What is your favorite foreign film?

What is your favorite foreign song?

My favorite foreign film as of recently is VOLVER!

I don’t recall the name of it, it has just been too long. I really liked this spanish film I saw many many years ago. There was also a Turkish film that I really liked when my son was a baby. I won’t even try to think of that one. I don’t speak Turkish, but the story was obvious.

Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon is one favorite. I saw that movie a year or two before it was officially released, and I loved the way they showed human ability that ‘we have forgotten’ about. It was an enchanting story. My favorite song though is that new chicken dance that is huge in south east asia. ;)

99 Luftballoons all the way!!!

(BTW, if you own the Wedding Crashers DVD definitely make sure to check out the deleted scene where they do the karoake version of it…Classic!)

I love Life is Beautiful (Italian). It’s sad, but it touches me. I also love Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (Hindi)…it’s long but entertaining! Indian dancers are so talented! I hadn’t heard of 99 Luftballoons, I will have to look into it.

I feel I need to get an update on foreign films now. I am going to have to check out some of these. :)

Dave, I know what you mean. My life has been somewhat limited the past few years to Bollywood and American Films. I’d like to on a whim rent something different and fall in love with it. My problem is that it’s hard to find time to watch a movie…I am usually doing two other things at the same time and more listening than watching and if I have to read subtitles that is not going to work well. But that is life with a toddler underfoot.

heyy
my favorite film is the God father, il Padrino, le Parrain (american, talking about italian mafia). i think everybody saw it :d

My favorite foreign song and artist is" Ich bin von Kopf bis FuB auf Liebe
eingestellt" by Marlene Dietrich and “Lili Marlene”

Stephanie, I love Volver…and basically all of Almodóvar’s movies of the past 10 years (Habla con Ella/Talk to Her, Todo sobre mi madre/All about my Mother, Mala Educación/Bad Education, etc).

I also love Once (out of Dublin) and The Price of Milk (New Zealand).

Songs, well there are so many. The last foreign music I bought was Antonio González…flamenco musician.

Liz,

Yah I just saw it not too long ago…and I loved it!! One of my favorites now. My boyfriend gets annoyed when I say I want to see it again, apparently it wasn’t one of his. I don’t think he likes the subtitle deal :)

My husband and I frequently decide on which movie to watch by saying “do you want to read a movie tonight?” Our decision is usually based on whether we want to multitask during the movie.

The best film ever: “Die Donau” (Danube). Incredible, umwerfend, absolutely the greatest. Nowhere to find, to buy, to watch again… (saw it once on a German movies festival in Poland and looking for it everywhere since there – 0 results:()
I love German films in general, but something what I would choose also… “Das Leben der Anderen” (Lives of the others) – beautiful. And “Die Anatomie” (Anatomy) – old but just great. Oh, and “Problemzone Mann”… and the greatest soap opera ever “Verliebt in Berlin”;)

Polish movies – oh, so many…, but maybe: “Jutro bedzie niebo” (Tomorrow there will be heaven) and “Seksmisja” (Sexmission), and… too many…

And Bollywood has something, too. The best here: “Kal Ho Naa Ho”.

Crouching Tiger… is great, Life is beautiful too, and il Padrino – ah!

And the song: hier the list would never end… Herbert Grönemeyer’s “Schmetterlinge im Eis”(butterflies in the ice), Die Ärzte “Ich bin der lustige Astronaut” and thousands of others… oh, and Rammstein “Du riechst so gut” and “Du hast”… and 99 Luftballoons von Nena, too!!!!
and “Ederlezi” by Goran Bregovic… and millions more….

Oh, and “Jeanny” by Falco and a newer version by Raemon and Xavier Naidoo!

Wow, great list Iwona! I will have to check them out!

Iwona I loved Kal Ho Naa Ho too. Bollywood is so talented! I love that you can see the music videos on YouTube too, it’s great!

For films, I have so many: Lagaan; Cidade de deus, Devils on the Doorstep, Oldboy, Fallen Angels, Nueve Reinas, Bad Boy Bubby (Australian), and anything by Almodóvar.

For music: Los fabulosos cadillacs are one of my favorite bands of all time. But Mano Chau is up there, along with Il ballo de matone (spelling?) by Rita Pavone, believe it or not.

Ryan, I’m noticing a trend – Devils on the Doorstep, Fallen Angels, Bad Boy Bubby. Interesting titles! ;)

I need to get caught up on foreign films too. Machuca was good. My favorite foreign song is “que me des tu carino” by Juan Luis Guerra. The lyrics are so beautiful.

Ha! Yes, I apparently travel in the wrong cinematic circles.

My favorite foreign film is either ‘Cidade de Deus’ or ‘Tropa de Elite’ (Both Brazilian).
Outstanding movies!

And my favorite foreign song would have to be ‘Boa Sorte’ by ‘Vanessa da Mata’
A friend of mine from Brazil introduced me to that song, it was the first Brazilian song i’ve ever heard and it gave me more motivation to learn Portuguese :) It also has ‘Ben Harper’ singing a translation on what she says in Portuguese, which is a plus for me hehe.

It’s hard to pick one favorite, but here are my favorites.

Polyglot Picks:

1. After the Rain (English, Serbian, Albanian)
2. Latcho Drom (Gypsy/Roma songs in a wide variety of languages)
3. I wish I could remember the title of this movie – it was in Russian, Mandarin, Mongolian and Manchurian about a Mongolian family. I want to say “East of Heaven” but that’s not it. If anyone knows what this movie is, please post it since I would love to see it again.

Emir Kusturica (Bosnian, Serbian)
Iwona mentioned Ederlezie – the film it is from (Time of the Gypsies) is amazing too, with lots of great music.

1. Time of the Gyspies
2. Black Cat, White Cat
3. Underground

Comedy:

1. The Mad Adventures of Rabbi Jacob
   We had this only in French for a long time and the whole family adored it, even those who didn’t understand any French. Laugh-out-loud physical comedy from Louis de Funès.

Bollywood:

1. Hum Aapke Hain Koun
   There are a lot of great songs in this film, and extraordinary dancing by Salman and Madhuri. Fascinating study of Punjabi life-cycle celebrations. Funny, romantic, poignant, fascinating.
   My favorite songs from it:
   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyJoeduGpJI&feature=related (Can you handle this level of romance?)
   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eP1nuf2TIH8&feature=user (“Give the shoes, take the cash!”)
   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2V56f0xZNqw&feature=related (Awesome chick in drag pretends to woo sister-of-the-bride – must see to end! Even more amazing with subtitles..)

1. Dil Se (Political romantic drama – Shah Rukh Khan in Ladakh – famous song with people dancing on the moving train!: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMsv3MrbDcs)
2. Dil : Madhuri and Aamir Khan – romantic comedy
3. Hey Ram Serious film about Mumbai riots and the impact of partition on India
4. Deepa Mehta films (Water, Earth, Fire, etc)
5. Anything where Govinda dances – that chubby man can shake it better than any of them!
   So many good ones!!!

Italian:

1. Fellini Satyricon
   I have a perverted thing for this perverted flick and have since early adolescence. Everything except for the amputations is gorgeous, sensual and transporting.
2. Umberto D Not sure why this one has always moved me. Maybe it’s because I saw it as a child first and we had old people living in the house with us.

Russian

1. Andrei Rublyov
2. Scarecrow (Чучело)

Other

1. Ikira (Kurosawa) – The Japanese Umberto D
2. The Seventh Seal (Bergman)
3. Satyajit Ray films (in Bengali)
4. Luis Buñuel films are – uh – intruiging, if not altogether salutory. Ahem.
5. Werner Herzog films (German) are depressing, but eerie and beautifully made
6. Krzysztof Kieślowski (Polish) Double Life of Veronique and the Three Colors series: eerie and gorgeous

I better stop now – lol.

How about i recommend to Argentinian movies? They are, of course, in spanish and are great movies:
Cenizas del Paraiso (Ashes from Paradise)
Caballos Salvajes (Wilde Horses)

They both share a few actors, great actors from this country. Try watching them if you can, they are worth it. Let me know your thoughts afterwards.

Sue

Ley del Deseo by Almodóvar
Átame by Almodóvar
Hable con Ella by Almodóvar
Matador by Almodóvar
Jamón, Jamón by Bigas Luna
Bleu with Juliette Binoche
Trainspotting
Motorcycle Diaries
Amores Perros
Sexo, Pudor y Lágrimas
House of Flying Daggers
Anything by Monty Python
Ma vie en rose
Il Monstro with Roberto Bellini

I also like a lot of little independent Spanish films but I don’t remember their names..
;)