Tag: world cinema

Kanopy Highlights: Ajami

About a year ago, we rolled out Kanopy, a streaming service that includes hundreds of films from the Criterion Collection and more. We’re happy to see classes and students taking advantage of this great video resource, and we want to spotlight some of the most popular titles from this collection. This week, we’re focusing on … Continue reading “Kanopy Highlights: Ajami”

About a year ago, we rolled out Kanopy, a streaming service that includes hundreds of films from the Criterion Collection and more. We’re happy to see classes and students taking advantage of this great video resource, and we want to spotlight some of the most popular titles from this collection.

This week, we’re focusing on Ajami, a 2009 nominee for Best Foreign Language Film.

Ajami is a mixed-religious neighborhood in Jaffa, Israel, where tensions understandably run high. The film tells a crime story in those streets, intercutting between five different stories told from Jewish and Arab perspectives. The film doesn’t use its interleaving and grittiness just for show; it reveals and humanizes the tensions of a community divided by religion and class.

You can follow this link to watch the film instantly, in your browser, for free with your AU login.

RIP Andrezj Wajda, a voice for Poland in film

Yesterday, Polish director Andrezj Wajda died at age 90. He was among the most distinguished Polish filmmakers of his generation or in general: his accolades include a Palme d’Or for his labor rights film Man of Iron and a 1999 honorary Oscar for his lifetime body of work. As with Man of Iron, many of … Continue reading “RIP Andrezj Wajda, a voice for Poland in film”

Yesterday, Polish director Andrezj Wajda died at age 90. He was among the most distinguished Polish filmmakers of his generation or in general: his accolades include a Palme d’Or for his labor rights film Man of Iron and a 1999 honorary Oscar for his lifetime body of work.

As with Man of Iron, many of Wajda’s works were influenced by his lifetime in Poland during its occupation in World War II and rule over the Soviet Union. Many of his films were challenged or banned by Soviet authorities; he was not able to produce Katyń, a film about a 1940 massacre of the Polish, until after Poland’s independence.

If you want to watch some of Wajda’s impactful, distinctly Polish cinematic vision, we have a number of his films available in the library, including two through streaming.

Ashes and Diamonds – HU DVD 2583 
Danton – HU DVD 5758
Everything for Sale – HU DVD 2626 
A Generation – HU DVD 2581
Kanal – HU DVD 2582 and Streaming
Katyn – HU DVD 6135
Korczak – HU DVD 10546
Man of Iron – HU DVD 3145
Man of Marble – DVD 2014
Penderecki: Paths Through The Labyrinth – Streaming
Promised Land – HU DVD 2655

New Acquisitions – September 2016, Part 2

Yes, part two! A steady stream of DVDs continues to flow into the library, and we’re getting them on the shelves for you. This month in particular had a focus on international films, so let’s talk about those. Pictured above is A Town Called Panic, the first stop-motion film ever screened at the Cannes Film … Continue reading “New Acquisitions – September 2016, Part 2”

Yes, part two! A steady stream of DVDs continues to flow into the library, and we’re getting them on the shelves for you. This month in particular had a focus on international films, so let’s talk about those.

Pictured above is A Town Called Panic, the first stop-motion film ever screened at the Cannes Film Festival. We’ve added a number of movies nominated for the Goya Award (Spain’s equivalent of the Oscar), like Marshland, Living is Easy With Eyes Closed, and the animated foosball comedy Underdogs. We’ve also expanded our collection of Arabic films with My Father is on the Tree and Ghazal Al Banat.

If you want to expand your film appetite beyond our shores, this is a great month to start. Follow on to see what else we have…

Home Use Collection:

Art21: Art in the Twenty-First Century, Season 7 – HU DVD 7146
Episodes, Season 4 – HU DVD 10519
Girls, Season 4 – HU DVD 10833
Hadaka no Shima = The Naked Island – HU DVD 12868
Rothko’s Room – HU DVD 12877
Un-Natural State – HU DVD 13223
The Cat Returns – HU DVD 13290
Corpse Bride – HU DVD 13291
The Prophet – HU DVD 13292
April and the Extraordinary World – HU DVD 13293
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs – HU DVD 13294
A Town Called Panic – HU DVD 13295
Winnie the Pooh – HU DVD 13296
When Marnie Was Here – HU DVD 13297
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time – HU DVD 13298
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time – HU BLU 13298
The Secret of Kells – HU DVD 13299
Der Staat Gegen Fritz Bauer = People v Fritz Bauer – HU DVD 13303
Bronies: The Extremely Unexpected Adult Fans of My Little Pony – HU DVD 13305
Salāmah fī khayr = Everything is Fine – HU DVD 13306
Gabriel Over the White House – HU DVD 13308
The Immortal Story – HU DVD 13309
Ghazal Al Banat – HU DVD 13310
My Golden Days – HU DVD 13311
The Club / Fábula – HU DVD 13312
Shan Ha Gu Ren = Mountains May Depart – HU DVD 13313
A Taste of Honey – HU DVD 13314
The German Doctor – HU DVD 13323
Aferim! – HU DVD 13324
La Isla Mínima = Marshland – HU DVD 13325
Vivir es Fácil Con los Ojos Cerrados = Living is Easy With Eyes Closed – HU DVD 13326
Pelo Malo = Bad Hair – HU DVD 13327
Underdogs – HU DVD 13328
Baran – HU DVD 13329
Hababam Sinifi Merhaba / Hababam Sinifi Askerde – HU DVD 13330
The Judge – HU DVD 13345
102 Minutes That Changed America – HU DVD 13346
The Accused – HU DVD 13347
Cinema’s Exiles: From Hitler to Hollywood – HU DVD 13348
Experimenter: The Stanley Milgram Story – HU DVD 13349
A Married Woman – HU DVD 13350
A Coffee in Berlin – HU DVD 13352
American Crime Story: The People v O.J. Simpson – HU DVD 13353
Space Men – HU DVD 13354
A Murder in the Park – HU DVD 13355
Immigration Battle: Inside Washington’s Fight Over Immigration – HU DVD 13356
The Perfect Crime – HU DVD 13357
Murder of a President – HU DVD 13358
The Mine Wars – HU DVD 13359
Netanyahu at War – HU DVD 13360
Rak Ti Khon Kaen = The Cemetery of Splendor – HU DVD 13362
Bonnie & Clyde – HU DVD 13363
Troublemakers – HU DVD 13377
Sunset Song – HU DVD 13378
Robert Motherwell and the New York School: Storming the Citadel – HU DVD 13379
Peace Officer – HU DVD 13380
Stardust Stricken, Mohsen Makhmalbaf: A Portrait – HU DVD 13381
No Home Movie – HU DVD 13382
Of Men and War – HU DVD 13383
Movie Movie – HU DVD 13384
Simon – HU DVD 13385
The Human Face of Big Data – HU DVD 13386
JFK & LBJ: A Time for Greatness – HU DVD 13387
Modern Romance – HU DVD 13388
The Kennedy Films of Robert Drew and Associates – HU DVD 13390
La Chienne – HU DVD 13391
La Conquête = The Conquest – HU DVD 13405
Quai d’Orsay = French Minister – HU DVD 13406
Confirmation – HU BLU 13407
Diplomatie = Diplomacy – HU DVD 13408
Romeo & Julian – HU DVD 13410
Law & Order, Season 3 – HU DVD 14188
Happy Days, Season 1 – HU DVD 14189
Mork & Mindy, Season 1 – HU DVD 14475
Mork & Mindy, Season 2 – HU DVD 14476
Mork & Mindy, Season 3 – HU DVD 14477
Mork & Mindy, Season 4 – HU DVD 14478
3rd Rock from the Sun, Season 1 – HU DVD 14479
3rd Rock from the Sun, Season 2 – HU DVD 14480
3rd Rock from the Sun, Season 3 – HU DVD 14481
3rd Rock from the Sun, Season 4 – HU DVD 14482
3rd Rock from the Sun, Season 5 – HU DVD 14483
3rd Rock from the Sun, Season 6 – HU DVD 14484

In-Library Titles:

Pioneers of African-American Cinema – DVD 13304
City of Trees – DVD 13307
My Father is on the Tree – DVD 13351
Lighting the 7th Fire – DVD 13361

RIP Abbas Kiarostami, defining voice of Iranian cinema

Over the weekend, Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami died at age 76. Kiarostami was perhaps the greatest and most renowned Iranian filmmaker; he is the only to win a Palme d’Or, had an outsized influence on world cinema, and brought international attention to the Iranian film industry. His admirers include Martin Scorsese and Jean-Luc Godard, who … Continue reading “RIP Abbas Kiarostami, defining voice of Iranian cinema”

Over the weekend, Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami died at age 76. Kiarostami was perhaps the greatest and most renowned Iranian filmmaker; he is the only to win a Palme d’Or, had an outsized influence on world cinema, and brought international attention to the Iranian film industry. His admirers include Martin Scorsese and Jean-Luc Godard, who once reportedly said “Film begins with D.W. Griffith and ends with Abbas Kiarostami.”

Kiarostami’s thematically powerful work often lands on lists of the greatest films ever made, not just for their historical significance but their artistic achievement. His 1997 Palme-winning Taste of Cherry is an milestone in minimalism, with long stretches of silence and inaction that divided audiences on its release.

Below, we’ve included a list of films by Kiarostami, including some shorts included in compilations. You might also consider watching Cinema Asia: Iran (streaming), a documentary about the history of Iranian cinema that mentions Kiarostami’s work.

Segment in Lumière & Company – HU DVD 283
Crimson Gold (screenplay) – HU DVD 928
The Wind Will Carry Us – HU DVD 1334
Ten – HU DVD 1336
Close-Up – HU DVD 1344 and streaming
ABC Africa – DVD 1345
Where is My Romeo? – DVD 4320
Life and Nothing More – DVD 8247
Certified Copy – HU DVD 10031
Segment in Five: 5 Long Takes Dedicated to Yasujiro Ozu – HU DVD 10290
Taste of Cherry – HU DVD 10375
Where is the Friend’s Home – HU DVD 11633 
Like Someone in Love – HU DVD 11684
Through the Olive Trees – HU DVD 12018

Arabian Sights Film Festival brings its twentieth year to Friendship Heights

From From A to B We’re close to the start of the unending stream of Halloween-related activities, but the rest of the world doesn’t stop in October. There are plenty of film happenings around DC this month, so let’s talk about one of the cooler ones, the twentieth anniversary of the Arabian Sights Film Festival. … Continue reading “Arabian Sights Film Festival brings its twentieth year to Friendship Heights”

From From A to B

We’re close to the start of the unending stream of Halloween-related activities, but the rest of the world doesn’t stop in October. There are plenty of film happenings around DC this month, so let’s talk about one of the cooler ones, the twentieth anniversary of the Arabian Sights Film Festival.

Sponsored by Filmfest DC and the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates, Arabian Sights is one of DC’s best annual showcases of Arab cinema, and it takes place in our backyard at the AMC Mazza Gallerie in Friendship Heights. From October 16th to October 25th, you can catch ten new films, as well as a discussion panel titled The New Arab Cinema. On the 24th, you are also invited to a free happy hour event celebrating twenty years of the festival.

Each screening costs $13, which is a pretty good price. You can buy tickets in advance from the Filmfest DC website, or you can buy them at the door. Either way, this should all be very tempting for fans of world cinema. If you need to get a little culture in before everything turns to skeletons in a few weeks, Arabian Sights is only a quick walk from AU campus.

RIP William Becker, the unsung hero of world cinema

A week and a half ago, film distributor William Becker died. His name is not a recognizable one, and his quiet work at Janus Films and the Criterion Collection left a massive imprint on how we consume visual media. As the co-owner of Janus Films starting in 1965, Becker oversaw the importation of many influential … Continue reading “RIP William Becker, the unsung hero of world cinema”

A week and a half ago, film distributor William Becker died. His name is not a recognizable one, and his quiet work at Janus Films and the Criterion Collection left a massive imprint on how we consume visual media.

As the co-owner of Janus Films starting in 1965, Becker oversaw the importation of many influential works of world cinema to American shores. He deserves partial credit for the success and influence of directors including Bergman, Kurosawa, and Fellini, filmmakers who might not have come to the United States for some time otherwise. He also co-founded the Criterion Collection, which worked closely with Janus Films to release of hundreds of classic works of cinema and popularized the letterbox film display standard. If you’ve watched The 400 Blows on a television, you can thank William Becker for that.

One person alone is of course not responsible for reshaping the arthouse and international film market in America, but Becker’s transformation of Janus Films significantly helped. Criterion and Janus their exceptional work in distributing high-quality transfers of world cinema, and William Becker silently carved out a spot on the film world for that to happen.

Chinese cancer rom-com Go Away Mr. Tumor comes to America – for free!

In 2011, Xiong Dun started an irreverent webcomic about her cancer diagnosis that gained millions of followers before she died a year later. Her comic was adapted into a romantic comedy movie this year, and although it was a success when it was released in China last month, it hasn’t yet come out in the … Continue reading “Chinese cancer rom-com Go Away Mr. Tumor comes to America – for free!”

In 2011, Xiong Dun started an irreverent webcomic about her cancer diagnosis that gained millions of followers before she died a year later. Her comic was adapted into a romantic comedy movie this year, and although it was a success when it was released in China last month, it hasn’t yet come out in the United States. You can be one of the first in the country to see it!

It’s unclear when the film will be publicly released in the United States, but we’re giving away passes to see it at a private screening at the National Geographic Society on Thursday, September 24th at 6:30pm. Variety liked the movie and compared it favorably to thematically similar movies like The Fault in Our Stars and Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, so why not give it a shot? (Assuming you can get past the papal security downtown.)

You can pick up the passes at the Media Services desk in the AU Library (or grab them online here). Please remember as usual to show up early for this screening: the organizer intentionally overbooked this event, so you’ll need to get in line if you want to see it.

We hope you’ll attend! Again, we have no idea when the movie will actually come out in the United States, so this is your best (and cheapest) chance to watch it.

Buenos Aires film festival puts decades of Latin American films online for free

Our comfortable routine of watching major blockbusters and idly browsing Netflix often blinds us to titles we wouldn’t otherwise seek out, and too often, that includes world cinema. Our usual outlets sometimes either downplay or outright omit films from other countries and in other languages. If you want to watch something from elsewhere on the … Continue reading “Buenos Aires film festival puts decades of Latin American films online for free”

Our comfortable routine of watching major blockbusters and idly browsing Netflix often blinds us to titles we wouldn’t otherwise seek out, and too often, that includes world cinema. Our usual outlets sometimes either downplay or outright omit films from other countries and in other languages. If you want to watch something from elsewhere on the globe, where can you start?

If you’re interested in Latin American films, look no further than Cinemargentino, a streaming website that recently got a big kick from the Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema. BAFICI released hundreds of films from the festival’s 16-year library to Cinemargentino, which can now be streamed from free via your browser. The library includes shorts and feature-length videos totaling over 15 hours, guaranteeing you, at the very least, one extremely aggressive day of world cinema.

The deal between BAFICI and Cinemargentino seems to be temporary, so you’ll want to cram those 15 hours in while you can. The site does have plenty of other exciting Latin American film, so even if you miss this window, you still might’ve found your favorite new streaming site.

(Thanks to Professor Jeffrey Middents for tipping us off!)

Watch the suddenly-very-relevant Soy Cuba on the big screen

The normalization of relations between the United States and Cuba this week opens some obvious doors – some are surely counting down the days until legal cigar imports – but it also offers an appropriate moment to revisit cultural history we may have ignored intentionally or otherwise. Post-revolutionary Cuban films are sometimes left out of … Continue reading “Watch the suddenly-very-relevant Soy Cuba on the big screen”

https://silver.afi.com/Browsing/Movies/Details/m-0100000010

The normalization of relations between the United States and Cuba this week opens some obvious doors – some are surely counting down the days until legal cigar imports – but it also offers an appropriate moment to revisit cultural history we may have ignored intentionally or otherwise. Post-revolutionary Cuban films are sometimes left out of world cinema discussions.

A great place to start that discussion is I Am Cuba (Soy Cuba), a visually stunning work depicting pre-revolutionary Cuba and the spirit of its people, including the country’s early cultural tensions with the United States. I Am Cuba was nearly forgotten and languished in Soviet archives for decades before its found new popularity for its striking camerawork and themes. In an almost-too-perfect programming coincidence, the AFI Silver Theatre in Silver Spring will be screening I Am Cuba tomorrow, July 24th, at 4:30pm, with repeat screenings on Sunday and Monday.

Historically, culturally, and artistically, this is a tremendous and once-again relevant film. If you can’t catch it this weekend, you can always borrow our copy from the AU Library (HU DVD 331)

SOC’s International Cinema Series concludes Friday with British film

Back in the fall, SOC teamed up with the National Gallery of Art to kick off the International Cinema Series, a year-long roster of world cinema screenings and discussions. Over the course of the academic year, the series has covered Italy, China, Greece, the Czech Republic, and Brazil. This Friday, the International Cinema Series wraps … Continue reading “SOC’s International Cinema Series concludes Friday with British film”

Back in the fall, SOC teamed up with the National Gallery of Art to kick off the International Cinema Series, a year-long roster of world cinema screenings and discussions. Over the course of the academic year, the series has covered Italy, China, Greece, the Czech Republic, and Brazil.

This Friday, the International Cinema Series wraps up with Ken Loach’s Spirit of ’45, a documentary about changes in the United Kingdom after the end of World War II. Prior to the screening, SOC will host a reception featuring guest speaker Paul Smith, Director of the US British Council and Cultural Counselor at the British Embassy. These NGA events have been terrific so far, and we expect this one to be great too.

The reception begins at 6:30pm on Friday, April 10th near the Forman Theater in MGC. The film will begin at 7pm.