Category: The World

The Best Countries

(January 24, 2018)

A while back, I watched a film and drank a cocktail from each country on Earth, but it occurred to me just now that I had never done any visualisation of where on Earth the good movies and drinks are. Since I had the data semi-readible available, I whipped up some charts. Here’s the film … Continue reading The Best Countries

World of Films and Cocktails Redux

(October 21, 2017)

It’s over! I was dared to do a “one film from every country” blog series, and I upped that by adding “yeah, sure, and I’ll do a cocktail from every country, too”.  Because I’m stupid. The cocktail bit turned out to be more of a problem than the film bit. Even though it’s a silly … Continue reading World of Films and Cocktails Redux

WFC Swaziland: Fool in a Bubble

(October 20, 2017)

*gasp* This is the last film in this blog series, and it’s from Swaziland, apparently. But mostly South Africa? Durban’s in South Africa, isn’t it? Anyway, it’s a documentary about a musician called Syd Kitchen, and the premise is apparently that if only it hadn’t been for the anti-apartheid boycott, he’d like be world famous. … Continue reading WFC Swaziland: Fool in a Bubble

WFC Togo: Ashakara

(October 13, 2017)

It’s a pretty grainy transfer, but it kinda suits the film, because it’s kinda odd. It’s about an African scientist discovering the cure for a mysterious disease (AIDS isn’t mentioned) in a jungle plant, and people trying to exploit this cure. Which involves a satellite uplink that’s being run by an AI? For some reason? … Continue reading WFC Togo: Ashakara

WFC Luxembourg: Elles

(October 6, 2017)

This isn’t a very Luxembourgian (that a word) film. It’s a Belgian/French/Luxembourgassian/Portuguese/Spanish/Swiss coproduction, but it was stil lthe Luxembourg submission for the Oscars that year. That it’s a European copro-duction is usually not a good sign: You often get a neutered lowest common demoninator sausage from that factory, but I kinda had hopes for this … Continue reading WFC Luxembourg: Elles

WFC Samoa: O le tulafale

(September 23, 2017)

I thought I had only physical films left, but here’s another Amazon video find. The other three remaining films are still stuck in the mail somewhere. Bordelinx seems to have possibly lost a bunch of my packages, and aren’t responsing to any queries. *sigh* I must admit that I found this film rather befuddling. There’s … Continue reading WFC Samoa: O le tulafale

WFC Greenland: Inuk

(September 22, 2017)

Gah! This DVD only has German subtitles. Two of them! Some of the dialogue is in Danish, though, and I can kinda sorta almost read German, so I decided to go for it anyway. I’m shocked at how much German I’m able to parse. Movies from Greenland have a tendency to focus on the more … Continue reading WFC Greenland: Inuk

WFC Andorra: Devil Kiss

(September 22, 2017)

There are apparently several films that are from Andorra (and not Spanish films with an Andorran co-production credit), but this is not one of them. Because they’re impossible to find. This is one of those 70s Spanish horror/sex films, probably made for the international market since it’s dubbed into English. I googled it, and apparently … Continue reading WFC Andorra: Devil Kiss

WFC Cyprus: μικρο εγκλημα

(September 15, 2017)

This is a lighthearted comedy about a junior policeman in a small village that just can’t get any respect, but starts investigating a mysterious death anyway. It’s fun! Good actors, beautiful scenery, and it’s inventive despite pursuing pretty well-known tropes. The many, many different ways he imagined that the death had taken place are very … Continue reading WFC Cyprus: μικρο εγκλημα

WFC Uzbekistan: The Keeper

(September 9, 2017)

Uzbekistan looks very modern. I found this short on Youtube. Oy vey. I did like the fake “paused” shots, so: The Keeper. Otabek Djuraev. 2013. Uzbekistan. Grape + Sage Holiday Kompot Cocktail 12 parts red grapes 4 parts water 2 parts sage leaves 1 part honey champagne Cut the grapes and sage leaves. Put the … Continue reading WFC Uzbekistan: The Keeper

WFC Western Sahara: Life is Waiting: Referendum and Resistance in Western Sahara

(September 9, 2017)

I found this documentary on Amazon Prime. It’s a very… modern… documentary. That is, a typical cut lasts for about a second, and it’s filmed with very shaky shakycam, and the soundtrack is cacophonous. Get off my lawn! But it manages to convey a lot (a lot!) of information about Western Sahara, a country that … Continue reading WFC Western Sahara: Life is Waiting: Referendum and Resistance in Western Sahara

WFC Tanzania: People of the Forest

(September 9, 2017)

This is a film about chimpanzees in Tanzania. (Which I’ve learned has the stress on the middle “a” from watching other films from around this area in Africa. Tanzaaania.) It’s one of those very old-fashioned ones where you have a narrator that explains what all the animals are thinking and feeling, and there’s a narrative … Continue reading WFC Tanzania: People of the Forest

WFC Tuvalu: ThuleTuvalu

(September 9, 2017)

This Amazon Prime find is made by a Swiss director, but it’s about Greenland and Tuvalu, juxtaposing the effect of climate change on the two places. It’s a very good good documentary, managing to tell most of the story through the voices of the affected people. No talking heads constantly intercutting the footage with serious … Continue reading WFC Tuvalu: ThuleTuvalu

WFC Benin: Africa Paradis

(September 8, 2017)

“avec toi” I found this sci-fi film on Youtube. It didn’t have English subtitles, but I noticed that Youtube now provides “auto-captioning” for select films. In addition, they also have machine translations of these captions, so I went for it. I think the conclusion, after rolling on the floor, laughing, for an hour and a … Continue reading WFC Benin: Africa Paradis

WFC Saint Kitts and Nevis: New Year Parade Day St. Kitts SugarMas 2016

(September 8, 2017)

This is a… documentary… on Youtube… OK, I’m so ashamed of myself! This is a random clip from Youtube! There’s supposed to be one single real film from St. Kitts and or Nevis, but it’s nowhere to be found on the interwebs! Or Amazon! Or Netflix! Or anywhere! Anyway, looks like they had fun. All … Continue reading WFC Saint Kitts and Nevis: New Year Parade Day St. Kitts SugarMas 2016

WFC Djibouti: Men in the Arena

(September 8, 2017)

Was this what 45 was thinking of? Yes! Djibouti! This is more of an American/Somali film than a Djibouti (that’s a word), but there is some Djiboutian (that’s a word) interest… because of the… football… It’s about a football team. I mean, I’m not the right person to say whether a football documentary is a … Continue reading WFC Djibouti: Men in the Arena

WFC Turkmenistan: Alexander’s Lost World

(September 8, 2017)

This is an Australian documentary that can be found on Youtube, but it’s kinda sorta from Turkmenistan. Finding genuine Turkmen films proved rather challenging. As documentaries go, it’s… OK. It’s nice and HD, so plenty of vistaey vistas. There’s a lot of speculation based on how things “must” have been, and isn’t very convincing, really. … Continue reading WFC Turkmenistan: Alexander’s Lost World

WFC Mauritius: La rencontre

(September 4, 2017)

This is a stylishly shot but rather trivial short about … I guess, insanity and drugs (tl;ds: Don’t Do Drugs). It’s kinda fun, although it goes out of its way to explain all the mysteries it sets up in way too much detail. And it’s not on Youtube, but on Viddsee (sic), which sounds totally … Continue reading WFC Mauritius: La rencontre

WFC Bahamas: Not | Gay

(September 2, 2017)

This is an anthology film, and only one of the four shorts included are from Bahamas. They’re all kinda interesting and quirky. The Bahamian (that’s definitely a word) one is perhaps the quirkiest one: It’s about a guy with an OCD cleaning obsession. It is, unfortunately, the most indifferently filmed one. Hm… I guess I’ll … Continue reading WFC Bahamas: Not | Gay

WFC Gambia: The Exchange: Six Faces of the Gambia

(September 2, 2017)

This documentary can be found on Youtube. I mean imdb(!?). It explicitly says at the beginning that it’s not going to focus on poverty, but is going to show us some interesting people from the Gambia who are doing interesting stuff. And then it does. It’s not very exciting as a film: The cinematography and … Continue reading WFC Gambia: The Exchange: Six Faces of the Gambia

WFC Dominica: Nom Tèw

(September 2, 2017)

This short can be found on Youtube. It’s about a guy who lives in the forest, and we follow him around while he’s gathering food and making food and gathering more food. I quite enjoyed this at the start, but then it started getting a bit fetishistic… Especially the somewhat unmotivated switched between normal speed … Continue reading WFC Dominica: Nom Tèw

WFC Palau: Micronesia: Palau District

(September 2, 2017)

This documentary short can be found on Youtube. It’s a very straightforward film: There’s a narrator who explains everything we’re seeing. Very 50s. Or 60s? But it’s likeable. It includes many scenes of everyday life; people fishing and sowing and just being people, which is enjoyable to watch. And this films marks the halfway point … Continue reading WFC Palau: Micronesia: Palau District

WFC Timor-Leste: A Guerra da Beatriz

(September 1, 2017)

I found this film on Youtube, and it’s kinda very very artifacty. This film tells the story about East Timor’s struggle for liberation (from the Indonesians, synchronicitily (that’s a word) enough) through the eyes of the titular Beatriz. The actors who play the central characters are pretty good, but there’s a lot of stiff acting … Continue reading WFC Timor-Leste: A Guerra da Beatriz

WFC Maldives: Rhymes With Shove

(September 1, 2017)

Sometimes this blog series is so frustrating. There’s a lot of proper films made in the Maldives (for a country of its size), but none of these are available anywhere and/or subtitled in English. So I’m left with this short which can be found on Youtube. “You listen to way too much Neil Young. And … Continue reading WFC Maldives: Rhymes With Shove

WFC Indonesia: Headshot

(September 1, 2017)

Ultraviolence! Kung fu! Amnesia! Drugs! More ultraviolence! They must have had a massive ketchup budget. This is an accomplished and interesting action movie. Nice actors, too. But it somehow lost me after a while and I started thinking about other things. Like looking up Indonesia on the map. Man, that’s a lot of islands. If … Continue reading WFC Indonesia: Headshot

WFC Seychelles: The Return of a King to Seychelles

(August 28, 2017)

This documentary starts with a very fast-paced infodump of the history of the Seychelles and being part of an African empire and… I’m not sure I got it all. It’s very dense and the voiceover guy talks fast. And then we’re in present time and … a king … from… Ghana? (again, he talks fast) … Continue reading WFC Seychelles: The Return of a King to Seychelles

WFC Sudan: Beats of the Antonov

(August 25, 2017)

I acquired this documentary via non-traditional means. You’d think this would be the kind of thing that Amazon Video or Netflix would carry, but no… Anyway, this is about the current Sudanese civil war, which is mainly between the northerners (who totally suck) and the Blue Nile (and Nuba) people in the south (who are … Continue reading WFC Sudan: Beats of the Antonov

WFC Madagascar: Tabataba

(August 25, 2017)

I just can’t figure out what the correct aspect ratio of this film is supposed to be. By default, it plays as a 4:3 film, and everybody looks too skinny and kinda squashed. If I go to 16:9, everybody looks a bit on the wide side. So probably somewhere in between is the right answer… … Continue reading WFC Madagascar: Tabataba

WFC Namibia: Namibia: The Struggle for Liberation

(August 21, 2017)

What they were aiming for with this film is crystal clear: A heaving, empathetic nation building film. And it has one thing going for it, and that’s the beautiful shots from the Savannah. But it’s intensely boring: Every scene a cliché of one kind or another. None of the actors are compelling, either. And while … Continue reading WFC Namibia: Namibia: The Struggle for Liberation

WFC Solomon Islands: A Passage to Anuta

(August 14, 2017)

Yeah, yeah, another Youtube short that isn’t very grounded in the ostensible subject country. Finding films from these Pacific islands states is really, really difficult, and I’d much prefer real movies, not matter how bad (and I’ve seen some very bad films in this series) than these documentary shorts, but… And does anybody know whether … Continue reading WFC Solomon Islands: A Passage to Anuta

WFC Costa Rica: Del amor y otros demonios

(August 7, 2017)

I was unable to find this on DVD or via any of the streaming services with English subtitles, so I had to resort to *ahem* crowd-sourcing. The aspect ratio is slightly off, but I couldn’t figure out how to de-squash-o-vision it, so everybody look kinda skinny. This is a very languid film. Which is something … Continue reading WFC Costa Rica: Del amor y otros demonios

WFC São Tomé og Príncipe: Mionga ki Ôbo: Mar e Selva

(August 5, 2017)

This is a Youtube find. It’s a very personal and intimate documentary about São Tomé (and Príncipe). I’m a sucker for Portuguese, but I don’t think that explains quite why I found this documentary so engrossing. It’s just seems so honest and real. All thumbs up. Mionga ki Ôbo: Mar e Selva. Ângelo Torres. 2005. … Continue reading WFC São Tomé og Príncipe: Mionga ki Ôbo: Mar e Selva

WFC Congo: The Man Who Mends Women

(August 5, 2017)

I had to join the Urban Movie Channel on Amazon to watch this film. It’s not a very urban film. Could there be a euphemism in play here!??!! And apparently that channel doesn’t offer downloading films before watching them, or something? As a result, bits of this film are completely artifact-o-rama. But most bits are … Continue reading WFC Congo: The Man Who Mends Women

WFC Niger: Cocorico! Monsieur Poulet

(August 5, 2017)

A rare French DVD that includes English subtitles. Which reminds me of this comment on imdb about a completely different film: Film. It’s just a shame that the French are killing the African film industry. Why is it so hard to get copies of these films???? What acan we do to help African filmmakers break … Continue reading WFC Niger: Cocorico! Monsieur Poulet

WFC Botswana: March of the Gods: Botswana Metalheads

(August 4, 2017)

I bought this documentary from this site, which turns out to be a Vimeo thing: You pay some money and then you can stream the film or download it, DRM-free. I did the latter, and the video quality is more than adequate: Better than DVD quality, I’d say. Some banding and artifacting, but not too … Continue reading WFC Botswana: March of the Gods: Botswana Metalheads

WFC Comoros: جزر القمر

(August 4, 2017)

This is an episode of the Duroob documentary series found on Youtube. I don’t know what country the TV series is from, really. It could be Saudi Arabia, I guess. It starts off oddly, with the presenter giving a speech about Allah’s Infinite Earth; sort of coaxing the audience to care about the documentary. And … Continue reading WFC Comoros: جزر القمر

WFC Montenegro: Killer Mermaids

(August 2, 2017)

This film is probably more Serbian than Montenegran (that’s a word), but It’s one of those retro horror films, which is something I am totally in the mood for now. You’ve got all the usual slasher elements, and it’s fine. The cinematographer (and editor) sometimes go overboard in their enthusiasm: The fake shakycam is rather … Continue reading WFC Montenegro: Killer Mermaids

WFC Papua New Guinea: Mr. Pip

(August 1, 2017)

I guess this is more of an Australian and or New Zealandish (that’s a word) movie than a Papau New Guinean (that’s definitely a word) movie. “Isn’t that… isn’t that…” “Yes, it is.” Anyway, I found the scoring of this film to be really annoying. Hardly a moment of import goes by without them trucking … Continue reading WFC Papua New Guinea: Mr. Pip

WFC Antigua and Barbuda: The Church

(July 25, 2017)

This short can be found on Youtube. I’m not sure whether it’s a prank or what, but it’s certainly… different. I am amused. [Edit: Apparently this has even less to do with Antigua and/or Barbuda than I thought.  Marco Romano (who seems to have cornered the market for films from San Marino) does not seem … Continue reading WFC Antigua and Barbuda: The Church

WFC Micronesia: Who I Am

(July 24, 2017)

This documentary short is on Youtube. It’s more of an American film than a Micronesian film, but it’s about a “student missionary” (?) who’s stationed in Micronesia. (He wanted to go to South Korea or China or basically anywhere in that area, but (surprise surprise) those places were too racist to accept him, so he … Continue reading WFC Micronesia: Who I Am

WFC Nauru: Nauru 1973

(July 23, 2017)

Nauru has the . Bizarrely enough, when I looked it up on the tablet (to do the balcony die shot shown below), Youtube claims that the film is unavailable, but it shows it just fine on Linux… Anyway, it’s a home movie? What can I say? Nauru 1973. Unknown. 1973. Nauru. Nauru Iced Coffee ground … Continue reading WFC Nauru: Nauru 1973

WFC South Sudan: Ten Minutes is Two Hours

(July 22, 2017)

I found this on Vimeo. Finding films from South Sudan isn’t easy, and this is more of an American experimental/documentary short than South Sudanese (that’s a word, right?) film. But it’s shot in South Sodan, so I liked the film: It’s inventive and affecting, but I also wonder what the people who appeared in it … Continue reading WFC South Sudan: Ten Minutes is Two Hours

WFC Oman: Operation Oman

(July 22, 2017)

I found this documentary on Amazon, and it’s really more of a British film than an Omaranian (that’s a word, right) film. But It’s a straight-up propaganda film about scrappy, idealistic British mercenaries (and soldiers? the film is vague on that point) protecting Oman (and thereby, the rest of the world) from the spread of … Continue reading WFC Oman: Operation Oman

WFC Tajikistan: سکوت‎‎

(July 21, 2017)

I guess this is more of an Iranian film than a Tajikistani (that’s a word, right?) film, but And, wow! What an unexpected delight! An honest-to-goodness avant garde film! Yay! If I had known that this was an Iranian film, this wouldn’t have come as such a surprise, seeing as Iran is really the cultural … Continue reading WFC Tajikistan: سکوت‎‎

WFC Qatar: Divines

(July 21, 2017)

I got this on DVD, but it turned out to only have French subtitles. *sigh* But Netflix had it streaming with English subtitles, so the Ipod to the rescue again. This is the first Netflix film in this blog series: It occurred to me that they might have a larger library of films co-produced by … Continue reading WFC Qatar: Divines

WFC Bahrain: حكاية بحرينية

(July 20, 2017)

This is high melodrama with long-suffering, noble women and harsh, evil men. The actors are highly variable and the cinematigraphy isn’t very exciting, but somehow it still works. It’s fascinatingly odd in parts and rather gripping. And it’s funny, too, in-between the drama. A Bahraini Tale. Bassam Al-Thawadi. 2006. Bahrain. M E Cafe Latte Cocktail … Continue reading WFC Bahrain: حكاية بحرينية

WFC Iceland: Nói albinói

(July 15, 2017)

“I am so in this class. I’m totally not an adult.” This has a very un-colour-corrected look, which is nice. I was a bit thrown at first, wondering why this adult was hanging around at school and living at home with his parents: Was he developmentally challenged or something? But it turned out to just … Continue reading WFC Iceland: Nói albinói

WFC Kuwait: الجزء غير المفقود

(July 3, 2017)

This short is on Youtube. This one, on the other hand… The first sip isn’t. The Unmissing Part. Ahmad Abdullah Alkhudari . 2016. Kuwait. Caramel – Swirl Hot Chocolate water milk chocolate cream sugar caramel sauce rum Dissolve the chocolate in water. Add cream. Allow to cool off. Meanwhile, whip cream with sugar. Swirl in … Continue reading WFC Kuwait: الجزء غير المفقود

WFC Kiribati: Kiribati: Words from the Last Generation

(July 1, 2017)

This documentary is on Youtube. The story it tells is heartbreaking, but it’s edited in that American TV Documentary fashion where there’s not a millisecond of time of silence to digest between each sound bite. While that may be a sound commercial choice for a documentary seeking to get people to take action (against climate … Continue reading WFC Kiribati: Kiribati: Words from the Last Generation

WFC Liberia: The Redemption of General Butt Naked

(July 1, 2017)

This documentary is another Amazon Video find and is perhaps more American than Liberian. It’s about a former Liberian warlord who was even more way out there than the rest: General Butt Naked, who went on naked killing sprees. He’s now reformed and is a Christian preacher. It’s a fascinating film because he’s seems so … Continue reading WFC Liberia: The Redemption of General Butt Naked

WFC San Marino: The Last Alchemist

(June 30, 2017)

There aren’t many films from San Marino, and this is an Italian co-production. As is the cocktail. This is the 151st film in this blog series, which means that there’s only 49 films to go! *gasp* This will end sometime! This summer! This is a 30 minute thriller, and it’s heavy on the irony. It … Continue reading WFC San Marino: The Last Alchemist

WFC Latvia: Par desmit minutem vecaks

(June 30, 2017)

Uhm… I’m not sure how I ended up with this short: Surely there must be some Latvian feature films available on DVD? It’s a mystery lost to the winds of time. So… this Soviet era silent short basically is a long shot of a group of kids watching a very exciting film in a movie … Continue reading WFC Latvia: Par desmit minutem vecaks

WFC Bolivia: American Visa

(June 24, 2017)

Whew! South American to the rescue again. After a string of old-fashioned grandiose films, it’s such a relief to watch a smart, fresh film again. It’s a bit like… Breaking Bad. An asshole (as the cab driver says at the start) is dealt a bad blow and turns to crime. And we’re supposed to care … Continue reading WFC Bolivia: American Visa

WFC Libya: عمر المختار

(June 24, 2017)

Hey, it’s Mad Max! It’s another one of those Birth of a Nation stories, er, I mean, one of those nation building films. It’s not my favourite genre, but you have to respect the grandeur of some of the scenes. Yuge scenes in yuge rooms. Amusingly enough, this film was banned in 1982 in Italy. … Continue reading WFC Libya: عمر المختار

WFC Azerbaijan: Ali and Nino

(June 23, 2017)

This is a high-budget Kazakh (is that the right word?) film. It’s in English, and some parts are more like a British costume drama than anything else. It’s a UK co-production, so that makes sense. It’s a very romantic film, and it’s a very nationalistic film. So it’s a national-romantic film? It’s hard not to … Continue reading WFC Azerbaijan: Ali and Nino

WFC Malawi: William and the Windmill

(June 23, 2017)

This Amazon find isn’t really a Malawi film, but it’s an American documentary about a great Malawi kid who’s into windmills and an American guy that helps him make bigger windmills. It’s… a bit uncomfortable to watch, because his helper is so… verbal, and the kid isn’t. I was also wondering whether the filmmakers had … Continue reading WFC Malawi: William and the Windmill

WFC Vatican State: Pio XI e Marconi

(June 17, 2017)

Whee. There’s only . It’s hellishly basic. Pio XI e Marconi. A. Nonymous. 1933. Vatican State. Bellini 2 parts Prosecco 1 part fresh peach purée Chill a Champagne flute and add the purée. Pour the Processo over the purée. This post is part of the World of Films and Cocktails series. Explore the map.

WFC Guyana: Exploration Guyana

(June 17, 2017)

Another Youtube documentary. Perhaps I should say something about my methodology for finding films from these smaller countries. First I check Istanbulfilms, because they have an impressive list of interesting films. But the only film they listed from Guyana wasn’t available anywhere, not even Amazon Video. So then I google for “best films from Guyana”, … Continue reading WFC Guyana: Exploration Guyana

WFC Grenada: Blinded

(June 16, 2017)

This one can be found here and then and then and then the last part is missing! It’s a no-budget shortish film, but I didn’t realise that the last 20 minutes wasn’t available yet. Oops! It’s told in flashback form after something disasterous has happened, and then we learn… what. But (I’m always sorry to … Continue reading WFC Grenada: Blinded

WFC Equatorial Guinea: El proyecto del mono dril

(June 16, 2017)

And we’re back to Youtube this weekend. This is a documentary about an island off the coast near the equator, and in particular about the drill monkey, which I hadn’t heard of before. (And they’re endagered, of course.) It’s a very pretty and quite traditional nature film, except at the end where it’s all about … Continue reading WFC Equatorial Guinea: El proyecto del mono dril

WFC Burundi: Journal d’un coopérant

(June 10, 2017)

Like the previous film in this series, it’s a fake documentary set in Africa. But other than that, it’s nothing like that one. This one is very French-ey, and totally riveting at first. It’s not clear what the plot of the film is going to be about, and everything seems strange (from the “home-brewed” editing … Continue reading WFC Burundi: Journal d’un coopérant

WFC Gabon: Sick Birds Die Easy

(June 10, 2017)

Oops. This film isn’t really Gabonese. It’s an American… er… documentary? about some druggies going to Gabon to do some ibogaine (a hallucinogen). Or is it? It starts off pretty convincingly as a documentary, and then it goes all Blair Witch. Those bits are really entertaining (and seem extremely scripted), but then it… kinda peters … Continue reading WFC Gabon: Sick Birds Die Easy

WFC Eritrea: ትዕግስቲ

(June 9, 2017)

Another Amazon exclusive. This film has a quite original plot, but unfortunately it’s just not very good. Tigisti. Daniel Tesfamariam. 2012. Eritrea. Tej Cocktail 2 parts homemade tej 2 parts dark rum 1 part lime juice club soda Shake vigorously with ice and strain into a glass. Top off with club soda and garnish with … Continue reading WFC Eritrea: ትዕግስቲ

WFC Nepal: Himalaya – l’enfance d’un chef

(June 3, 2017)

This is a very pretty film, but it’s kitch. And I see now that the director is French, which makes sense, because it’s in the tradition of Jean Auel: So much melodrama. In every scene where the wide-eyed perfectly tousled-haired children appear I can’t help imagining a crack squad of French hairdressers standing just outside … Continue reading WFC Nepal: Himalaya – l’enfance d’un chef

WFC Monaco: Kleinhoff Hotell

(June 3, 2017)

This DVD was letterboxed, so the resolution is pretty pathetic. And the transfer from the film isn’t wobbly: The sound goes warbly all the time. So not the best viewing experience. This is a good old-fashioned erotic thriller. Like they used to make in the 70s. Lots of intrigue and voyeurism and great hair-dos. I … Continue reading WFC Monaco: Kleinhoff Hotell

WFC Nicaragua: La Yuma

(June 2, 2017)

What a charming film. I love the actors (especially La Yuma herself), but it’s all so … surprising. Everything just gels, and you get a very entertaining film. It’s a feelgood comedy from the barrios. La Yuma. Florence Jaugey. 2009. Nicaragua. The Macuá 1 part lemon juice 2 parts guava juice 3 parts Flor de … Continue reading WFC Nicaragua: La Yuma

WFC Saint Lucia: Soucouyant

(June 2, 2017)

Another Youtube short. It’s a horror movie shot in a single location with a single actor (who is rather good, I think). It’s interesting (especially in the editing) and it’s more than a bit scary. But just when you think the movie is going to, like, start, it ends. This should have been much longer. … Continue reading WFC Saint Lucia: Soucouyant

WFC Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: Voodoo Man

(May 27, 2017)

Another movie found on Youtube. This one is pretty funny, but the amusing script and charming actors are let down by flaccid editing: The film feels like it wants to move faster than it does. And fortunately they only ran the blurring filter on the first flashback scene. Voodoo Man. Fabian Guerra. 2014. Saint Vincent … Continue reading WFC Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: Voodoo Man

WFC Brunei: Teluki

(May 27, 2017)

Is this the first short I’ve done in this blog series? That might happen more for the remaining films as the pickings grow ever slimmer. This one’s on Youtube, and it’s kinda interesting, but slight. And it does feel ever more churlish to throw a die on films like these. Who asked for my opinion … Continue reading WFC Brunei: Teluki

WFC Belize: 2012: Kurse a di Xtabai

(May 26, 2017)

Another Youtube offering. It’s shakycam, but it kinda looks like Youtube has applied its automatic stabilisation to it? So it’s doubly sickening to watch. The video is at sea. Anyway, this is a horror/action film, and it’s OK, apart from the bit that I couldn’t really look at the screen for more than a few … Continue reading WFC Belize: 2012: Kurse a di Xtabai

WFC Barbados: The Kite Flyer

(May 26, 2017)

I did DVDs and stuff last weekend, so it’s time to delve into Youtube videos again. (Because I couldn’t find any films from Barbados on DVD.) This one can be watched here. It’s a no-budget kind of film, but there’s definitely some talent here. The editing (for about the first half hour) is on point, … Continue reading WFC Barbados: The Kite Flyer

WFC El Salvador: Sobreviviendo Guazapa

(May 24, 2017)

Man, I’m having having almost no luck with these Central American films. South America: Wonderful. Central America: Not so much. But I guess these countries are a lot smaller (and poorer), so perhaps that’s not that odd… Anyway, this is pretty bad. And I even ended up buying the DVD twice, since it turned out … Continue reading WFC El Salvador: Sobreviviendo Guazapa

WFC Tonga: When the Man Went South

(May 24, 2017)

This is a really charming film. Thoroughly amusing. I thought the dialogue was strangely like a sitcom set in New York, and it turns out that the director worked on the crew of The Nanny. Yes. Most of these lines could have been delivered by Fran Fine. So… not completely, er, Tonga… nese? But very … Continue reading WFC Tonga: When the Man Went South

WFC Tunisia: عصفور السطح

(May 20, 2017)

I think they’re aiming for a broad, classic Mediterranean coming of age/sex comedy kind of thing, but it’s remarkably creepy (at least it is now, three decades after it was made). It tries to hard to be charming, but the performances are super-hammy, the cinematography is meh, and it’s all kinda boring. It’s a well-liked … Continue reading WFC Tunisia: عصفور السطح

WFC Syria: הכלה הסורית

(May 20, 2017)

Hey! It’s a comedy! Of sorts. Well, not really. A … “dramedy”? I love the actors, and it’s amusing and quite moving. The sheer number of characters in this film is a bit on the confusing side, though. The Syrian Bride. Eran Riklis. 2004. Syrian Arab Republic. POLO water lemon juice sugar mint orange blossom … Continue reading WFC Syria: הכלה הסורית

WFC Malta: Adormidera

(May 19, 2017)

The version of this film I saw was in English. According to imdb, it’s in English/Italian/Spanish, so I wonder whether they made it in several different versions? Or perhaps they just made it in English and dubbed it into the other languages? Anyway! It’s pretty bad. Not amateurish enough to be charming, and not professional … Continue reading WFC Malta: Adormidera

WFC Sri Lanka: සුළඟ එනු පිණිස

(May 19, 2017)

This is a beautifully shot, well acted, very slow-moving film. We’re about ten minutes in when the first piece of dialogue appears. It’s great! It slowly (slowly) reveals what it’s about. Sort of. It’s a bit vague. Hypnotic. But in an every-day way. It won the Camera d’Or at Cannes. I’ve always thought that wasn’t … Continue reading WFC Sri Lanka: සුළඟ එනු පිණිස

WFC Yemen: A New Day In Old Sana’a

(May 17, 2017)

This movie is fun. Some of the performances are kinda stylised, but when you’re delivering your lines from behind a veil, you have to go big or you don’t deliver the lines at all. This is a romantic comedy with mistaken identities and all kind of complications and it’s really funny. I love the actors, … Continue reading WFC Yemen: A New Day In Old Sana’a

WFC Moldova: Mama Illegal

(May 17, 2017)

Another documentary! And this is perhaps more Austrian than Moldovan? But it’s from Moldova, so… Anyway, this documentary is about Moldovan women who go to work in Europe (illegally, since Moldova isn’t part of the EU). Parts of it are kinda strange (as if the director had a murky agenda (like the extended scenes of … Continue reading WFC Moldova: Mama Illegal

WFC Marshall Islands: Ña noniep

(May 16, 2017)

This is a very, very low budget film, but even so, there’s no reason for it being this bad. The people involved probably had fun making it (I hope), and I’m sorry for harshing this much here, but: I am the Good Fairy. Jack Niedenthal. 2009. Marshall Islands. Marshall Island Swizzle 4 parts dark rum … Continue reading WFC Marshall Islands: Ña noniep

WFC Sierra Leone: Brownstones to Red Dirt

(May 16, 2017)

Oops. It a documentary (for children?), and it’s really more American than Sierra Leonish. (Is that a word?) Sorry! It’s packed with cheesy music and it’s chock full of snips of Things Kids Say. I mean, the kids are great and stuff, but the film is kind of pedestrian. Brownstones to Red Dirt. Dave LaMattina. … Continue reading WFC Sierra Leone: Brownstones to Red Dirt

WFC Paraguay: 7 Cajas

(May 6, 2017)

Fantastic actors, especially the one playing Liz. And Tamara. Well, OK, all the female actors. The male actors are more variable. Very fresh cinematography and an intriguing plot. So: Yet another great South American film. It’s like a trend. This film is funny and exciting. 7 Boxes. Juan Carlos Maneglia. 2012. Paraguay. Paraguay Passion 2 … Continue reading WFC Paraguay: 7 Cajas

WFC Myanmar: Born Warriors Redux: Bound Fists

(May 6, 2017)

A documentary about boxing. Or something. It’s an interesting subject, but the film itself is very unambitious. Many of the fights are filmed with a single stationary camera, and there isn’t much of a narrative. It’s the usual TV documentary talking head/on location/talking head/on location thing. The way the narrator tries to say something but … Continue reading WFC Myanmar: Born Warriors Redux: Bound Fists

WFC Vanuatu: Tanna

(May 5, 2017)

Wow. So super-grainy. Haven’t seen grain like that since Aliens. Was it shot on digital with natural lighting or something? Anyway! There’s a lot of powerful scenes here. I laughed, I cried. The line readings are pretty stiff, though. Tanna. Martin Butler. 2015. Vanuatu. Japanese Slipper at Sunset Bungalows 1 part Midori 1 part Cointreau … Continue reading WFC Vanuatu: Tanna

WFC Kenya: Nairobi Half Life

(May 5, 2017)

Oh, this is so not my genre. It’s the old “naïve kid with dreams going to the big city” plot. I just sympathise too much with the hapless protagonist. “Nooo… doooon’t… Dooooon’t…” But that’s just me. This film has obvious qualities: Things degenerate (and how!) a lot faster than they usually do in these films, … Continue reading WFC Kenya: Nairobi Half Life

WFC Jordan: كابتن أبو رائد

(April 30, 2017)

Eek! The DVD version I bought is dubbed into German. I should start paying more attention when buying films… But! Amazon to the rescue. I downloaded a version in Arabic with English subtitles from Amazon (via my Ipod Touch). Phew! This is a very odd film structurally. It starts off slowly and the characters’ story … Continue reading WFC Jordan: كابتن أبو رائد

WFC Somalia: Fishing Without Nets

(April 30, 2017)

It’s kinda interesting visually, but the constant shakycam is unpleasant to watch. The actors vary wildly: Some seem are pretty convincing but most are very stiff. (I’m assuming they’re non-professionals.) It’s not a bad film or anything, but it uses so many parts of The Hollywood How-To Book On Drama/Action Film-Making (scoring, editing, etc) that … Continue reading WFC Somalia: Fishing Without Nets

WFC Lebanon: سكر بنات

(April 30, 2017)

Very sassy. A classic Mediterranean feel good comedy. I guess I could be very critical of some bits (like the occasional shakycam and generally not very interesting cinematography), but the actors are so good and it’s all so touching and charming. So on charm alone: Caramel. Nadine Labaki. 2007. Lebanon. Jad Ballout’s Garcia’s Fattoush Cup … Continue reading WFC Lebanon: سكر بنات

WFC Singapore: Forever Fever

(April 29, 2017)

I had gotten the French version of the DVD. Ooops! But Amazon Video to the rescue. The picture was kinda washed out, though. Compare: That’s from the Amazon Video version. That’s from the DVD. The darks are really dark on the DVD, and the colours pop, while the Amazon version is pale and bland. Why … Continue reading WFC Singapore: Forever Fever

WFC Jamaica: Shottas

(April 29, 2017)

This is kinda fresh. It’s low budget but doesn’t really look it. It has a kind of charming swagger to it, both in the acting and the editing. It’s a child-like wish fulfilment fantasy. Only with guns and drugs. Very silly. Shottas. Cess Silvera. 2002. Jamaica. Body Heat 1 part lemon juice 3 parts orange … Continue reading WFC Jamaica: Shottas

WFC Kazakhstan: Tulpan

(April 29, 2017)

Ah. Back on DVD again, so the video quality is, like, better. Than Amazon Video. This is a very wind-blown, distracted film. Things seem to proceed sideways. It’s funny, but it’s just so slow. Sooo slow. And I love slow films. It has an abundance of charm. Love the actors and the steppe. Those poor … Continue reading WFC Kazakhstan: Tulpan

WFC Slovenia: Slovenka

(April 29, 2017)

Hey! It works! Very little artifacting and the audio/video sync is pretty solid. Oh! The film! It’s a very tense film. Very well done, extremely belivable and completely EEK. I can’t really recommend it. A Call Girl. Damjan Kozole. 2009. Slovenia. The Peter XOXO 2 parts vodka 1 part sweet vermouth 1 part dry vermouth … Continue reading WFC Slovenia: Slovenka

WFC Nigeria: Half of a Yellow Sun

(April 28, 2017)

Tech progress report: I’m watching this via Amazon Prime (+ HDMI dongle etc), but the novel thing this time is that I downloaded the film before viewing. And this time there were no glitches! So the problem experienced the last time is apparently not because of the HDMI dongle thing, but because of the streaming. … Continue reading WFC Nigeria: Half of a Yellow Sun

WFC Afghanistan: سنگ صبور

(April 28, 2017)

So for this film I watched it via Amazon Prime on the Ipad via an HDMI dongle. It works kinda OK, but there’s general jerkiness that appears irregularly. It’s like it drops a couple of frames every so often. It’s not very pleasant to watch, so I’, not using this method again, I think… Perhaps … Continue reading WFC Afghanistan: سنگ صبور

WFC Mozambique: Terra Sonâmbula

(April 13, 2017)

Wow. This is so lo-res. What’s up with Amazon Prime videos? They have no quality control? This is worse than watching a VCD episode of The Simpsons in 1997. Oh! The film! It’s good and very sad. Great actors. The cinematography is indifferent, but the film has a great moody mood. Very intriguing structurally, too. … Continue reading WFC Mozambique: Terra Sonâmbula

WFC Panama: Contadora is for Lovers

(April 13, 2017)

It’s very educational. And subtle. Drama! And then… not. I watched this via Amazon Prime, but I just noticed that it’s also available on DVD. I should have gotten that instead, because the Prime version of the film is pitiful. Not only are there compression artifacts all over the stage (descending into abstraction when there’s … Continue reading WFC Panama: Contadora is for Lovers

WFC Suriname: Wan Pipel

(April 10, 2017)

Another film found on Youtube. It’s a very earnest film. There are good bits, but nothing really convinces. Wan Pipel. Pim de la Parra. 1976. Suriname. The Paramaribo Park Club Gin Sling 1 part lemon juice 1 part Cherry Heering 3 parts gin a dash of Cognac a dash of Benedictine club soda Shake with … Continue reading WFC Suriname: Wan Pipel

WFC Uganda: Who Killed Captain Alex?

(April 10, 2017)

I couldn’t find any Ugandan DVDs, so this is from the Youtubes. As this er edition of the film explains, the director didn’t have any expectations of people outside his city seeing this film: It’s more of a fun hobby project than something meant for the general public, I think. I thought it had an … Continue reading WFC Uganda: Who Killed Captain Alex?

WFC Ghana: Cobra Verde

(April 8, 2017)

Oops! My research department has let me down. Again! This isn’t a Ghanese film: The director is Werner Herzog (not from Ghana), it’s based on a novel written by Bruce Chatwin (not from Ghana) and starring Klaus Kinski (not from Ghaha). But it’s filmed in Ghana, allegedly. Anyway, I didn’t realise that the Herzog/Kinski partnership … Continue reading WFC Ghana: Cobra Verde

WFC Switzerland: Vitus

(April 8, 2017)

I mean, I don’t really know German, but the dialect they’re talking here is even less comprehensible than usual. Anyway, it’s a kinda old-fashioned film. An “issue” movie. The issue this week is: Is putting too much pressure on a child prodigy a good idea? (I’ll let you guess the answer.) It’s all a bit … Continue reading WFC Switzerland: Vitus

WFC Zambia: Imiti ikula

(April 8, 2017)

I knew there was going to be a number of Youtube films as I got close to the end of this blog series, because there’s a number of countries where either no “commercial” films have been made or none have made it out of the country. So I was originally planning on doing as many … Continue reading WFC Zambia: Imiti ikula

WFC Rwanda: Munyurangabo

(April 8, 2017)

Part XIV In The Quest To Watch Films Via Amazon Video: So, I couldn’t use my large Ipad to watch these films, because the Amazon app didn’t allow screenshotting. (So very DRM.) And besides, the Apple screenshotting thing is really, really annoying: Flashing the screen and all that. (It’s a very typical Apple thing: Create … Continue reading WFC Rwanda: Munyurangabo

WFC Trinidad and Tobago: God Loves the Fighter

(April 7, 2017)

I think the filmmakers tried to make a “cool” movie like, say, Trainspotting. Only in Trinidad (and/or Tobago). I’m not big fan of that film, but it did have certain undeniable charms (it’s certainly the high point of Danny Boyle’s horrid carreer). This film does not. It’s tedious. The only thing that saves it from … Continue reading WFC Trinidad and Tobago: God Loves the Fighter

WFC Guatemala: Ixcanul

(April 7, 2017)

After a few not very good films from Central America, I wasn’t expecting much from this film, but it’s really good! Wonderful cinematography; great actors (well, probably non-professionals, but they’re convincing) and a plot I had no idea where was going. Oh, it won a prize at the Berlin film festival, the only film festival … Continue reading WFC Guatemala: Ixcanul

WFC Guinea-Bissau: A batalha de Tabatô

(April 3, 2017)

This is a visually arresting film. Some seemingly very strange choices have been made, but it works. I first thought that the actors (and their line readings) we uncomfortably stiff, but then I realised that that’s what the director was going for (a la Robert Bresson). Mesmerising. The Battle of Tabato. João Viana. 2013. Guinea-Bissau. … Continue reading WFC Guinea-Bissau: A batalha de Tabatô

WFC Iraq: Curse of Mesopotamia

(April 3, 2017)

Man, modern life is complicated. I was going to watch this on my big Ipad, but it turns out that you can’t screenshot this film there, even though the previous film let itself be screenshot. So I had to scramble (since the cocktail was already made) and watched the film on my 10″ Android tablet. … Continue reading WFC Iraq: Curse of Mesopotamia

WFC Lesotho: The Forgotten Kingdom

(April 1, 2017)

After a very pleasurable experience watching The Cave of the Yellow Dog, this was a bit of a downer. It’s all so… paint by numbers. Daddy issues and people talking and talking and talkin to each other about deep, deep stuff. It’s like, zzz. It’s not offensively bad or anything: It’s competent, which is the … Continue reading WFC Lesotho: The Forgotten Kingdom

WFC Mongolia: Шар нохойн там

(April 1, 2017)

The children in this film are wonderful. The adult actors are more variable, but they’re fine. Lots of beautiful scenery and a very vague storyline makes this a very endearing film. It’s such an unassuming film: Nothing very dramatic happens, but it’s so enjoyable to watch. While it isn’t a masterpiece or anything, it’s kinda … Continue reading WFC Mongolia: Шар нохойн там

WFC Guinea: Dakan

(March 31, 2017)

I… was not prepared for this film! So many great and weird shots. Coupled with the sheer amateurishness of the acting, the lines and… well, everything, it’s just mind-bogglingly fun to watch. Part of the charm is host the aesthetics resemble 60s no-budget films coupled with a storyline about a gay relationship makes this seem … Continue reading WFC Guinea: Dakan

WFC Haiti: Meurtre à Pacot

(March 31, 2017)

The DVD transfer is kinda odd and choppy. It’s like every seventh frame two frames have been dropped or something. As usual, Alex Descas is absolutely amazing in the lead role (as l’homme). The rest of the actors are variable, but fine. This film is about the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, and … Continue reading WFC Haiti: Meurtre à Pacot

WFC Fiji: Kya Dilli Kya Lahore

(March 26, 2017)

It’s another one of those anti war satires! But this is rather amusing. I think, though, that it’s not a very Fijian film, so, er, foiled again. It’s rather incomprehensible. The lines are like “That’s why you also gave him two roses” which I take is referring to something, somewhere in the India/Pakistan war history, … Continue reading WFC Fiji: Kya Dilli Kya Lahore

WFC North Korea: A State of Mind

(March 24, 2017)

This isn’t really a North Korean film, because those don’t seem to exists outside of North Korea? But it’s a film about North Korea, so… This is a documentary about some gymnasts. And their parents and teachers and stuff. The filmmaker is sympathetic towards the people he portrays, I think, but the things these people … Continue reading WFC North Korea: A State of Mind

WFC Laos: ນ້ອງຮັກ

(March 24, 2017)

This is my first attempt at watching a film via Amazon Prime. So many films these days never get a DVD release. Instead, the only way to watch these films seem to be via Amazon. You can’t even find them via dar torrentzes. In an additional twist, films are only licensed for US viewers, so … Continue reading WFC Laos: ນ້ອງຮັກ

WFC Pakistan: دختر‎

(March 18, 2017)

Hey! Clever film-making. I thought this film was totally going one way, but then it swerved a completely different way. Me like. It’s very exciting (in parts), has great cinematography (although the scenery is sometimes so pretty you might suspect it’s been sponsored by The Tourist Council of Northern Pakistan) and the actors are somewhere … Continue reading WFC Pakistan: دختر‎

WFC Dominican Republic: Guaguasi

(March 18, 2017)

It turns out that Batista’s police weren’t very nice. This film has its charms, but it’s really oddly paced. It’s a satirical look at the Cuban revolution with an, er, simple? (OK, developmentally challenged) “hick” at the center of the story. Horror ensues. It’s a comedy of the “scathing satire” kind, which means that there … Continue reading WFC Dominican Republic: Guaguasi

WFC Kyrgyzstan: Beshkempir

(March 17, 2017)

Quite Felliniesque. Man, the director put his young actors through a lot of really embarrasing scenes. And they do them very convincingly. For the most part. Sometimes when they have to emote too much it breaks down. I love the quiet scenes where the grandmothers are just working at some task or other, like spinning … Continue reading WFC Kyrgyzstan: Beshkempir

WFC Cuba: ¡Vampiros en La Habana!

(March 17, 2017)

Some jokes I just didn’t get. Other jokes are easier. Until… Well, it’s like nothing else I’ve ever seen (vampires and mobsters and revolutionaries and oh my), and the madcap pace it’s going at is charming. But it didn’t make me laugh. It’s amusing. Vampires in Havana. Juan Padrón. 1985. Cuba. Cuban Old Fashioned sugar … Continue reading WFC Cuba: ¡Vampiros en La Habana!

WFC Honduras: The Zwickys

(March 11, 2017)

Some of the actors here are quite good, but the film doesn’t quite gel. And the hand-held camera is a bit on the annoying side. It’s an odd plot, and it grows weirder as the film progresses. But not in a good way. The Zwickys. Andres Valle, Carlos Valle. 2014. Honduras. Monkey La La 1 … Continue reading WFC Honduras: The Zwickys

WFC Liechtenstein: Der heiße Tod

(March 11, 2017)

While researching films from Liechtenstein, I was intrigued by the extreme number of porn-sounding late sixties/early seventies films marked as being “from” Liechtenstein. I have no idea what’s that’s all about: Did Liechtenstein have looser porn laws back then? So I picked this one because it had a pretty high rating (4.8, ahem) among this … Continue reading WFC Liechtenstein: Der heiße Tod

WFC New Zealand: 50 Ways of Saying Fabulous

(February 25, 2017)

Is that… Donald!? Uhm… it would have been nice if this had been subtitled. But I got the gist! This film has 5.8 (of 10) on imdb, and I think that’s as low as the scale goes. That’s harsh! As Wikipedia says, “The film opened in 2005 to negative reviews and had little success at … Continue reading WFC New Zealand: 50 Ways of Saying Fabulous

WFC Peru: La teta asustada

(February 25, 2017)

This film won “best film” at the Berlin film festival, and as film prizes go, that’s the one to win, I think. (I mean, if something wins the a major award, it’s usually drek.) And this is absolutely riveting and very strange and funny. And heartbreaking. I’m not going to spoil the, er, plot, but … Continue reading WFC Peru: La teta asustada

WFC Croatia: Ta divna splitska noć

(February 24, 2017)

Hm… This sort of playful artsy fartsy film is right up my alley, but I just didn’t feel it. So I instead spent most of the time wondering why the scenes just didn’t connect (for me). Some of the actors are really good (the mother and the boy) and some are kinda meh (that scraggly-bearded … Continue reading WFC Croatia: Ta divna splitska noć

WFC Morocco: L’armée du salut

(February 24, 2017)

It’s a captivating and bewildering film. Very original from a storytelling and structural point of view. And very nicely shot. I can’t quite make out whether the actors are meant to be this stylised and stiff or whether they’re just not, er, all that good, but it kinda works anyway. The mother’s great. The film … Continue reading WFC Morocco: L’armée du salut

WFC Ecuador: Feriado

(February 11, 2017)

Very metal. I finally went through the curiosly divisioned (is that a word?) “Spanish/South American/African” shelves at the video store. As suspected, it was 87% Spanish, 22% Mexican and 13% “other”. (Lots of copro-ductions.) I only found two films from countries previously not covered (of which this is one), so it’s getting really difficult to … Continue reading WFC Ecuador: Feriado

WFC Norway: Reprise

(February 11, 2017)

*gasp* Norway! Such a frustrating film. There are long stretches here of pure bewildering genius where I’m going THIS IS THE BEST FILM EVER. And then there are scenes where it all falls flat and I’m all “perhaps this would have worked with better actors or lines or a better director or SOMETHING”. It’s written … Continue reading WFC Norway: Reprise

WFC Central African Republic: Song from the Forest

(February 10, 2017)

This is a documentary (I think… or is it!?) filmed in the Central African Republic, but it’s really more a US/German film than anything else. Most of the dialogue is in English, but the DVD is subtitled in German only. So when the people who are speaking the language people in Ködörösêse tî Bêafrîka use, … Continue reading WFC Central African Republic: Song from the Forest

WFC Cabo Verde: O Testamento do Senhor Napumoceno

(February 10, 2017)

I guess Cabo Verde is too small to show up on the map there… Google! Be better! We’re getting to smaller countries now in this blog series (size-wise or film industry wise (we’re nearly half way)), so the question “is this really a film from ?” is getting slightly more iffy. IMDB lists this one … Continue reading WFC Cabo Verde: O Testamento do Senhor Napumoceno

WFC Cameroon: Aristotle’s Plot

(February 4, 2017)

Wow. Such a fresh film. I can see some Godard influences, perhaps, but it’s quite unlike anything I’ve seen. It’s like… Michel Gondry ten years before Michel Gondry. Very meta and quite funny. I found their dialect sometimes hard to follow, though. *concentrate* I switched on the French subtitles to help understanding, and I don’t … Continue reading WFC Cameroon: Aristotle’s Plot

WFC Côte d’Ivoire: La Victoire en chantant

(February 4, 2017)

Uh-oh. That’s not a good sign. I guess that this film is really rather more French than Cote de Ivoirean? (That’s probably not a word.) And it’s a “satire”, which is usually code word for “not actually funny”. MUCH BITE SATIRE An it is, indeed, a bit eye-rolling-ey at times. But it’s not bad. Black … Continue reading WFC Côte d’Ivoire: La Victoire en chantant

WFC Cambodia: នៅកម្លោះដល់ណាខ្ញុំ

(February 3, 2017)

Ahh! A lighthearted goofy comedy. Somehow those aren’t the films that are usually exported from non-major-film-producing countries. It’s always the serious or artsy films. And I love serious artsy films, but c’mon. Unfortunately, this film also illustrates why these films aren’t exported. There’s just not very much about this film that’s memorable. It’s amusing. Staying … Continue reading WFC Cambodia: នៅកម្លោះដល់ណាខ្ញុំ

WFC Palestine: عمر

(February 3, 2017)

Hm… I can’t see the pixels on that map… There’s lots of stuff here to like. The courtship scenes are really sweet, lots of amusing and real-sounding dialogue, some of the actors are good, and all the parkour is invigorating. But. Everything is so damn obvious. I was shouting at the screen when the al-Aqsa … Continue reading WFC Palestine: عمر

WFC Great Britain: Ex Machina

(January 29, 2017)

Look! Now we can save money on the special effects budget! I thought I was going to enjoy this one, despite the many positive reviews it’s gotten. But it’s totally snoozeville with most plot developments signalled several hours before the movie even starts. The ending was fun, though. Ex Machina. Alex Garland. 2015. Great Britain. … Continue reading WFC Great Britain: Ex Machina

WFC Thailand: สุดเสน่หา

(January 28, 2017)

Long takes with a mostly distant, mostly stationary camera. It’s kinda hypnotic. Nothing much happens for minutes on end, just people talking about inconsequential things. Very stylish in its non-stylishness. Plot-wise, nothing is explained, and all the people seem to be telling half-truths to each other, and doing very odd things. But gradually things come … Continue reading WFC Thailand: สุดเสน่หา

WFC Georgia: გრძელი ნათელი დღეები

(January 28, 2017)

Very lively camera without being actually shakycam. It’s a fascinating film, although it becomes very apparent early on (in a Chekhovian sense) what’s going to happen. I had a hard time telling the characters apart. It would have helped if one of the girls had an eye patch or a wooden leg or something. In … Continue reading WFC Georgia: გრძელი ნათელი დღეები

WFC Czech Republic: Transport z ráje

(January 9, 2017)

We spend so much time with the Nazi madmen that they turn into more interesting characters than the suffering and/or bemused Jews, which is perhaps not the effect the director was after. The actors are, in general, not very compelling, but the director is probably not going for naturalism, anyway? The mixture of interesting stylisation … Continue reading WFC Czech Republic: Transport z ráje

WFC Serbia: Otac na službenom putu

(January 7, 2017)

OK, the cocktail isn’t Serbian (but I googled for half an hour and didn’t find any recipes), and the film is Yugoslavian and is set in Sarajevo, but… Kinda quirky film. It won a Cannes award and is apparently well-regarded, but I was just bored silly. I didn’t find the performances very convincing, and the … Continue reading WFC Serbia: Otac na službenom putu

WFC Slovakia: Obrazy starého sveta

(December 17, 2016)

Utterly entrancing. I’m not sure how much of it is real, though. It seems to present itself as a documentary of sorts, and some of the people (or characters) we see seem rather, uhm, unlikely. If it’s all real, the film-makers are kinda cruel with their subjects. I couldn’t believe it when I saw the … Continue reading WFC Slovakia: Obrazy starého sveta

WFC Bosnia and Herzegovina: Go West

(December 17, 2016)

This DVD edition was pretty unsatisfactory. It’s windowboxed and interlaced, so it’s pretty low resolution, which makes everything… ugly. This film is exactly like Some Like It Hot, but with atrocities and ethnic cleansing. It veers wildly between sincere horror and absurd comedy. And sometimes tender comedy. I appreciate what they were trying to do … Continue reading WFC Bosnia and Herzegovina: Go West

WFC Colombia: El abrazo de la serpiente

(December 16, 2016)

How delightfully perverse to do a black-and-white film set in the Amazon. And there should be an expression for “road movie” that takes place on a river. But all throughout this film (which is mostly pretty amazing), I was thinking “they’re going to do the ‘insane in the jungle’ cliche complete with atrocities”, and they … Continue reading WFC Colombia: El abrazo de la serpiente

WFC Chad: Daratt

(December 16, 2016)

This is a fascinating and original film. The confusing thing is that we don’t see them selling any bread whatsoever. Is it all charity? Dry Season. Mahamat-Saleh Haroun. 2006. Chad. Karkanji half a liter of water a small handful of dried hibiscus flowers some slices of ginger root 1 cinnamon stick 3 cloves sugar to … Continue reading WFC Chad: Daratt

WFC South Africa: Skoonheid

(December 11, 2016)

What the fuck did I just watch? OK, the actors are great, as is the cinematography, but this is the creepiest film ever. I guess it’s a tale of literally literally insane lust. I loved the scene where he was sitting in the cafeteria staring at the couple, though. Most memorable line: “No faggots, no … Continue reading WFC South Africa: Skoonheid

WFC Netherlands: De vierde man

(December 10, 2016)

This is a very inventive and somewhat amateurish early from Paul Verhoven. I have a sneaking suspicion that he’d seen films from both Davids Lynch and Cronenberg at this point. Such a strange film. There are bits I like enormously, but the pacing just seems… off. And most of the actors are pretty dire. I … Continue reading WFC Netherlands: De vierde man

WFC The Democratic Republic of the Congo: Viva Riva!

(December 10, 2016)

Love the cinematography and the colours, the actors are pretty good, and it’s an intriguing story line. But there’s something awkward about the way it’s been edited. Still, a really pleasant surprise. But, man, those Angolan villains were eeevil. And I didn’t understand why the commander didn’t just shoot them when she met them. I … Continue reading WFC The Democratic Republic of the Congo: Viva Riva!

WFC Bhutan: Phörpa

(December 9, 2016)

This is a very original film. The actors (presumably non-professional) are a bit stiff and awkward, but it’s weirdly appropriate. The plot sounds very high concept (it’s about football mad Tibetan monks (in India)), but it’s also about Tibet and China and exile and recurring jokes. It’s both fun and really interesting. The Cup. Khyentse … Continue reading WFC Bhutan: Phörpa

WFC Canada: Whole New Thing

(November 26, 2016)

And this film sort of marks the end of my randomnly-aquired films for this project (at the 25% mark, even). Up until (and including this one) I’ve just been visiting video stores, looking at films and going “huh! this is from a country that lacks coverage!” and then buying it without any consideration for the … Continue reading WFC Canada: Whole New Thing

WFC Armenia: Նռան գույնը

(November 26, 2016)

This is officially the 224th best film ever. The philosophical question is, of course, “it this film from Armenia”? It was created during the Soviet era, so it’s a bit iffy, I guess, but, you know: Anyway, this is a (sorta) non-narrative film, and consists of static tableaux. This may sound kinda portentous and pretentious, … Continue reading WFC Armenia: Նռան գույնը

WFC Bangladesh: তিতাস একটি নদীর নাম

(November 25, 2016)

What a strange film. It this had been directed by somebody like Robert Bresson, I would have assumed that the stilted dialogue, oblique plot and very stylized acting was a conscious choice, but here I’m not so sure. And then suddenly it turns into a farce for half an hour. And then there’s a boat … Continue reading WFC Bangladesh: তিতাস একটি নদীর নাম

WFC Romania: Marţi, după Crăciun

(November 25, 2016)

The actors are fantastic, and it’s a very stylish film, and there are some very powerful scenes in here. Tuesday, After Christmas. Radu Muntean. 2010. Romania. Temptation 2 parts Limoncello 1 part lemon vodka 1 part lime juice brown sugar to taste Shake with ice, and pour into a glass rimmed with brown sugar. This … Continue reading WFC Romania: Marţi, după Crăciun

WFC Lithuania: Nesamasis laikas

(November 18, 2016)

This is one of those “big reveal” films, and the reveal is surprising. However, it felt like it was going to reveal something completely different through most of the middle bit, and that was annoying. It was like the filmmaker was taunting us with “yeah, you’re clever, you’ve already figured out that “. Which isn’t … Continue reading WFC Lithuania: Nesamasis laikas

WFC Burkina Faso: La nuit de la vérité

(November 5, 2016)

Some scenes work really well, especially with the children and the women in the village. But a lot of the actors are, like, declaiming at the camera, and it’s a more than a bit awkward. So I kinda like it, and I admire it, and there’s good stuff in here. But. The climactic scene was … Continue reading WFC Burkina Faso: La nuit de la vérité

WFC Germany: Aber das Wort Hund bellt ja nicht

(November 4, 2016)

A very unusual “tour” film, but it really gets to the heart of the matter. Long, long takes of the musicians playing or listening to the others playing, interspersed with tales of the routine of touring. Who knew there were so many ways of making duck with red cabbage? (Oh, featured in the film are … Continue reading WFC Germany: Aber das Wort Hund bellt ja nicht

WFC Hungary: Egymásra nézve

(November 4, 2016)

It’s an interesting little film. It must have been difficult to make this in the early 80s. I love the actors. The story is… uhm… Well, you won’t be surprised by how it ends. NORMALITY RESTORED in the usual way in these films. Another Way. Károly Makk. 1982. Hungary. 1 part white wine 1 part … Continue reading WFC Hungary: Egymásra nézve

WFC Bulgaria: Урок

(October 28, 2016)

There are things about this film I like enormously. It’s a taut, tense film about nightmarish desperation. But it seems like there are always options out of the problems that seem to be avoided just for the sake of plot. So my main feeling here is of “but why doesn’t she…?” just about all the … Continue reading WFC Bulgaria: Урок

WFC Albania: Falja e Gjakut

(October 22, 2016)

This is a fascinating film. It’s perhaps the most exotic story I’ve seen so far in this film series, and it’s from a European country. It’s a simple little film about a fucked up situation, but it’s pitch perfect emotionally. The sitch is so exotically fucked up that I’m almost tempted to give a plot … Continue reading WFC Albania: Falja e Gjakut

WFC Viet Nam: Xích Lô

(October 15, 2016)

It’s a very moist film. Sure, it’s aestheticizing poverty and stuff. Inscrutable film, great actors and cinematography. Cyclo. Tran Anh Hung. 1995. Viet Nam. Ginger Kaffir Limeade limes sugar 1 part ginger syrup 1 part cointreau 3 parts vodka Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. This post is part of the World … Continue reading WFC Viet Nam: Xích Lô

WFC United States: Deadpool

(September 10, 2016)

Since I did France, I might as well do the US. There are really funny, exciting scenes here, and the dialogue is mostly on fleek. But the mixture of exciting and funny with slow and heartfelt makes the film kinda limp along for stretches. There’s a lack of rhythm… The funny bits are really funny, … Continue reading WFC United States: Deadpool

WFC France: Made in USA

(September 10, 2016)

I’ve kinda consciously postponed watching films from the major film-producing countries (from my point of view, of course: people in India may disagree): France, The United States of America and Britain. (And I couldn’t quite make up my mind whether to treat the UK as four contries or not.) Like, where’s the challenge in finding … Continue reading WFC France: Made in USA

WFC Belarus: Ідзі і глядзі

(September 9, 2016)

Oops. This isn’t a very Belarussian film: It’s from the Soviet era. And this DVD is just ridiculous. It looks like it’s been recorded off the TV and then somebody has blurred the English subtitles, and then added new Korean and English subtitles on top. But I’ve made krambambulya! It’s too late to back our … Continue reading WFC Belarus: Ідзі і глядзі

WFC Senegal: Touki Bouki

(September 9, 2016)

What an odd film. It’s kinda nouvelle vague, but insane. Me like! I suspect the RSPCA wasn’t present at the filming. Paree, paree, paree… Touki Bouki. Djibril Diop Mambéty. 1973. Senegal. Bissap Shake 1 cup of dried hibiscus flowers 1 cup of sugar quarter cup of orange juice mint sprigs cucubmber slices vodka Heat two … Continue reading WFC Senegal: Touki Bouki

WFC Zimbabwe: Neria

(September 3, 2016)

“Oh, look! Diplomats!” Well, of course this is a very low budget film, and it looks like it. Was it filmed on video? In the early 90s? (imdb says that it’s from 1993, but the DVD cover says that it won awards in Egypt in 1991 and South Africa in 1992, so it’s all very … Continue reading WFC Zimbabwe: Neria

WFC Israel: למלא את החלל‎‎

(September 3, 2016)

It’s an interesting film, and I like the funny bits. There’s also squirmy embarassing bits that are very… squirmy. Yeah, squirmy. I’ll go with squirmy. Where’s my thesaurus… Anyway, while there are really good scenes in here, I feel like large parts of the film are fairly pedestrian. Good actors, though. Fill the Void. Rama … Continue reading WFC Israel: למלא את החלל‎‎

WFC Mauritania: Timbuktu

(September 2, 2016)

This is a very pretty film, and the way it portrays ISIS as buffoons is very amusing. And then it isn’t amusing any more. Some of the actors are compelling, but most of them are really, really stiff. I assume they’re not-professionals, but still… Timbuktu. Abderrahmane Sissako. 2014. Mauritania. Mauretania Mauritania peppermint tea mint leaves … Continue reading WFC Mauritania: Timbuktu

WFC Uruguay: El Baño del Papa

(August 27, 2016)

This started off really good (the opening scenes on bike were great), but then… As a viewer you want everything to go well for these people, but it seems so futile. They tried to crank up the absurdity, but… The Pope’s Toilet. César Charlone. 2007. Uruguay. Caipiroska 1 part vodka 1 part tonic water 1 … Continue reading WFC Uruguay: El Baño del Papa

WFC Austria: Caché

(August 27, 2016)

Very, very tense. And this being Haneke I was just sitting here waiting for some atrocity to happen. It’s a bit hard to swallow the main character’s ineptie complète, though. Nice mystery, though! (I’m going with either the director or Pierrot and Majid’s son in collusion.) Hidden. Michael Haneke. 2005. Austria. Blood And Sand 1 … Continue reading WFC Austria: Caché

WFC Chile: La Nana

(July 23, 2016)

This wasn’t what I expected at all. Judging by the the DVD cover it looks like some sort of screwball comedy. And it is funny, but it’s really a complex, intense drama. Nerve-wracking. I love the actors, but I’m not sure the really grainy natural-light (I’m guessing here) film (I mean digital) is a net … Continue reading WFC Chile: La Nana

WFC Venezuela: Pelo malo

(July 21, 2016)

This is really good! I love all the actors, especially the mother. And the cinematography is both fantastic and real at the same time. Everything’s so tense. Bad Hair. Mariana Rondón. 2013. Venezuela. Playero 2 parts coconot flavoured rum 1 part lemon juice 1 part gin 1 part lemon soda 1 part coconut water Mix … Continue reading WFC Venezuela: Pelo malo

WFC United Arab Emirates: ذيب‎‎

(July 20, 2016)

There are good scenes in here, but mostly the actors are pretty hopeless, even for non-professional actors. And it fails the Bechdel test. Theeb. Naji Abu Nowar. 2014. United Arab Emirates. Detox Mule 3 parts ginger beer 3 parts vodka 1 part peppermint syrup (1:1 sugar and peppermint tea) 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar … Continue reading WFC United Arab Emirates: ذيب‎‎

WFC Hong Kong: 詠春

(July 2, 2016)

This is the goofiest film I’ve seen ever. Love it! So good natured. A classic comedy of errors. But with Kung Fu. Wing Chun. Woo-Ping Yuen. 1994. Hong Kong. Chelsea Flower Show 3 parts sherry 3 parts Lillet Blanc 3 parts St Germain 1 part egg white 1 part aromatic bitters Shake with ice and … Continue reading WFC Hong Kong: 詠春

WFC Macedonia: Пред дождот

(July 2, 2016)

I didn’t quite understand this bit. It’s the same actor, but is it the same character? PLZ EXPLAIN I don’t think this film was approved by the Macedonian Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. It’s a structurally interesting film, with all that mirroring and stuff, and the spiralling timelines that don’t resolve (in … Continue reading WFC Macedonia: Пред дождот

WFC Italy: Il Vangelo secondo Matteo

(July 1, 2016)

The higher the hat, the closer to god. Hey, is that Flea? Hm… Oops! Spoilers! I may somehow accidentally never have seen any Pasolini films before, so I didn’t quite know what to expect. I’m not sure, but I think this is a savage parody of the tale of Jesus? Without changing any of the … Continue reading WFC Italy: Il Vangelo secondo Matteo

WFC Japan: 宇宙海賊キャプテンハーロック

(June 25, 2016)

The Blu-Ray turns out not to have any languages that I understand, so I had to use the online Internet film caches to get a copy I could watch. (Well, actually two copies, since the first one (as can be seen in the first screenshots) was very artifacty.) This is a vert un-nerdy un-science fictioney … Continue reading WFC Japan: 宇宙海賊キャプテンハーロック

WFC Egypt: عمارة يعقوبيان

(June 25, 2016)

That’s a lot of comedy false beards. I mean… That beard on the guy to the right… *sigh* That’s the most efficient way to drive police vans down the street, I’m sure. … !!! I don’t think this is a very good film… but I may not be completely in the mood for this type … Continue reading WFC Egypt: عمارة يعقوبيان

WFC South Korea: 싸이보그지만 괜찮아

(June 24, 2016)

That’s what you’d call an insane wig. Long time no film. Uhm… I haven’t seen any of the more well-known Park Chan-wook films, but this one is kinda weird. Probably made even weirder by me scaling the cocktail after how much juice two thirds of a cucumber gives (in the juicer). Which is quite a … Continue reading WFC South Korea: 싸이보그지만 괜찮아

WFC Sweden: En duva satt på en gren och funderade på tillvaron

(May 27, 2016)

Brilliant! Funny and moving. It’s kinda like… Ben Katchor’s Julius Knipl, Real Estate Photographer. Only Swedish. A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence. Roy Andersson. 2014. Sweden. Swedish Snowball 2 parts lemonade 1 part Advocaat 1 part vodka A dash of lime Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. This post … Continue reading WFC Sweden: En duva satt på en gren och funderade på tillvaron

WFC Poland: Ida

(May 27, 2016)

The DVD is interlaced (i.e., half vertical resolution). Which is weird for a film this short. They kept the length down to one layer. Probably saved a fraction of a cent. Oh, the film! It’s about Poland and jews and WWII and stuff. It’s good. I adore the “Wanda” character. She’s so blunt. On a … Continue reading WFC Poland: Ida

WFC Belgium: Le tout nouveau testament

(May 27, 2016)

This is what it looks like at the Arctic Circle. This film is such a shameless crowd pleaser. I can easily see how some people would find it just unbearable. But I really enjoyed it. Forced whimsy and all. I haven’t seen Forrest Gump, but this is how I would imagine a French version would … Continue reading WFC Belgium: Le tout nouveau testament

WFC Turkey: Kış Uykusu

(May 21, 2016)

Excellent actors. It’s almost annoyingly real. The (many, many, many) discussions and arguments are just like being there. Aydın is such a reasonable monster. This is a very good film. Almost every scene is a pleasant surprise. The scene with the money, though, was so clearly signalled I could read it from space. So not … Continue reading WFC Turkey: Kış Uykusu

WFC Portugal: Cavalo Dinheiro

(May 20, 2016)

This is a very original film. If it reminds me of anything, it’s the films of Marguerite Duras from the 70s. Somehow. But I’m not quite feeling it. Sorree. Horse Money. Pedro Costa. 2014. Portugal. Portuguese Daisy recipe 12 parts port 6 parts brandy 6 parts lemon juice 1 part caster sugar 1 part grenadine … Continue reading WFC Portugal: Cavalo Dinheiro

Bonus Image

(May 6, 2016)

WFC Ethiopia: Crumbs

(May 6, 2016)

Wow! That was unexpected. A post-apocalyptic sci-fi film set in Ethiopia. It’s funny, it’s scary, it’s pretty, and it’s original. Crumbs. Miguel Llansó. 2015. Ethiopia. Ethiopian Espresso Martini 2 parts vodka 1 part creme de cacao 4 parts coffe Shake with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass and sprinkle with caramom. This post is part … Continue reading WFC Ethiopia: Crumbs

WFC Philippines: Independencia

(May 6, 2016)

Manila-Acapulco Grog 8 parts coconut water 4 parts rum 1 part Kahlua 1 part lime juice 1 part simple syrup Garnish with a mangosteen. It was supposed to be kalamansi instead of lime, but I couldn’t find any. This is a very strange film. Independencia. Raya Martin. 2009. Philippines. This post is part of the … Continue reading WFC Philippines: Independencia

WFC Mexico: Japón

(April 23, 2016)

I like the grainy film. 8mm? 16mm? Lots of ISOs? But even though I really like it visually, I’m afraid the film kinda lost me. Perhaps I’m just not in the mood for the languidity? (That’s a word!) And I guess you could see the film as a series of deliberate provocations? There’s somebody killing … Continue reading WFC Mexico: Japón

WFC Mali: Bamako

(April 23, 2016)

This is a very unusual film. It starts off with a trial of sorts that turns out to be more of a hearing into African debt, globalism and migration. And it takes place in the backyard of a private house, so there are children and animals running around amongst the judges and witnesses. Very interesting. … Continue reading WFC Mali: Bamako

WFC Taiwan: 最好的時光

(April 22, 2016)

This is yet another very languid film. I mean, very little happens. But the actors here are very good, so it’s enjoyable to watch. And it’s cute and playful. The second part (which is a “silent film” from 1910-ish) is a bit of a drag, though. Three Times. Hsiao-Hsien Hou. 2005. Taiwan. Zegroni 10 parts … Continue reading WFC Taiwan: 最好的時光

WFC Greece: Τριλογία: Το λιβάδι που δακρύζει

(April 22, 2016)

Stella!  STELLA!!! Geez. An interlaced DVD. That reduces the vertical resolution to a half. But I guess I can see why they did it — it’s 6GB as it (it’s quite long), and they’d have to go to double sided to get it over 9GB… Which I would have preferred. Anyway! It’s a very languid … Continue reading WFC Greece: Τριλογία: Το λιβάδι που δακρύζει

Google GeoChart

(April 21, 2016)

I wanted to have some maps in my World of Films and Cocktails series.  Like this: I tried various mapping services, but nothing was flexible enought to do what I wanted.  I wanted more recently “visited” countries to be brighter, I wanted it to be scriptable, I wanted it to be easy to take unassisted … Continue reading Google GeoChart

WFC Australia: Prisoner Queen: Mindless Music & Mirrorballs

(April 20, 2016)

This is a very low budget film. It does have charm and an insane plot going for it, but it’s so, so awkward. A million kudos for casting Noeline Bourke (Jude Kuring) from Prisoner: Cell Block H, my favourite soap ever. (And all the other actors from that series.) Well. The only soap worth watching. … Continue reading WFC Australia: Prisoner Queen: Mindless Music & Mirrorballs

WFC Algeria: معركة الجزائر

(April 20, 2016)

I had planned on watching a diffent, more Algerian film, but it turned out to only have French subtitles. (Two different French subtitles and dubbed into French two different ways.) So I went with this one instead, which is perhaps more Italian than Algerian, but The Battle of Algiers. Gillo Pontecorvo. 1966. Algeria. Algeria Cocktail … Continue reading WFC Algeria: معركة الجزائر

WFC Ireland: The Irish Pub

(April 16, 2016)

Oops! It’s a documentary about an Irish bar. I thought it was gonna be a feel good comedy or something. Fudging Irish. “This bar serves the best Guinnes in Dublin!” Whaa… As it went on and on I started hating it more and more. And I started out hating it quite a lot! Sentimental twaddle. … Continue reading WFC Ireland: The Irish Pub

WFC China: 三峡好人

(April 16, 2016)

Oo. I quite like this film. It’s very languid. And it seems straightforward, but things sort of keep happening on the margins that … probably aren’t. It’s a serious, but whimsical film. So it’s very nice. But it’s not without its problems. Tao Zhao is great, but many of the minor characters are played by … Continue reading WFC China: 三峡好人

WFC Ukraine: Плем’я

(April 15, 2016)

Gimmicky as fuck, this film is entirely in Ukrainian sign language (without subtitles) and has the requisite amount of sex and violence to make it “serious”. It’s the standard “spiral into despair” plot so beloved of a certain class of directors. It’s not badly made, though. And some of the actors are really great. I … Continue reading WFC Ukraine: Плем’я

WFC Angola: Na cidade vazia

(April 15, 2016)

I bought the DVD used, but it didn’t work, so I, er, downloaded a backup copy off of the interwebs. Yeah, that’s the ticket. It looks kinda like the interwebby copy is from a VHS, but it’s quite nice, anyway. I enjoyed this film. The acting is kinda all over the place, but there are … Continue reading WFC Angola: Na cidade vazia

WFC Finland: Kovasikajuttu

(April 13, 2016)

Hey! It’s a documentary of a variously abled band. Kinda fun. The Punk Syndrome. Jukka Kärkkäinen. 2012. Finland. Cloudberry/Apple Cocktail 1 part sugar syrup 2 parts cold pressed apple juice 1 part cloudberry liqueur 1 part white rum Some splashes of Angostura bitters Shake with ice and pour into a cocktail glass. I had to … Continue reading WFC Finland: Kovasikajuttu

WFC Estonia: Mandariinid

(April 13, 2016)

And is this really more of a Georgian film than an Estonian film? I did not know that there was an Estonian village in Georgia, though. The Soviet Union was funny. But perhaps not in a “ha ha” way. This film is very on the nose. War is awful. I appreciate the sentiment. It’s heart … Continue reading WFC Estonia: Mandariinid

WFC Malaysia: The Red Kebaya

(April 13, 2016)

Oh, man. This is so amateurish. But it’s kinda atmospheric, and the central conceit of the film is kinda cute. And the actor playing Azizah is pretty good. And it won the prize for Best Poster (WON). So I’m being oh so generous and rolling: The Red Kebaya. Oliver Knott. 2006. Malaysia. Sing Sing 2 … Continue reading WFC Malaysia: The Red Kebaya

WFC Spain: Carne Trémula

(April 8, 2016)

This started off kinda wonky, but then it got better. Almodovar is Almodovar, of course, but sometimes he goes off the rails. This is quite different from his usual themes, though. I quite enjoyed parts of it, but it does drag a bit… Live Flesh. Pedro Almodovar. 1997. Spain. Aquavit 43 3 parts Licor 43 … Continue reading WFC Spain: Carne Trémula

WFC Saudi Arabia: وجدة‎

(April 8, 2016)

Hey! It’s a comedy about a spunky girl in Saudi Arabia. Not what I expected at all. It plays with the constant trivial, petty and extreme repression of Saudi society vs trying to have a normal childhood very effectively. Funny and enraging at the same time. And the girl playing the lead is just amazing. … Continue reading WFC Saudi Arabia: وجدة‎

WFC India: द लंच बॉक्स

(April 6, 2016)

Hm… this might not be totally genuinly Indian. Lots of European financing going on… // From the cover of the DVD I thought it was going to be a Bollywood film with lots of dancing and singing, and… it isn’t. Boo! But this film has a very silly premise, anyway. Me like! Marrying that great … Continue reading WFC India: द लंच बॉक्स

WFC Iran: کلوزآپ ، نمای نزدیک‎

(April 6, 2016)

This is a totally fascinating film. It’s mostly a documentary, but the film-maker didn’t arrive until a bit into the proceedings, so he had the people involved re-enact what happened before he arrived. And the story being told isn’t a super-duper mega-important one, but a really weird one. It’s so bizarre structurally. I had to … Continue reading WFC Iran: کلوزآپ ، نمای نزدیک‎

WFC Denmark: Idealisten

(April 5, 2016)

This film veered between being almost a parody of a serious documentary about a brave journalist and… er… Hm. Perhaps it didn’t veer that much. It wasn’t a good film, but it was occasionally exciting. The Idealist. Christina Rosendahl. 2015. Denmark. Complement Cocktail 2 parts gin 1 part aquavit a few dashes of maraschino liqueur … Continue reading WFC Denmark: Idealisten

WFC Brazil: Orfeu Negro

(April 5, 2016)

So much drama. I’m not feeling it. Looks and sounds great, though. Black Orpheus. Marcel Camus. 1959. Brazil. 2 parts mango 1 part cachaça some suger ice cubes Run in a blender until smooth. This should have been really good, but the mangoes weren’t really… that good… so… This post is part of the World … Continue reading WFC Brazil: Orfeu Negro

WFC Argentina: La mujer sin cabeza

(April 1, 2016)

The Headless Woman. Lucrecia Martel. 2008. Argentina. Hey. This was rather excellent. I bought the film at random in a used DVD shop. I should do that more, but do used DVD shops even exist any more? Bison TT I couldn’t find ginger syrup anywhere, so I had to make it myself. 1 part water … Continue reading WFC Argentina: La mujer sin cabeza

WFC Russia: Зеркало

(April 1, 2016)

This is officially Tarkovskij’s best film. It’s like he extended the mood of the final scenes in Solaris and Stalker into an entire film. Or the other way around. It is, indeed, pretty fab. Mirror. Andrej Tarkovsky. 1957. Russia. Yorsh 10 parts beer 1 part vodka Blend gently. This post is part of the World … Continue reading WFC Russia: Зеркало

The World of Films & Cocktails

(March 31, 2016)

After my 1968-1922 film project somebody suggested that I should try to watch a film from each country next.  “Hmm.  And what about a cocktail, too?” So I spent a few hours googling just to see whether it’s at all feasible.  Are there films from Togo?  Are there cocktails from Yemen?  Yes!  There are films … Continue reading The World of Films & Cocktails