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David 
I dare you to try
Joined: 27 Jul 2003
Location: Andromeda
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| Post subject: 50 films from 50 countries |  |
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As most of you will know, I've been passionate about international cinema for nearly as long as I've been posting here. But I realised a few months ago that I'd only seen films from a little over 50 countries – which is perhaps more than most people, but still not all that much when you consider there are 197 independent countries in the world (give or take a few).
To partially rectify this, and address some of the blind spots in my viewing (I've seen little from Africa or Latin America, for instance), I've decided to spend this year watching 50 films from 50 countries I've never seen anything from before. I've been writing about each one I watch here:
https://davidheslin.com/tag/50-countries-project/
Feel free to have a look if you're interested and let me know what you think. Perhaps it might inspire you to see something new as well!
_________________
All watched over by machines of loving grace |
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David
I dare you to try
Joined: 27 Jul 2003
Location: Andromeda
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Here's the full list of countries and films I plan to review, by the way. Some of the titles are pretty evocative on their own...
Algeria: Chronicle of the Years of Fire
Angola: Sambizanga
Bangladesh: Clay Bird
Bolivia: Zona Sur
Bulgaria: The Peach Thief
Burundi: Gito, the Ungrateful
Chad: A Screaming Man
Costa Rica: Cold Seawater
Cuba: I Am Cuba
Dominican Republic: Sand Dollars
Ecuador: Between Marx and the Naked Woman
Estonia: Somnambulance
Ethiopia: Harvest: 3000 Years
Guatemala: Ixcanul
Guinea-Bissau: The Blue Eyes of Yonta
Haiti: Moloch Tropical
Iraq: My Sweet Pepper Land
Jamaica: Rockers
Kazakhstan: Kairat
Kyrgyzstan: The Adopted Son
Latvia: Spider
Lebanon: The Ring Seller
Liechtenstein: Eugenie Sex Happening
Lithuania: Summer of Sangaile
Luxembourg: Little Secrets
Macedonia: Before the Rain
Madagascar: When the Stars Meet the Sea
Malaysia: I Don't Want to Sleep Alone
Malta: The Cage
Mauritania: Waiting for Happiness
Morocco: A Thousand Months
Niger: Le Wazzou Polygame
North Korea: Centre Forward
Pakistan: The Blood of Hussain
Papua New Guinea: Sapos
Peru: The Green Wall
Philippines: Norte, or the End of History
Samoa: The Orator
Singapore: 15
Slovakia: The Garden
South Africa: Farewell Johnny
Sri Lanka: Ice on Fire
Syria: Everyday Life in a Syrian Village
Tajikistan: To Get to Heaven, First You Have to Die
Tunisia: A Summer in La Goulette
United Arab Emirates: Sea Shadow
Uruguay: Acne
Uzbekistan: Abdulladzhan, or Dedicated to Steven Spielberg
Venezuela: Orinoko, Nuevo Mundo
Yemen: I Am Nojoom, Age 10 and Divorced
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All watched over by machines of loving grace |
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think positive
Side By Side
Joined: 30 Jun 2005
Location: somewhere
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Couple of countries I haven't heard of there, and none of the movies, boy there is some strange titles in there -one sounds like a recruiting movie for suicide bombers, there's a porno, and a teen flick, Acne? Strange ones!
I still think you picked the wrong one from Madagascar!
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You cant fix stupid, turns out you cant quarantine it either! |
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HAL
Please don't shout at me - I can't help it.
Joined: 17 Mar 2003
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| And some strange titles in there -one sounds like a recruiting movie for suicide bombers there's a porno and a teen flick Acne is Couple of countries he or she haven't heard of there and none of the movies boy there. |
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stui magpie 
Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.
Joined: 03 May 2005
Location: In flagrante delicto
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Why?
You've basically described what would be an effective form of torture for me.
_________________
Every dead body on Mt Everest was once a highly motivated person, so maybe just calm the **** down. |
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swoop42 
Whatcha gonna do when he comes for you?
Joined: 02 Aug 2008
Location: The 18
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I'm prepared to do 50 porn movies featuring women from 50 different countries.
Err come to think of it I probably achieved that quite some years back.
As you were.
_________________
He's mad. He's bad. He's MaynHARD! |
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stui magpie
Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.
Joined: 03 May 2005
Location: In flagrante delicto
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^
next step having sex with woman from 50 different countries?
_________________
Every dead body on Mt Everest was once a highly motivated person, so maybe just calm the **** down. |
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Pies4shaw 
pies4shaw
Joined: 08 Oct 2007
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One of the best (and most enjoyable) films I ever saw was one from Tunisia or Senegal called "The Money Order" (or something similar - it was a long time ago). I went expecting nothing (it was part of a double-bill with something else I wanted to see - probably a Bunuel film, I can't really remember) and was totally riveted by the close observation of what happens to people when their cultural norms are disrupted by an unexpected event. It was also very, very funny.
At the same time, I appreciate that there are probably a lot of dreadful, unwatchable movies from Tunisia and Senegal.
In those circumstances, I am very happy for David to watch, sift, review and offer some guidance. Someone should. And I don't have the time to watch all of them to find the few I might like.
It's like saying "Mark Rylance is in it, I'll go" - but a little more sophisticated as a sifting mechanism. |
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David
I dare you to try
Joined: 27 Jul 2003
Location: Andromeda
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| stui magpie wrote: | ^
next step having sex with woman from 50 different countries? |
Now now, let's be realistic here. Most of us here would be happy with 1. 
| stui magpie wrote: | Why?
You've basically described what would be an effective form of torture for me. |
I don't doubt it! I guess this project marries two passions of mine: cinema and geography. I'm genuinely interested in the world's various cultures and ways of life, and I feel really quite ignorant about many parts of the world. There's only so much a fictional film can teach you about that, of course (and some of them may present quite a distorted view), but just by watching a film like that I think you do get little insights. And I hope it will also introduce me to new filmmakers that I might have been missing out on because that part of the world was off my radar.
| think positive wrote: | | Couple of countries I haven't heard of there, and none of the movies, boy there is some strange titles in there -one sounds like a recruiting movie for suicide bombers, there's a porno, and a teen flick, Acne? Strange ones! |
Indeed! It gets even wackier – there's a musical from Lebanon, a bad sci-fi flick from Uzbekistan, an inspirational sports movie (!!) from North Korea and a historical epic from Pakistan. It's certainly going to be an experience!
_________________
All watched over by machines of loving grace |
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stui magpie
Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.
Joined: 03 May 2005
Location: In flagrante delicto
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Fair enough.
If you're doing it to learn about cultures, not sure if that will work but I get the principle. I watch movies for escapism and entertainment, not to learn things.
If you have aspirations to work in the film industry, it can't hurt.
Where the hell did you choose/find these movies?
Random downloads? Burgled a mad man's DVD collection?
_________________
Every dead body on Mt Everest was once a highly motivated person, so maybe just calm the **** down. |
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swoop42
Whatcha gonna do when he comes for you?
Joined: 02 Aug 2008
Location: The 18
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| stui magpie wrote: | ^
next step having sex with woman from 50 different countries? |
Prostitutes are expensive.
_________________
He's mad. He's bad. He's MaynHARD! |
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David
I dare you to try
Joined: 27 Jul 2003
Location: Andromeda
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| Pies4shaw wrote: | One of the best (and most enjoyable) films I ever saw was one from Tunisia or Senegal called "The Money Order" (or something similar - it was a long time ago). I went expecting nothing (it was part of a double-bill with something else I wanted to see - probably a Bunuel film, I can't really remember) and was totally riveted by the close observation of what happens to people when their cultural norms are disrupted by an unexpected event. It was also very, very funny.
At the same time, I appreciate that there are probably a lot of dreadful, unwatchable movies from Tunisia and Senegal.
In those circumstances, I am very happy for David to watch, sift, review and offer some guidance. Someone should. And I don't have the time to watch all of them to find the few I might like.
It's like saying "Mark Rylance is in it, I'll go" - but a little more sophisticated as a sifting mechanism. |
I'll have to keep an eye out for the Tunisian film you mention. Hope you find some of my reviews useful; if I can give anyone a lead to a film they might have otherwise not had the chance to see, that's wonderful. Let me know if you do end up seeing any of the films (and also if I can help facilitate that process, given how difficult many of them are to find).
| stui magpie wrote: | Where the hell did you choose/find these movies?
Random downloads? Burgled a mad man's DVD collection? |
Mostly the former! There are a few dedicated download sites out there that function as detailed film databases, so I was able to do quite a bit of research before settling on my final list. I also asked around on Facebook and elsewhere and got a few good recommendations that way. 
_________________
All watched over by machines of loving grace |
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Mugwump
Joined: 28 Jul 2007
Location: Between London and Melbourne
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^ I still haven't forgiven you for the stupendous 3-hour Persian narcolepsy that was "The Wind will carry Us". On my death bed, I'll still be asking for my time back on that one.
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Two more flags before I die! |
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David
I dare you to try
Joined: 27 Jul 2003
Location: Andromeda
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Stay with me here, Mugwump. I'll convert you yet.
_________________
All watched over by machines of loving grace |
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think positive
Side By Side
Joined: 30 Jun 2005
Location: somewhere
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| swoop42 wrote: | | stui magpie wrote: | ^
next step having sex with woman from 50 different countries? |
Prostitutes are expensive. |
Get yourself a blind nympho and get her to dress up.
FYI I'd take the pornos over Davids choices
_________________
You cant fix stupid, turns out you cant quarantine it either! |
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