Discoveries from European World Cinema

On an obscure Pacific Island just north of Australia, the Japanese Empire has operated a prisoner of war camp for Australian soldiers. At the close of World War II, the liberated POWs tell a gruesome tale of mass executions of over eight hundred persons as well as torture style killings of downed Australian airmen. In an attempt to bring those responsible to justice, the Australian Army establishes a War Crimes Tribunal to pass judgement on the Japanese men and officers who ran the Ambon camp. In an added twist, a high ranking Japanese admiral is implicated, and politics become involoved with justice as American authorities in Japan lobby for the Admiral's release. Written by Anthony Hughes

A socially awkward but highly enterprising teenager decides to acquire a "mail order best friend"; a sophisticated exchange student from France. Instead, he ends up importing his personal nightmare, a cologne-soaked, chain-smoking, sex-obsessed youth who quickly becomes the hero of his new community.

In modern-day London, three men (Craig Ferguson, Jimi Mistry and David Morrissey) and three women (Olivia Williams, Jane Horrocks and Catherine McCormack) fall in and out of love and back again, to the Greek-chorus accompaniment of two cab drivers, who engage in an ongoing conversation about sex. A winning romantic comedy, Born Romantic is the second feature by British writer-director David Kane of This Year's Love fame.

Fresh out of prison, Pat Tate steps right back into his Essex nightclub. But still disgruntled, he soon sets out to Marbelle to revenge those that put him away for five years. While in Spain, Pat cannot turn away from the opportunity to score the biggest drug deal of his life. All he needs is for his Essex pals Tony and Craig to deliver the cash to Marbella to close the deal. But Craig, useless as ever, turns a simple plane trip to a massive road trip packed with trickery and danger. And Tony is more worried about making it back to England as he has promised to support his best friend Nigel Benn at the boxing match of his life. While waiting in Marbella, Pat proceeds with the violent revenge he has craved for years. Revenges are made and Tony and Carlton walk Nigel Benn out to what turns out to be one of the most tragic fights in history. But the drugs they bring back seems to be a bad batch and cause them more trouble than they have ever anticipated before.

Nikita Nekrasov is a scientist, a theoretical physicist who studies our world and other possible worlds. He refuses to make a choice between mathematics and physics, between one woman and another, as he ponders the existence of the multi-universe. At scientific conferences, attended by eminent foreign scientists and a rising younger generation of physicists alike, Nekrasov gets carried away debating the beauty of string theory. He attempts to explain to all of his women – Katya, the librarian, Zoya, the scientific secretary, Svetalana, the head of department – about the theory of his own polygamy, and the possibility of having enough feelings to satisfy everyone.

Vincent Lannoo’s ‘mockumentary’ shows us a community of vampires in Belgium. The two ‘parents’ of the family are George and Bertha, who have two teenage children – or rather, they raise two former humans who they turned into vampires. Son Samson is a bit of a jack the lad: enjoying the sexual freedom of vampire life, with all the vigour of an irresponsible young adult regardless of consequences (even incest is not frowned upon in their world, where the word ‘wife’ is often synonymous with ‘mother’ or ‘sister’). Daughter Grace yearns for humanity in a different way: applying fake tan to get rid of her vampiric pallor, dressing in pink clothes, wishing she could feel emotion and even having a human boyfriend.

Eleven-year-old Philipp, known as Lippel, travels from Passau in Bavaria to the Orient without a flying carpet: because his father, the posh chef Otto Mattenheim, is on a business trip, the new housekeeper Mrs. Jakob looks after Lippel. But she turns out to be a petty childish terror. And so Lippel escapes into an oriental dream world at night, in which his father, Mrs. Jakob and two classmates strangely appear. Lippel experiences the most amazing adventures in the Orient. His dreams help him and his classmates to chase the evil Mrs. Jakob out of the house and rescue his new friend, the street dog Muck.

At a conference of dream interpretation, the lives of three people will become inescapably entangled: Beatriz, hired to do public relations for the conference; Alex, a writer for an Internet publication covering the event; and Natalia, an audience member whose revelation of her dream sets off a chain of events that brings together these three otherwise disparate characters. The Hidden is about those unseen, largely unknowable forces that seem to surround us and define our lives. Natalia’s dreams might be expressions of her fears and anxieties, but perhaps they could be messages from some beyond. For Beatriz, what’s “hidden” may be less supernatural than emotions she can barely express or control. Antonio Hernandez deftly navigates the lives and feelings of these three characters, gradually peeling away their self-deceptions and delusions until there’s a remarkable and unexpected final revelation.

Sonia breaks the perhaps most exciting time of her life, because the 20-year-old moves to Berlin for a mathematics study. Once there, she soon began to build up a new circle of friends, and then she fell in love with the kind, but irresponsible Ladja. There is only one big catch: the dear money is a bit scarce and therefore Sonia one day, financially, but also from curiosity, the path to prostitution. From now on, it leads a brisk double flight, which can fly at any time. Her experiences are ambivalent, as part-time she often gets into difficult situations, but also gets to know nice people, while she enjoys life just as a student. But how long can it maintain the double game?

An African immigrant living illegally in Belgium is desperate to find his own sense of belonging.

In a pseudo-futuristic 1994, a square couple enter the corrupt world of the music industry, and subsequently a maze of drugs, sex, and temptation.

Angélique is in a North African Muslim kingdom where she is now part of the Sultan's harem. She refuses to be bedded as her captors try to beat sense into her. She finally decides to escape with the help of two Christian prisoners.

Elisa is only forty when an incurable disease takes her from her husband and their daughter. Before her heart stops, Elisa finds a way to stay close to her: a gift for every birthday up to her adult age, 18 gifts to try to accompany her child's growth year after year.

When an apparently exemplary cop abducts and secretly imprisons a beautiful dancer, a deadly battle of wills between captor and captive ensues.

Didi, a Hungarian noblewoman who survived war and communism, has lived in Salento for years, cared for by Vita, a young woman from Puglia. She spends her final days amidst memories, guilt, and friendship, searching for peace.

Fred Engel's father is murdered by Colonel Brinkley in order to acquire a treasure map, however the Colonel only acquires half of it, the other half as held by Mrs. Butler. Discovering the scene of the crime, Old Shatterhand and Winnetou help Fred bring his father's murderer to justice and locate the treasure of Silver Lake.

Losing his memory after a mugging, a man known only as 'MP' (Missing Person) leaves his home and sets out on a journey - in search not only for his memory but perhaps also for a new identity. MP finds himself confronted by a world in which there are no longer any certainties; an era of crisis on many levels. On his travels from country to country, portrayed via an associative image montage and through a series of strange, illuminating, sometimes comic encounters, MP attempts to gain insight into the complexity of life in the 21st-century West - into what commentators have called an age of 'rolling catastrophe'.

Nearly 13, Alice rebels, telling the Paris police that her mother is a murderer. Alice has no evidence; her mother, Eva, rich and powerful, avoids charges. Alice promptly runs away, determined to find her dad whom she claims lives in Portugal. The police believe he is dead and that Alice is in denial. Nonetheless, they dispatch Anita, an Italian police officer on loan to the French, to find Alice and bring her back. Meanwhile, Eva has launched her own paramilitary force to hunt for Alice, and Alice has found a protector in Hugo, an ex-soldier turned hit man and gang member. He promises to get her to her father. All roads lead to a small town on the Portuguese coast.

A documentary that focuses on Hayao Miyazaki’s deep connection to nature and the environmental themes expressed through his films.

In the Tuscan countryside, a family of traditional honey farmers struggles to make ends meet. The household consists of only daughters—four of them—led by the eldest, Gelsomina, who takes on the responsibilities of the family. When a small boy is sent to stay with them for rehabilitation, their routine is disrupted. As financial troubles threaten their home, Gelsomina sees an opportunity in a reality TV contest searching for 'Italy’s Most Traditional Family.' Willing to expose their secluded life for the prize money, she clashes with her father’s rigid ways in a bid to secure their future.

Emilie Busquant, a woman with an exceptional destiny, was born on March 3, 1901, in Neuves-Maisons, Lorraine. In 1923, she moved to Paris to find work and met Messali Hadj, who had also come seeking employment. A beautiful love story began; she fell in love with both a man and a cause: the independence of Algeria. Together, in 1926, they founded the first Algerian independence party, the North African Star (Étoile Nord-Africaine). She would support the Algerian people's struggle throughout her life.

Olympic gymnastics coach Francine Lake and her twelve gorgeous students train on the Island of Crete. The rigors of training preclude most sexual activity with the locals, thus the girls spend their evenings in quiet frustration.

An insatiable nymphomaniac with a wheelchair-bound writer husband finds that her lurid exploits rejuvenate his creativity and libido, but soon enough, all of her lovers end up being murdered by an unknown assailant.

Psychologist Dr. Brennac is asked by a colleague to help with the case of Claude, a patient on trial for multiple murders. Is Claude really guilty of the crimes, or is he a victim of his own mind?

Álex and Cata, two young women who live on the outskirts of the city, a desolate place full of empty stores and ramshackle bars where dreams end up fading, have been preparing their escape all their lives.

Sarawak, in the northeast of the island of Borneo, 1839. Almost by chance, the British adventurer James Brooke is appointed rajah by the Sultan of Brunei, and as an independent ruler he embarks on a personal crusade to eradicate piracy, slavery and headhunting, while trying to curb the malevolent expansionist ambitions of the British Empire.

Estelle fights to maintain her sense of self while sleeping with Angus for money.

A dark comedy set in an Eastern European village populated by odd characters but also by Nadia - a statuesque beauty and focal point of many villagers' lives.

An ex-military recluse, living in the mountains of France to escape a traumatic past, is hunted down by those whose lives he has destroyed.

Consumed with sadness after the death of his wife and subsequent rejection from his son, a widower, at the urging of his friends, opts to appear on a vulgar, wildly popular game show (for which his wife signed him up) and watches his life start to change for the better.

A beautiful American woman infiltrates the home of a novelist and his wife so she can investigate the disappearance of her lover — who was her employers’ previous secretary — and soon finds herself the target of the couple's erotic desires and a murder plot.

A teenager in search of recognition, a worker ready to do anything to hit the jackpot, a senior executive at the end of his career who wants to prove to himself that he's still alive. Three characters who are losing speed on the competition highway.

Beatrice celebrates with her family the release of her book: she tells about the accident of her husband Frederic. He became blind and without filter - always so funny and seductive, he is totally unpredictable. But this book, hymn-to-life, will turn into a joyful fist because if Beatrice changed the names, each of his friends seeks to find his character. The book awakens secret jealousies, while the group of friends and family pitch.

Police Inspector Staniland is investigating the death of a pianist. While conducting his investigation and looking through the victim's apartment, he meets Barbara, the mistress of the murder victim. Barbara confesses to the crime, but Staniland, based on his observations and experience, does not believe her. He then sets out to find the truth.

Three alternative comedians get involved in a pyramid-selling organization, Pathway, in order to finance their act. They gain great success by deploying their skills as entertainers, only to eventually discover the sinister purpose behind the Pathway organization.

UN agents Mike Graham and Sabrina Carver are sent by their director Nick Caldwell to investigate the theft of Rembrandt's painting, "The Night Watch". The trail takes them from Amsterdam to Hong Kong and involves them in not only art theft and forgery, but the high-tech schemes of Martin Schraeder and his Korean cohort Mao Yixin

Two French girls get lost in the woods and accidentally enter the realm of sorceress Morgana Le Fay - who gives them the choice of either staying young forever as her lovers, or rot in a dungeon for eternity.

"They say that in the wood you get what nearly everybody here is longing for – a second chance." J. M. Barrie's fantasy play, depicting alternative realities for its characters and their eventual return to real life.

George, a 16-year-old who believes he is a future star musician, can't believe his luck when the son of a famous duo takes an interest in his music. This new arrival helps him rehearse for a talent show and leads both boys to learn from each other and grow closer.

This film tells the true-life story of Yuri Nosenko, a top Soviet KGB agent who defected to the West at the height of the Cold War in 1962.

When a headstrong student gets trapped in a school bathroom with his racist bully, he must force a confession before they're found, or his final chance at justice will be lost.

In this melange of characters and events from separate mythological stories, Hercules, demigod and superman, arrives in the ancient Greek kingdom of Iolcus to tutor Iphitus, son of king Pelias; immediately on arrival, he falls in love with the king's delectable, briefly clad daughter Iole. Before he can win her, he must succeed in a series of quests, in the course of which he teams up with Jason, true heir of Iolcus, whom he accompanies on the famous voyage of the Argonauts.

A soldier recounts his relationship with a famous political prisoner attempting to overthrow their country's authoritarian government.

A teenage girl in Medieval England navigates life and tries to avoid the arranged marriages her father maps out for her.

In 1870, a Jamaican colonial family sends its children to Britain for proper schooling, but their ship is taken over by pirates, who become fond of the kids.

Several shots of the carnival in Nice, floats and parade costumes, passing along the crowded streets.

While a group of young actors rehearse a new musical about a mass murderer, a notorious psychopath escapes from a nearby insane asylum.

A series of terrifying accidents and brutal murders leave a bloody trail into the subterranean caverns of an Opera house. Below the theatre stalks a man raised by creatures of the underworld.

A comedy film composed of 14 episodes. It is a sequel to I mostri, made in 1963. 1. The Finch of Val Padouan (Ettore Scola) - 2. Tantum ergo (Dino Risi) - 3. Hitchhiking (Mario Monicelli) - 4. Kidnapping of a Beloved Person (Ettore Scola) - 5. First Aid (Mario Monicelli) - 6. Big Boy to His Little Mother (Dino Risi) - 7. Model Citizen (Ettore Scola) - 8. Pornodiva (Dino Risi) - 9. Like a Queen (Ettore Scola) - 10. Inn! (Ettore Scola) - 11. Without Words (Dino Risi) - 12. The Funeral Oration (Ettore Scola)

In the Australian Outback, the Carmody family--Paddy, Ida, and their teenage son Sean--are sheep drovers, always on the move. Ida and Sean want to settle down and buy a farm. Paddy wants to keep moving. A sheep-shearing contest, the birth of a child, drinking, gambling, and a racehorse will all have a part in the final decision.

Years after his mysterious disappearance, Julio Arenas, a famous Spanish actor, is back in the news thanks to a television program.

An exiled magician finds an opportunity for revenge against his enemies muted when his daughter and the son of his chief enemy fall in love in this uniquely structured retelling of the 'The Tempest'.

London Road is a musical drama that documents the events of 2006, when the quiet rural town of Ipswich was shattered by the discovery of the bodies of five women. The residents of London Road had struggled for years with frequent soliciting and kerb-crawling on their street. When a local resident was charged and then convicted of the murders, the community grappled with what it meant to be at the epicentre of this tragedy.

Once upon a time, a poor woodcutter and his wife lived in a great forest. Cold, hunger, poverty, and a war raging all around them meant their lives were very hard. One day, the woodcutter's wife rescues a baby. A baby girl thrown from one of the many trains that constantly pass through the forest. This baby, this "most precious of cargoes", will transform the lives of the poor woodcutter's wife and her husband, as well as those whose paths the child will cross—including the man who threw her from the train. And some will try to protect her, whatever the cost. Their story will reveal the worst and the best in the hearts of men.

To mark the release two weeks ago of the eighth and final movie in the series, Robbie Coltrane narrates a countdown of the movie franchise's best moments. From Harry's first meeting with Ron and Hermione aboard the Hogwarts Express through to magical mysteries.

A black comedy that follows three generations of a family, who come together for the funeral of the patriarch - unveiling a litany of family secrets and covert relationships.

A disgraced basketball coach is given the chance to coach Los Amigos, a team of players who are intellectually disabled, and soon realizes they just might have what it takes to make it to the national championships.

Based on the Vanity Fair article of the same title, a story about a young boy drawn into a web of lies through an online chatroom.