Or do a few countries, but limit yourself to one movie from each country. Basically just recommend a movie from there you love dearly and want others to see.
Japan - Paprika. I know, a animated movie. But, they have a wonderful animation history and Paprika is the peak. Not even a Miyazaki movie and not a children’s movie. Check it out. And prepare for your mind to be blown.
Great Britain - In Bruges. Well, this is one of my choices for top movies of the last decade, so no shock here. Just an amazing movie.
Ireland - Calvary. Now, I’m cheating because this is also a British movie, but I believe this was funded by the Irish government, while In Bruges is British-American. A story about a priest who is…good. Not a film about a rotten priest, but rather one about someone trying to do the right thing. Love it.
China - House of Flying Daggers - Not a hugely shocking choice here. China’s best director and certainly one of all movies best cinematographers. A great score as well.
Japan --* Ikiro*. Early Kurosawa. A small, personal story that will stick with you for years.
Mexico – El. A story of perverse sexual obsession by Luis Bunuel.
France – Playtime. One of the greatest comedies every made. NOTE: see this on as wide a screen as possible.
Sweden – Cries and Whispers. Ingmar Bergman at his darkest, but a gripping movie.
Russia – Don Quixote. An excellent adaptation of the book, with the amusement of hearing the name “Don Kikhot de le Mancheski” used all the time.
Ivory Coast – Black and White in Color. A WWI comedy set in Africa, where the French and German decide the have to fight. The title is a pun in French.
Botswana – The Gods Must Be Crazy. How life is upset by new technology – in this case, a Coke bottle.
Iran – Children of Heaven. Wonderful story of a boy who loses the family’s only pair of shoes and how he has to work to replace them
Afghanistan – Osama. Life under the Taliban, where a girl has to pretend to be a boy to work. The final scene is one of the most horrifying in film history.
Germany-Wings of Desire. Wim Wenders film about invisible, immortal angels who watch the citizens of Berlin. One falls in love with a woman after observing her and decides to become mortal and come to earth.
Bosnia-No Man’s Land. Two wounded soldiers from opposite sides of the Bosnian war are caught together between their respective lines. Winner of the 2001 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language film.
Chile - Nostalgia for the Light. Interviews and desert landscapes weave together astronomy and devastating personal loss stemming from the Pinochet regime.
Japan - Rashomon
Greece/Algeria - Z
China - Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
I haven’t seen the Iranian film A Separation, but everything I’ve read has praised it.
Spain - Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Bat Shit Crazy Penelope Cruz was amazing.
Turns out my other ‘off the top of my head’ foreign movie was also Cruz and also from Spain (Volver), instead I’ll give you Rabbit Proof Fence from Australia.
Germany - Nowhere in Africa. About Jews who flee from Nazi Germany to Kenya. Surprisingly beautiful, lyrical use of the German language. Won the 2002 Academy Award.
France and Belgium (joint production) - Rust and Bone. About a killer whale trainer and a fighter, but really complex and surprising.
Argentina – Motorcycle Diaries, about a young Ernesto Guevarra (including how he got that odd nickname).
Sweden – The Apple War, early '70s weirdness about mythical beings and a crazy German developer who wants to build Deutchneyland. Not an amazing movie, but a lot of fun; rather obscure and only possible to see in parts on youtube, unless you are in Sweden.
Colombia: Karen llora en un bus (Karen Cries on the Bus) best film nominee Cartagena Film Festival 2011
For my most diverse nomination… Train Station had 42 directors with a multitude of nationalities represented. Wikipedia cites it as a “American-Colombian-Iranian-Kenian-German-Romanian-Spanish-Chinese-British-Greek-Japanese-South African-Portuguese-Emirati-Indian-Brazilian-Filipino-Italian-Argentine-Hong Kongese-Malaysian-Norwegian co-production.”
Spain, Belle Epoque. Had The Bestest Boyfriend in tears despite not knowing a thing about the historical and social background and having to read the subtitles. The second time he fell off his armchair laughing I suggested staying on the floor, he did.
Finland, Iron Sky. Yes, some of it is overacted. It’s on purpose, ok?
Finland: *Maa on syntinen laulu * (The Earth Is a Sinful Song). An ill-fated love affair in a remote Finnish village. Glacial pace. Beautiful scenery. Weird film.
Sweden: Tillsammans (Together). Follows a small group of communists-feminists-anarchists sharing a house in 1970s Stockholm. Are they as free as they pretend to be? Great soundtrack. Even greater nostalgia value.
Belgium: C’est arrivé près de chez vous (Man Bites Dog). A film crew follows a cruel, remorseless but surprisingly funny and philosophical serial killer as he goes about murdering just about anyone who crosses his path. They slowly find themselves drawn to and ultimately taking part in his gruesome crimes. Not a fan of seriously dark humour? Don’t watch this.
