2014 Movie World Cup: Round 2

The films taking part in the second match-ups of the Group stage form the core of the Movie World Cup because all the 32 films are previously unseen. Therefore, there is a possibility to discover a new treasure. Alternatively, a weaker film can impact a nation’s chances to progress out of the group.

Group A:

Brazil (Once Upon a Time in Veronica) 0 - 1 Mexico (Post Tenebras Lux)

With Brazil being the World Cup hosts, my biggest fear was picking a film that proved to be a mistake. Marcelo Gomes’ film was a complete gamble but since I loved his 2005 film Cinema, Aspirins and Vultures (#1 on my 2005 year end list), I hoped his new feature would be worthy. Once Upon a Time in Veronica certainly has a nice pleasant tone to it and follows a tranquil pace rarely seen in Brazilian movies. Scenes are not rushed, there is no pulsating music, and no violence on display. Instead, we follow Veronica’s journey and attempts to form connections with people around her. 

Unfortunately, by luck of the draw, the Brazilian film is drawn against Post Tenebras Lux,  Carlos Reygadas’ new film which contains many scenes which jolt the senses and leave a lasting impression. Neither the Brazilian or Mexican film can be called a perfect work but the Mexican film has far too much creativity than the Brazilian entry.

Croatia (Karaula) 0 - 1 Cameroon (Aristotle’s Plan)

The Battle of the Farce.

Both films manage to contain plenty of comedic surprises. On the surface, the Croatian film Border Post looks to be a war film but as it turns out, it is about a manufactured threat of a war because a soldier does not want to return home to his wife because she would learn about his affair. The soldier has a STD after a fling with a prostitute and is told he needs a few weeks for it to be cleared off. He wants to delay his return so lying about a border dispute seems the only way to extend his stay.

At the time of selection, the Cameroonian film, Aristotle’s Plan, appeared to be a political gangster film but it is anything but that. Instead, it is a truly rewarding work that is a tribute to 35mm and cinephilia while set against the backdrop of political charged revolutionary ideas. The film features two characters called Cinema and Cineaste and contains gangsters who love watching movies in a cinema hall. The film contains many lasting dialogues and images, the most telling being the struggling filmmaker carting reels of his film in a shopping cart.

No other director has ever come up with such an image but this brilliant yet simple image symbolizes the problems of making an independent film, where a director is forced to be a beggar in order to complete their work. There is no shortage of humor or unbelievable scenarios which adds to the film’s charm. The film evokes Godard and is one of the best African films I have ever seen. It is a pity that this film will only get 3 points.

Aristotle’s Plan becomes the first discovery of the 2014 Movie World Cup.

The Croatian film, Karaula, would have had a better chance against many other films at this Movie World Cup but it does not match up against Aristotle’s Plan.

Group B:

Spain (Blancanieves) 0 - 1 Chile (Old Cats)

If there was ever a match-up where both films could be awarded 0 points, this would be it. Both are well polished productions but ultimately they end up being disappointing considering the potential of both films. Pedro Peirano, Sebastián Silva have made a touching film that has a touch of humor and contemplative feel about memory loss and aging.

Blancanieves, translated as Snow White, is an updated retelling of the fairy tale in 1920’s Spain complete with Matadors. The black and white silent images are indeed a joy to behold but the framework lets the work down.

Holland (The Last Days of Emma Black) 1 -0 Australia(The Hunter)

Both these films are much better than the Spanish and Chilean entries and would each have won 3 points if they were paired against them. But as it turns out, the Dutch film narrowly edges out the Australian film.

The Dutch film, a precursor to Borgman, contains some of the black humor and relevant digs at middle class household that Borgman has. The difference is that The Last Days of Emma Black is far more satirical and not as a dark as Borgman.

The Hunter is a mesmerizing look at a mercenary’s (Martin played by Willem  Dafoe) quest to find the last remaining Tasmanian tiger, a rare elusive animal that may be a myth. Wonderfully shot, the film shows how Martin goes about trying to find his target, including raising suspicion from the locals. Excellently shot by Robert Humphreys, the film creates its tense mood nicely.

Group C:

Colombia (Dog Eat Dog) 0 - 1 Ivory Coast (Black Diamond)

Dog Eat Dog is about a drug deal and robbery gone wrong and features some tense violent moments. Unfortunately, the film’s production lets it down and it easily falls to the Ivorian co-production.

Black Diamond is a co-production which could have easily been used for Ghana but is selected for Ivory Coast as it starts off by depicting the Ivory Coast soccer team’s quest to qualify for the 2014 Soccer World Cup. The film then moves to Ghana and highlights the reality of trafficking that exists in Africa where young talented soccer players are lured with promises of a better career in Europe, only for most of these men to be robbed of their money and abandoned. The film is relevant and shows the corruption that exists in the game but more importantly it gives a glance towards the future when Qatar will become a big player in the movement of African players to Europe through its various soccer academies.

Greece (Dos) 0 - 1 Japan (Why Don’t You Play in Hell)

Dos is a pleasant surprise, a truly independent Greek film that is poetic and features some haunting elements. Why Don’t You Play in Hell is Sion Sono’s tribute to 35mm dipped in blood. The first hour of Sono’s film lays the framework for the truly riveting second half which smashes through the roof. Easy win for the Japanese film.

Group D:

Uruguay (Bad Day to go Fishing) 1 - 1 England (Two Years at Sea)

Bad Day to go Fishing is cut from the same deadpan cloth as the Uruguayan film Whisky (2004) which in turn is inspired by Jim Jarmusch’s films. The rich visuals of the Uruguayan film powered by a funny screenplay make this a joy to watch. But as luck would have it, the Uruguayan film meets more than its match in Ben Rivers’s Two Years at Sea, a creative black and white film about a lonely man’s efforts to stay analog in a digital world. Two Years at Sea strips out even more material from Lisandro Alonso’s lonely man framework and drifts into avant-garde territory.

The two films could not be more different yet a draw seems like a fair outcome as neither film produces a late winning moment to justify three points.

Costa Rica (Gestación) 0 - 1 Italy (The Great Beauty)

Gestación is based on a true story about a teenager who is impregnated by her boyfriend and left to take care of herself. It is a relevant film that is well made and features good performances. But The Great Beauty has too much to win easily.

Group E:

Switzerland (We Are the Faithful) 0 - 1 France (Bastards)

We Are the Faithful is another unexpected discovery. The 9 min documentary short highlights a section of FC Basel fans who passionately support their team. The film looks at the fan’s main supporter who uses his loudspeaker to encourage the rest and get them to sing. The film does not show the soccer game at any point but we can gather how the team is doing by the fans' expressions. In this regard, the short is the equivalent of films which show an audience in a cinema hall.

Unfortunately, as it has happened a few times in this Movie World Cup, We Are the Faithful is drawn against a much stronger film and ends up with zero points. Claire Denis’ Bastards is too strong on all accounts.

Ecuador (Qué tan lejos) 1 - 0 Honduras (Amor y frijoles)

Qué tan lejos or How Much Further is a road movie with some humor that has enough substance to win over the Honduran film which is a romantic tale about a woman trying to make ends meet.

Group F:

Argentina (Extraordinary Stories) 1 - 0 Iran (The White Meadows)

Extraordinary Stories is one of the most creative and stellar films made in the last few years. It easily wins this contest over The White Meadows which is another worthy addition to the canon of artisitc Iranian cinema. It is safe to assume the Argentine film will be a contender for the best film of the 2014 Movie World Cup.

Bosnia and Herzegovina (Belvedere) 1 - 0 Nigeria (Ezra)

The Nigerian co-production Ezra depicts the recruitment of child soldiers in Sierra Leone spliced with questioning of one of the soldiers by a tribunal. The court scenes evoke reality and could apply to any African country where young kids are forced to kill at an early age.

Belvedere is black and white film about a few of the women survivors of the Srebenica genocide. It shows even though a war may be over, its scars live on and impact a new generation decades later in unexpected ways. The element of a game show in the film adds a touch of humor and lightens the mood while providing a critical view of contemporary society.

Group G:

Germany (Gerhard Richter - Painting) 1 - 0 Ghana (Sinking Sands)

The Ghanian co-production Sinking Sands is one of the best Ghanian films in recent years. It deals with domestic violence and does not soften the harsh details. In fact, it is an engaging film that features some brave performances from both leads.

The German documentary depicts the artful creativity of Gerhard Richter and is a living breathing work of art in itself. The visual beauty of the German film powers it to an easy win but plenty of credit to the Ghanian co-production for restoring some pride in its local film industry.

Portugal (Centro Histórico) 1 - 0 USA (Blue Caprice)

On paper, an omnibus film with segments by Pedro Costa, Manoel de Oliveira, Víctor Erice, Aki Kaurismäki sounded like a recipe for a winning film. What could possibly go wrong? As it turns out, everything! The four films are distinct elements that don’t mesh and as a result, the entire omnibus is a mess. The best segment out of the four is Pedro Costa’s entry which is more of an extension to his Fontainhas Trilogy.

Considering the problems that the Portuguese co-production has, the American entry is far more of a disappointment. The film based on the 2002 Beltway sniper attacks slowly falls apart and offers nothing worthwhile to discuss. Therefore, the Portuguese film wins by default although in fairness both films should be given zero points.

Group H:

Belgium (Eldorado) 1 - 0 Russia (The Edge)

Yet another discovery of the 2014 Movie World Cup, this time from Belgium. Having never seen a film by Bouli Lanners, Eldorado is a delightful addition to the deadpan category.

The Edge features some incredible cinematography in its gritty depiction about railroads, trains and the quest to go faster. The Russian film has plenty of muscle to overpower the Belgian film but the short running time of Eldorado ensures there are no wasted moments, thereby resulting in a comfortable 1-0 win.

Algeria (Outside the Law) 0 - 1 South Korea (The Day He Arrives)

The Algerian co-production is an engrossing film about the real life struggle for Algerian independence that started after WWII. It is a far more scripted and over the top dramatic film than The Battle of Algiers but Outside the Law manages to depict debates and fights from the perspective of a few key players.

The Day He Arrives is vintage Hong Sang-soo and features what one would expect from his films: filmmaker turned professor returning to his hometown, an ex-love, plenty of drinking with friends/strangers. Conversations and confessions flow as effortlessly as the alcohol and naturally people pour their hearts out. Even though there are familiar elements to his previous films, The Day He Arrives is still a wonderfully crafted feature that is shot in black and white, which lends a poetic beauty to the snowy streets.

2014 Movie World Cup: Groups E, F, G and H

A round-up of the remaining films from round 1 of the 2014 Movie World Cup.

Group E: Switzerland (Fraulein) 1-0 Ecuador (Crónicas)

Crónicas boasts John Leguizamo and draws attention to the circus associated with 24 hour news channels which makes a mockery about journalistic integrity. But the film switches gear and ends up being a serial killer hunt film.

Fraulein takes place at a more languid pace and is a character study about three women at different stages of their life and how they are impacted by each other’s presence.

Both films have their moments and make this a lively contest. In the end, the Swiss film just narrowly edges out.

Group E: France (Holy Motors) 1-0 Honduras (El Porvenir)

The Honduran film El Porvenir made a big impact in the 2010 Movie World Cup when it made it to the semi-finals and eventually finished in 3rd place. It is a hard hitting documentary which starts by examining the prison conditions in the El Porvenir penal farm in La Ceiba and expands the scope to look at conditions in society which lead to people going to jail. The film is still unknown and cannot be found on imdb.com but it a perfect example of what makes a good documentary. Also, the film is a bright example of why this Movie World Cup is vital in discovering films from around the world.

However, it is just unfortunate that El Porvier gets drawn against Holy Motors, a film that manages to encapsulate cinema’s major genres in one sweeping movie. Also, the French film was the #1 film in the Best of 2012 list.

The final score is only 1-0 for the French but that is because of scoring restrictions. Otherwise, the score might be closer to the 3-0 win that France had over Honduras in the 2014 Soccer World Cup.

Group F: Argentina (Gone Fishing) 1-0 Bosnia and Herzegovina (Cirkus Colombia)

Cirkus Colombia is one of the last films that was seen before making the cut-off for this Movie World Cup and it does not disappoint. It stars Predrag Manojlovic famous from Emir Kusturica’s Underground and his character Divko has a perfect foil in Azra (Jelena Stupljanin), his fiery and seductive second wife who lights the screen up with her presence. The film shows how Divko returns after a two decade absence to Bosnia and goes about to reclaim his house and kick his first wife and son out. The return of a man to his old surroundings shares a common bond with Gone Fishing but Cirkus Colombia is about a larger story about a nation and its people impacted by the war. While, Gone Fishing is purely a film about an individual man and his past. 

Carlos Sorin’s Gone Fishing elevates Lisandro Alonso’s lonely man theme from Liverpool and adds a more emotional layer to the film. It is heart-breaking yet soulful. Of course, given the film’s lackluster impact when it premiered at TIFF shows Gone Fishing is not everyone’s cup of matte. But in the case of this Movie World Cup, it is a deserved 1-0 winner.

Group F: Iran (This is Not a Film) 1-0 Nigeria (Without Shame)

There may never be a greater film match mismatch more so than this. The Nigerian film Without Shame is selected because it was the first Nollywood film I saw and still better than the other video productions I have seen since then.

With Iran’s win never in doubt, it is more fun to examine this contest in terms of theme. The closed setting of a house features prominently in both films but in the Iranian film, it is a genuine imprisonment for Panahi who finds a way to use every little bit of space to exert some creativity. In Without Shame, a father and son manage to make their house a prison for a woman (sister-in-law and aunt respectively) due to their repeated sexual abuse of her. The two men are free to roam the city but they choose to sneak into the house at every chance so that they can conduct their sexual acts.

Group G: Germany (Everyone Else) 0-1 Portugal (The Strange Case of Angelica)

The Germany-Portugal game in the World Cup was not much of a contest but the film competition is far more closer and enjoyable. Everyone Else is a firecracker of a film that is packed with emotion and drama while The Strange Case of Angelica is much lighter and manages to quietly convey its feelings. In the end, the Portuguese approach wins out.

Note: The Portuguese film was the winner of Euro 2012 Book and Movie Spotlight.

Group G: Ghana (The Perfect Picture) 0-1 USA (Blue Ruin)

Unfortunately, another mismatch due to similar reasons as the Nigerian selection. The Perfect Picture was selected for the 2010 Movie World Cup because of the lack of choices for Ghanian films at that time. More films from Ghana are now available but not many more have been viewed to replace The Perfect Picture.

Blue Ruin is currently in the running for the top 10 films I have seen in 2014 and one of the best films I saw at Sundance earlier this year.

Just like in the soccer game, the American film wins out.

Group H: Belgium (The Referees) 1-0 Algeria (Rachida)

The Referees took #1 spot in the Best of 2010 list and proved to be too powerful for the Algerian film Rachida, which would have given certain other films in this tournament a run for their money.

Group H: Russia (Alexandra) 1-1 In Another Country (South Korea)

Two different genres and two contrasting styles certainly made it hard to choose an outright winner. Both films deserve three points as they are that good but in the end have to settle for one point each.

2014 Movie World Cup: Groups B, C and D

Group B: Spain (In the City of Sylvia) vs Holland (Borgman)

The Spanish and Dutch films end up following the current footballing philosophy of both national teams. In the City of Sylvia can be classified as tiki-taka, a film characterized by patient build up, slow movements leading up to a satisfying finish. On the other hand, Borgman contains some of the Total Football flexibility where people swap roles which leads to a flurry of movements and emotions. At times, it is hard to keep track of which character is good or which is evil as traditional good characters look to be taking an evil position, while the villains are made to look like decent human beings. Gradually, the line between good and evil blurs.

Although, in this film contest, tiki-taka easily prevails. There is a singular focus and beauty to In the City of Sylvia that is far more appealing the constantly switching gears of Borgman.

Spain wins 1-0 over Holland.

Group B: Chile (Tony Manero) vs Australia (Snowtown)

Through a complete coincidence, films from two different parts of the world end up sharing a common bond as both films can be observed as portrait of a serial killer. Of course, Tony Manero is a subset of Snowtown as the Chilean film features a singular character. Whereas, Snowtown shows how a single person can start a cult group of killers. The Australian film is based on true events while Tony Manero places a fictional character against the real background of Pinochet’s dictatorship and tries to explain the character’s behavior as a symptom of the dictatorship.

Both films are dark and feature a cold framework which prevents any rays of compassion to creep in. The larger scope of Snowtown ensures a multi-layered case study but Tony Manero is impressive in the mood it creates.

Too close to call. That means, the first draw of the 2014 Movie World Cup.

Chile 1-1 Australia.

Group C: Colombia (Crab Trap) vs Greece (Unfair World)

Both films try to outdo each other in terms of rhythm and pacing. Crab Trap and Unfair World borrow some elements from the Contemporary Contemplative Cinema playbook but use it for completely different purposes. Crab Trap shows a slice of life in a part of Colombia rarely seen on screen and illustrates how even a remote segment of the country can be impacted by struggles taking place across the nation. The Greek film ends up going the deadpan route akin to the cinema of Aki Kaurismäki.

Crab Trap and Unfair World are both very good films and a draw would be a fair result. However, the Greek film narrowly edges out for a win.

Colombia 0-1 Greece.

Group C: Ivory Coast (Adanggaman) vs Japan (Like Father, Like Son)

The two films embody some of the characteristics that were on display when the two nations met in the 2014 Soccer World Cup. Japan jumped to an early lead and displayed plenty of heart and patience while Ivory Coast used their aerial ability and strength to power home for a win.

Adanggaman is about the slave trade that took place generations ago in West Africa and shows how the physical attributes of the individuals played a big part in their selection. The film features fights where the strength of the main character is essential in survival.

Like Father, Like Son is all about emotions and is a tender film that warms up one’s heart. The film easily wins this contest.

Ivory Coast 0 - 1 Japan

Group D: Uruguay (A Useful Life) vs Costa Rica (Cold Water of the Sea)

Both films are about age, an aspect that can explain the result of the soccer match between both nations.

Even though A Useful Life is fiction, it touches upon the reality where cinemas are closing all across the world and many arthouses/cinematheques are becoming a thing of the past. The film shows how the main character Jorge spent most of his life working in the cinematheque but is now forced out in a world that does not respect films like the past did. When Jorge is forced to see a world without his beloved cinematheque, the film crosses the fourth wall into our present reality where flashy multiplexes are being built that carry only commercial movies which show no respect of cinematic history. In fact, the commercial movies remake films from a few years ago, in a race to constantly stay young and never age. Jorge has aged like cinema has and he is forced to live in a world where only new movies and weekend box-office totals matter.

Cold Water of the Sea is a coming of age film which shows that aspects of one's youth end up shaping their adult behavior. In order to understand the character's adult behavior, we have to examine their youth to understand how they ended up in a particular place.

Interestingly, the Uruguayan film deals with a topic that can explain the Uruguayan soccer team’s 1-3 loss to Costa Rica. The Uruguayan team is no longer young and therefore can’t press or attack with purpose like they did in the 2011 Copa America win. Instead, the younger Costa Rican team showed more energy and drive in the 2nd half to overturn a 1-0 deficit. Costa Rica’s best player in the match, Joel Campbell (an Arsenal player), is only 21 while Uruguay’s Diego Forlan is 35.

However, in the film contest, age is not a factor as A Useful Life easily wins over Cold Water of the Sea.

Uruguay 1-0 Costa Rica

Group D: England (Trishna) vs Italy (Le Quattro Volte)

Quite the exciting film match-up as both films have plenty of visual richness. Trishna infuses the frame with plenty of color as the film is set in India while Le Quattro Volte is mostly devoid of color given the Italian town’s surrounding and change of seasons. In contrast to many films shot in India, Trishna does not go through a check-list of sights/elements to show which is a welcome relief. Instead, at moments the camera just lets us observe events and understand the behavior of the characters. Both leads (Freida Pinto and Riz Ahmed) are excellent and their body language is enough to understand their character’s emotions.

Le Quattro Volte is not an acting driven film and is about nature and progression of the soul through four different stages. It still manages to feature plenty of emotion even though humans are largely absent.

A tough film contest to call but in the end, the Italian film narrowly wins 1-0.

2014 Movie World Cup, Group A

And we are off. The first few films of the 2014 Movie World Cup are from Group A, similar to the first two games of the 2014 Soccer World Cup.

Group A: Brazil (Neighboring Sounds) vs Croatia (Buick Riviera)

Neighboring Sounds (O som ao redor) (2012, Brazil, Kleber Mendonça Filho)

Aided by a rich sound design & visuals, Kleber Mendonça Filho’s film ensures an immersive cinematic experience. A viewer gets a ringside seat in one of Recife’s neighbourhoods to witness the daily activities of the residents, including their morning and nightly routines. Depicting the everyday reality would have been good enough, but Kleber Mendonça Filho enhances the experience by adding layers of memories and nightmares with a few smart cuts. As a result, the multi-layered film contains a subtle sense of dread but in a much subtler note than Michael Haneke's Caché. This means that even when viewers witness harmless events in and around an apartment complex, there is a sense that something sinister is going to happen. The viewer can't be passive and is instead forced to examine each frame and its accompanying sound to know what the characters are up to.

Buick Riviera (2008, Croatia, Goran Rusinovic)

Goran Rusinovic’s brilliant film illustrates how hatred can persist through generations and lay dormant until one day it is unleashed into a full fledged war. On the surface, the film appears to be about two strangers whose chance encounter leads to volatile consequences but it is clear that the film is about more than just two people. The two characters give us one example of how hatred can suddenly flare out of a seemingly harmless situation and result in bloody revenge. In this regard, the film can explain why fighting broke out in the former Yugoslavia or why other cultures/tribes are in a race to destroy each other.

Group A: Mexico (El Violin) vs Cameroon (A Trip to the Country)

El Violin (2005, Francisco Vargas)

El Violin depicts how the seeds of revolution are laid and passed on from generations. The film features three generations of a family that are impacted by the military and how each person continues the fight. Shot in gorgeous black and white, the film gets off to a shocking start with scenes of rape. The torture and violence is left out of the frame in most cases with the attention focused on the grandfather, Don Plutarco (Ángel Tavira, mesmerizing), and his efforts to transport ammunition under the noses of the soldiers. Even though this is a Mexican film, the setting and events depicted in the film could easily apply to any Latin American country where a military dictatorship crushed voices of dissent among the people by usage of rape, torture and violence. As a result, it is an essential work that can be added to the list of revolutionary cinema.

A Trip to the Country (2000, Jean-Marie Téno)

Jean-Marie Téno travels from the capital Yaoundé to the Cameroonian country side to highlight some concerns relevant to the local economy such as the decline in agriculture and lack of infrastructure and also examines attitudes related to the desire for westernization and emulation of the west. The film is highly relevant for the Movie World Cup because it depicts the infrastructural and organizational problems in African soccer. An example near the end can help one understand why why there is a dispute about bonuses with the Cameroonian soccer team before every World Cup. A Trip to the Country shows how a local soccer championship game is almost disrupted due to money issues. As narrated in the film, all local teams had to pay increased registration fees to enter a tournament where the winner would get a trophy and prize money. However, moments before the final's kick-off, the finalists are informed there's going to be no trophy nor any prize money handed out. The players are not happy but are told by the officials to play. If organizational and infrastructure problems can plague the national team, then it is not surprising to see these problems taking place at the root level of the game. Although such problems are not confined just to Cameroon but inflict many other African nations as well, thereby making it hard for an African team to mount a serious World cup challenge.

Results

Brazil (Neighboring Sounds) 1 - 0 Croatia (Buick Riviera)

Mexico (El Violin) 1 - 0 Cameroon (A Trip to the Country)

Both the film contests follow the same results as those of the Soccer World Cup. As strong as the Croatian film is, it offered no real contest to Brazil’s Neighbouring Sounds.

2014 World Cup

With less than a day until Brazil and Croatia kick off the 2014 World Cup, here are my predictions.

Group A: Brazil, Croatia, Mexico, Cameroon 

Brazil to win 1st, close fight between Croatia & Mexico for 2nd.

Croatia have a stronger midfield but not entirely sure of their ability to score goals. Still, will go with them to sneak in ahead of Mexico.

Group B: Spain, Holland, Chile, Australia 

Spain in 1st. The Dutch to narrowly take 2nd over Chile. If Chile were at full strength and had no injuries, I would have gone with them.

Group C: Colombia, Greece, Ivory Coast, Japan 

Colombia in 1st, Japan vs Greece for 2nd.

The Greeks are more organized but Japan are more creative. It will be close but I am picking Japan to progress.

Group D: Uruguay, Costa Rica, England, Italy 

The Group of Death. There is always one in every World Cup and 'D' is appropriately it. Three teams with an equal chance to progress although Costa Rica won't be pushovers. Goal difference might play a big part in this group's outcome.

When the draw was made back in December, I picked Uruguay to get 1st and Italy for 2nd. Now, I am not sure about Uruguay as much. Their defensive approach worked wonders in Copa America 2011 but the side is aging and Forlan can't run himself into the ground like he was able to. Also, I am not certain Luis Suárez is going to be firing on all cylinders after the incredible season he had. England for a change have opted to bring in a lot of young players which will surely give the team a different and a more adventurous feel. Also, they don't have as much pressure on them as in the past and that could be a huge advantage.

I expect to be wrong for this group but will still go with my original December 2013 pick of Uruguay in 1st, Italy in 2nd.

Group E: Switzerland, Ecuador, France, Honduras 

An absolutely dreadful joke of a group. Despite all their problems, France surely can't screw things up although I expect them to tie the Swiss 0-0. And France may only register 1-0 and 2-0 results in their other 2 games.

France in 1st, Switzerland 2nd after a series of 0-0, 1-0 games.

Group F: Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iran, Nigeria 

Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina progress easily in 1st and 2nd respectively.

Group G: Germany, Portugal, Ghana, USA 

The US will finally overcome Ghana but will they be able to get the extra point needed against Portugal or Germany to advance? It will be tough but if Cristiano Ronaldo is not fit, then Portugal could struggle.

Germany to win group, Portugal for 2nd. 

Group H: Belgium, Algeria, Russia, South Korea 

Injuries are certainly going to impact both Belgium and Russia but both should still progress from yet another weak group.

Belgium to take 1st, Russia for 2nd. 

Semi-Finalists: Brazil vs Germany, Spain vs Argentina. 

If Messi is fit and Ángel di María can reproduce his Real Madrid form, then Argentina could upset Spain. But for now, going with a repeat of last year's Confederations Cup final.

Final: Brazil vs Spain

If this is indeed the final, I expect Brazil to win. But if Argentina make the final vs Brazil, then it will be the most tense World Cup final I would have ever watched. And..I don't think I can stomach a Brazil vs Uruguay final.

The 2006 World Cup is the only one out of the last four World Cup tournaments that I was able to get most of my picks right. Therefore, I fully expect to be wrong this time around. But it should be fun, especially comparing these results to the 2014 Movie World Cup.

La Strada

La Strada (1954, Italy, Federico Fellini)

My review of La Strada is published on Wonders in the Dark as part of its Romantic Countdown.

2014 Movie World Cup

32 Nations. 96 films. One epic movie showdown. Ladies and gents, presenting the 2014 Movie World Cup.

In the past, finding even a single film nation for the 2006 and 2010 Movie World Cup spotlights proved to be a challenge given the lack of film distribution from many competing soccer nations. Therefore, it was a tall order finding three films from all the nations taking part in the 2014 World Cup and a target that I didn't expect to reach. In fact, until last month, I was on track for 92 films. But thankfully, some films appeared in the nick of time. Although, some films also disappeared. DVDs of two films that I had originally planned for the spotlight went missing from the local library, forcing a change in selection.

The delay in finding a lot of the films has meant that not all the viewing will be completed by the start of the Soccer World Cup on June 12. Therefore, this spotlight is likely to run past the end of the World Cup on July 13.

The 32 Nations and their 96 films are divided into the same 8 groups as the Soccer World Cup.

Group A: Brazil, Croatia, Mexico, Cameroon

Country	Film #1	Film #2	Film #3
Brazil	Neigboring Sounds (2012, Kleber Mendonça Filho)	Once Upon a Time Veronica (2012, Marcelo Gomes)	Entranced Earth (1967, Glauber Rocha)
Croatia	Buick Riviera (2009, Goran Rusinovic)	Karaula (2006, Rajko Grlic)	Witnesses (2003, Vinko Bresan)
Mexico	El Violin (2005, Francisco Vargas)	Post Tenebras Lux (2012, Carlos Reygadas)	Presagio (1975, Luis Alcoriza)
Cameroon	A Trip to the Country (2000, Jean-Marie Téno)	Aristotle’s Plan (2006, Jean-Pierre Bekolo)	Quartier Mozart (1992, Jean-Pierre Bekolo)

Group B: Spain, Holland, Chile, Australia

Country	Film #1	Film #2	Film #3
Spain	In the City of Sylvia (2007, José Luis Guerín)	Blancanieves (2012, Pablo Berger)	The Red Squirrel (1993, Julio Medem)
Holland	Borgman (2013, Alex van Warmerdam)	The Last Days of Emma Black (2009, Alex van Warmerdam)	The Northerners (1992, Alex van Warmerdam)
Chile	Tony Manero (2008, Pablo Larraín)	Old Cats (2010, Pedro Peirano/Sebastián Silva)	The Battle of Chile (1975-79, Patricio Guzmán)
Australia	Snowtown (2011, Justin Kurzel)	The Hunter (2011, Daniel Nettheim)	The Last Wave (1977, Peter Weir)

Group C: Colombia, Greece, Ivory Coast, Japan

Country	Film #1	Film #2	Film #3
Colombia	Crab Trap (2009, Oscar Ruiz Navia)	Dog Eat Dog (2008, Carlos Moreno)	Oedipus Mayor (1996, Jorge Alí Triana)
Greece	Unfair World (2011, Filippos Tsitos)	Dos (2011, Stathis Athanasiou)	Ghost of a Chance (2001, Vangelis Seitanidis)
Ivory Coast	Adanggaman (2000, Roger Gnoan M’Bala)	Black Diamond (2010, Pascale Lamche)	Burn it up Djassa (2012, Lonesome Solo)
Japan	Like Father, Like Son (2013, Hirokazu Koreeda)	Why Don’t You Play in Hell? (2013, Sion Sono)	When a Woman Ascends the Stairs (1960, Mikio Naruse)

Group D: Uruguay, Costa Rica, England, Italy 

Country	Film #1	Film #2	Film #3
Uruguay	A Useful Life (2010, Federico Veiroj)	Bad Day to go Fishing (2009, Álvaro Brechner)	Whisky (2004, Juan Pablo Rebella/Pablo Stoll)
Costa Rica	Cold Water of the Sea (2010, Paz Fabrega)	Gestacion (2009, Esteban Ramírez)	Caribe (2004, Esteban Ramírez)
England	Trishna (2011, Michael Winterbottom)	Two Years at Sea (2011, Ben Rivers)	If...(1968, Lindsay Anderson)
Italy	Le Quattro Volte (2010, Michelangelo Frammartino)	The Great Beauty (2013, Paolo Sorrentino)	Il Posto (1961, Ermanno Olmi)

Group E: Switzerland, Ecuador, France, Honduras 

Country	Film #1	Film #2	Film #3
Switzerland	Das Fraulein (2006, Andrea Staka)	We Are The Faithful (2005, Michael Koch)	Signer's Suitcase (1995, Peter Liechti)
Ecuador	Crónicas (2004, Sebastián Cordero)	Qué tan lejos (2006, Tania Hermida)	A Titan in the Ring (2002, Viviana Cordero)
France	Holy Motors (2012, Leos Carax)	Bastards (2013, Claire Denis)	L'Argent (1983, Robert Bresson)
Honduras	El Porvier (2008, Oscar Estrada)	Amor y frijoles (2009, Mathew Kodath/Hernan Pereira)	Mi Amigo Angel (1962, Sami Kafati)

Group F: Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iran, Nigeria 

Country	Film #1	Film #2	Film #3
Argentina	Gone Fishing (2012, Carlos Sorin)	Extraordinary Stories (2008, Mariano Llinás)	Invasion (1969, Hugo Santiago)
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Cirkus Colombia (2010, Danis Tanovic)	Belvedere (2010, Ahmed Imamović)	No Man's Land (2001, Danis Tanovic)
Iran	This is Not a Film (2011, Mojtaba Mirtahmasb/Jafar Panahi)	The White Meadows (2011, Mohammad Rasoulof)	Taste of Cherry (1997, Abbas Kiarostami)
Nigeria	Without Shame (2005, Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen)	Ezra (2007, Newton I. Aduaka)	Last Flight to Abuja (2012, Obi Emelonye)

Group G: Germany, Portugal, Ghana, United States 

Country	Film #1	Film #2	Film #3
Germany	Everyone Else (2009, Maren Ade)	Gerhard Richter - Painting (2011, Corinna Belz)	World on a Wire (1973, Rainer Werner Fassbinder)
Portugal	The Strange Case of Angelica (2010, Manoel de Oliveira)	Centro Histórico (2012, Pedro Costa/Manoel de Oliveira/Víctor Erice/Aki Kaurismäki)	Ossos (1997, Pedro Costa)
Ghana	The Perfect Picture (2010, Shirley Frimpong-Manso)	Sinking Sands (2011, Leila Djansi)	A Sting in a Tale (2009, Shirley Frimpong-Manso)
USA	Blue Ruin (2013, Jeremy Saulnier)	Blue Caprice (2013, Alexandre Moors)	Faces (1968, John Cassavetes)

Group H: Belgium, Algeria, Russia, South Korea

Country	Film #1	Film #2	Film #3
Belgium	The Referees (2009, Yves Hinant/Eric Cardot/Delphine Lehericey)	Eldorado (2008, Bouli Lanners)	La Promesse (1996, Jean-Pierre Dardenne/Luc Dardenne)
Algeria	Rachida (2002, Yamina Bachir)	Outside the Law (2010, Rachid Bouchareb)	Daughters of Keltoum (2001, Mehdi Charef)
Russia	Alexandra (2007, Aleksandr Sokurov)	The Edge (2010, Aleksey Uchitel)	Stalker (1979, Andrei Tarkovsky)
South Korea	In Another Country (2012, Hong Sang-soo)	The Day He Arrives (2011, Hong Sang-soo)	The Housemaid (1960, Ki-young Kim)

The Rules

Group Stage Points

In the Soccer World Cup, the maximum points a team can get from playing their 3 group games is 9. The same 9 points is also the maximum total that a country can achieve when its 3 films are pitted against other nations. The match-ups will be identical to the Soccer World Cup with the difference that Film #1 will only face another nation's Film #1, Film #2 will only go against another nation's Film #2.

Nation A, Film #1 vs Nation B, Film #1

A vote will be cast for a favorite film, thereby ensuring a 1-0 win. The winning nation will be awarded 3 points.

If both films are equally impressive and it is hard to pick a winner, a 1-1 tie will be declared, giving each nation 1 point each.

The top two nations will advance from each of the 8 groups.

If there is a tie for 1st or 2nd place, all 3 films from the tied nations will compete against each other. If after a head-to-head match-up, the nations cannot be separated, a coin toss will be used to pick a winner as a nod towards the Soccer World Cup which in the past used a coin toss as a tie-breaker.

Round of 16, Quarter-Round, Semi-Final, Final Criteria

The best film from all the 16 Nations advancing from the first round will be used in the Second Round.

A head-to-head match-up will be used to pick a winner based on either five or three categories.

Film A vs Film B [Five or Three categories]

If two Fictional films face each other, then the following five categories will be used:

Acting, Story, Cinematography, Direction, Production (Sound, Editing).

If a Documentary is put against a Fictional film, then the following three categories will be used for both films:

Cinematography, Direction, Production (Sound, Editing)

If film A is better than film B in a category, then film A will get 1 point and film B will get 0. If both film A and film B are equal in a category, then they each get 1 point.

If both films are tied 3-3 or 5-5 after all the scores are added up, the winning film will be decided by a subjective vote, which is similar to an emotional penalty shoot-out in soccer.

And finally..why a Soccer Film Spotlight

I first started a soccer film spotlight for the 2006 World Cup. Even though I never managed to find films from all the 32 nations, it was an exciting project which forced me to hunt for films from nations that are not often mentioned in film magazines or websites. For example, spending hours to hunt for films from Ivory Coast, Togo, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine helped shed a light on the state of cinema around the World and introduced me to many regional directors, whose work I could look forward to. The 2006 Movie World Cup helped fuel a love for cinema and opened my eyes to view films from any part of the world. In essence, it became a quest for Cinephilia and allowed me to believe a worthy film could come from any part of the World. As a result, I have been conducting these spotlights regularly not only for the World Cups (2010) but also for the European Championships (Euro 2008, 2012), Copa America (2007, 2011) and once for the African Cup of Nations.

Finding some films is certainly difficult but remarkably some films are easy to access but hidden away from plain sight. For example, the Ivorian film Burn it up Djassa is available to rent via iTunes Canada but it is not displayed anywhere in the Foreign films section. However, a search for the title on a hunch brought it up. Of course, if I was not searching for any films from Ivory Coast, I would have never been able to view this title. Already, I have seen one film that has reinforced the validity of this Movie World Cup. Jean-Pierre Bekolo's Aristotle’s Plan is love for cinema in all its 35mm glory and highlights the pull that filmmaking has for people. I have not come across a single critic who has mentioned this film yet this is a work that deserves to be praised and talked about. I hope to find many other such worthy films from this year's selection, especially those that the rest of the World wrongly ignores.

African Films

The 15 films from the 5 African Nations taking part in the 2014 Movie World Cup have been selected. Given the difficulty in finding African films, the year restrictions have been relaxed for Film #1 and #2 to be from the years 2000 - 2013 as opposed to 2005 - 2013. The following is the criteria for the three films.

Film 1: previously seen film from 2000 - 2013
Film 2: unseen film from 2000 - 2013
Film 3: film from 1960 - 2004

Algeria

Film 1: Rachida (2002, Yamina Bachir)
Film 2: Outside the Law (2010, Rachid Bouchareb)
Film 3: Daughters of Keltoum (2001, Mehdi Charef)

Cameroon: Two films by Jean-Pierre Bekolo are included. In fact, I was very close to picking all three films by him but A Trip to the Country has a relevant soccer segment making it a worthy selection.

Film 1: A Trip to the Country (2000, Jean-Marie Téno)
Film 2: Aristotle’s Plan (2006, Jean-Pierre Bekolo)
Film 3: Quartier Mozart (1992, Jean-Pierre Bekolo)

Ghana: Shirley Frimpong-Manso could have had all three films for Ghana but I have taken a gamble on Sinking Sands. Also, Ghana is the only nation to have two female directors represent all three films.

Film 1: The Perfect Picture (2010, Shirley Frimpong-Manso)
Film 2: Sinking Sands (2011, Leila Djansi)
Film 3: A Sting in a Tale (2009, Shirley Frimpong-Manso)

Ivory Coast

Film 1: Adanggaman (2000, Roger Gnoan M’Bala)
Film 2: Black Diamond (2010, Pascale Lamche)
Film 3: Burn it up Djassa (2012, Lonesome Solo)

Nigeria

Film 1: Without Shame (2005, Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen)
Film 2: Ezra (2007, Newton I. Aduaka)
Film 3: Last Flight to Abuja (2012, Obi Emelonye)