Category: Non-English Film

On the fourth of his mandated five years of teaching training, slacker Sherab Dorji is sent to the remotest part of Bhutan to teach at a small mountain village school when he’d rather be playing music in Australia. He arrives completely unprepared but quickly finds inspiration in the local culture. I commend the Bhutanese happiness ideal that leads them to ensure the education of even its most remote citizens. Unfortunate the film is not a particularly original take on a fish out of water tale. The setting is gorgeous at least and provides a view into a charming, lesser seen culture.

Oscar Nomination: Best International Feature Film

A semi-autobiographical tale of the director’s life, the film follows Filippo Scotti as a teenaged loner living in 1980s Naples. The first half establishes the relationships and quirks among his extended family members and neighbors, a group of mean-spirited, soccer-loving Italians. Then tragedy strikes and Scotti’s character is suddenly forced to grow up. That middle moment is the best part of the film with real tenderness, affection, and heartbreak shown by the characters. The first part is grossly littered with moments of making fun of others and generally treating people horribly. I’ve probably just seen too many male coming of age stories to really get behind the objectifying of women and adults taking sexual advantage of boys to appreciate the changes that the character goes through. The Italian scenery is gorgeous at least.

Oscar Nomination: Best International Feature Film

The firemen of a small Czechoslovakian town are hosting a ball in honor of their chief’s retirement. With the whole town invited, there are many activities planned: dancing, an raffle, and a beauty pageant. Unfortunately, before the event even begins, nothing really goes as planned. It started a bit slow for me, but my appreciation and amusement grew as the ball went on. Some of this progression is do to jokes that require some build up to a rather funny ending. 

Oscar Nomination: Best Foreign Language Film

After he and two of his childhood friends carry out a sniper attack on an Israeli soldier, Adam Bakri’s titular character is captured and coerced into becoming a collaborator. His situation is further complicated by his love for one of his friends’ sister and finding the traitor in their group who tipped off the authorities. I hadn’t intended to watch so many films on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict but it was one of those weird coincidences in my library check-outs. This was rather similar to the same director’s Paradise Now . I think I prefer Paradise Now as a film, but this one does have a more multi-faceted story and also includes a more thorough look at the hopeless situation of collaborators which was referenced in that other film.

Oscar Nomination: Best Foreign Language Film of the Year

Two childhood friends living in Nablus are recruited to carry out suicide bombings in Tel Aviv. On the day chosen for the attack, they make it through the military checkpoint, but are forced to flee from guards, separating for the remainder of the day with neither knowing what happened to the other. It’s a delicate, human telling of the two young men’s histories and the conditions in their lives that lead them to this point without necessarily glorifying the choices they have made.

Oscar Nomination: Best Foreign Language Film of the Year