Watch This Week: International Films

by Culture Staff

Photography courtesy of imbd.com

Whether you’re a self-described polyglot or have ignored your DuoLingo notifications for days on end now, “international” films or ones directed or produced by non-American filmmakers, or filmed in languages other than English, can provide a fresh way of looking at a film. French films may approach issues with a darker humor, Indian films might have unexpected color palettes and Scandinavian films might have uniquely unlikeable antiheroes. This list features three “international” films to check out this week.

“Holy Air” (dir. Shady Srour)

This Boston-based director featured his film at the Boston Jewish Film Festival last December. “Holy Air” is about a young, Christian Arabic man named Adam living in Nazareth searching for a way to provide for his wife and young child, when he decides to bottle the air from the dome of the rock and sell it to gullible tourists. The acting in the film is strong, and Srour manages to play the lead role and direct and produce the film well.

“Amelie” (dir. Jean-Pierre Jeunet)

A classic, “Amelie” is one of the best international films to start with, especially if you don’t speak another language. The titular character goes on escapes throughout her neighborhood in Paris, falling in love and trying to make the lives of the seemingly inconsequential people around her “better” while trying to come out of her own shell. The colors are warm and inviting, and will inspire you to find a little art in the everyday too.

“The Way He Looks” (dir. Daniel Ribeiro)

For those who loved “Love, Simon,” “The Way He Looks” adds more LGBT representation to the big-screen. The Brazilian coming-of-age romance follows two teenage boys as they explore their love for each other and the complicated tangle of romance during teenage years. The film was praised for his gentle portrayal of young LGBT love, but received no Academy nominations.