool to grow up.  [England]

Bend It Like Beckham (DVD)

Gurnider Chadha, writer (features Parminder Nagra). (20th Century Fox, 2003)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .B46 2003

Eighteen year-old Jesminder's parents want her to be a nice, conventional Indian girl. But she wants to play soccer like her hero, David Beckham. Conflicts arise when she is invited to join the local women's team.

Elizabeth : the golden age

(Universal Studios Home Entertainment, c2008)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .E455 2008

"In 1585: Philip II's Catholic Spain is the most powerful empire in the world. Only England, ruled by Protestant Elizabeth, stands against him. The Queen is threatened by a depleted treasury, constant threats of assassination, and plots by Philip to install her cousin, Queen Mary of Scotland, on her throne. To which end a great armada is poised to invade England--as punishment for the capture of his treasure-ships, and to make Europe safe for Catholicism--even as Elizabeth's attention is diverted to Sir Walter Raleigh, returned from the New World with two gifts: the territory of Virginia and tobacco. Facing her greatest challenge, Elizabeth must rally her country to safeguard her kingdom, destroy her enemies, and secure her position as "Mother to her people."

Dirty Pretty Things

Frears, Stephen - Director. (Miramax Home Entertainment [2004])
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .D57 2004 DVD

Okwe, an illegal immigrant living in London, was a doctor in his homeland and now works two jobs - a taxi driver during the day, and a hotel desk clerk at night. One night he discovers a human heart in a hotel room toilet and he is soon thrown into the underground world of black-market body organs. In English and Somali.

Johnny was

(First Look Home Entertainment, c2006)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .J66 2006

"Between a drug den run by a Jamaican drug-lord and a pirate radio station, Johnny ends up in the least safe safe-house in the world. He tries to escape his violent past when a former friend shows up and tries to drag him back to his old ways." [Ireland]

Once

(20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, 2007.)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .O53 2007

"A Guy lives in Dublin. He is a guitarist/singer-songwriter who makes a living by fixing vacuum cleaners in his Dad's Hoover repair shop by day. By night, he sings and plays for money on the Dublin streets. A Girl from Czechoslovakia loves to play the piano when she gets a chance. During the day she does odd jobs. At night she takes care of her mom and her daughter. Guy meets Girl, and they get to know each other. Girl helps Guy put together a demo disc so he can take it to London in hope of landing a music contract. At the same time, the Guy and the Girl work through their past loves, and reveal their budding love for one another, through their songs."  [Scottish]

The Secret of Roan Inish

Sayles, John - Director. (Columbia Tristar Home Video, 2000)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .S35 2000 DVD

A magical tale of a girl whose search for her missing brother brings an Irish legend to life.  [Ireland]

Sense & sensibility

(Warner Home Video, 2008)
McNichols Campus Library
PN 1997 .S3905 2008 no.1-2

"Marianne Dashwood wears her heart on her sleeve when she falls in love with the charming but unsuitable John Willoughby, ignoring her sister Elinor's warning that her impulsive behavior leaves her open to gossip and innuendo. Elinor, sensitive to social convention, struggles to conceal her own romantic disappointment, even from those closest to her. Will the sisters learn that sense must mix with sensibility if they are to find personal happiness in a society where status and money govern the rules of love?"  BBC Mini-series based on the novel by Jane Austen. 

Trainspotting

director, Danny Boyle. (Miramax Home Entertainment, 1998)
PN 1997 .T73 1998

"Four friends try to make it in the world on their own terms, turning to heroin to escape the banalities of modern-day existence."  [Scottish]

Cindy Gilham

Associate Librarian
Reference Services
McNichols Campus Library

gillhaca@udmercy.edu
313-993-1810

Scholarly Articles + Databases Research Guides New in the Library Career + Professional

How can we help you?

Back to Top