Two Eastern European films that compliment each other even though they are separated by two decades:
Big Animal (2000, Poland, Jerzy Stuhr) Fear (2020, Bulgaria, Ivaylo Hristov)
In Big Animal, a circus departs a Polish town and forgets a camel behind. As the camel wanders around town, Zygmunt (played by the director Jerzy Stuhr) decides to take the camel home.
Zygmunt and his wife Marysia (Anna Dymna) decide to adopt the camel as they have no kids of their own so they are happy to give the camel a home. There is a warmth to the couple’s behaviour and at first, the couple’s kind act is considered favourable by the locals.
However, gradually the locals prejudice comes out. They distrust the ‘foreign animal’ and consider it a burden to their town. The town blames everything bad on the camel. They shun the couple and even make Zygmunt stand a court trail.
Big Animal, based on a story by Kazimierz Orlos with screenplay co-written by Krzysztof Kieslowski, is a not so subtle allegory about how a close minded town treats a foreigner. In the end, the camel mysteriously disappears. The couple is heart-broken and they travel to visit a zoo in a bigger city, happy to witness a camel there. The couple’s smile and body language observed at the zoo indicates that their perspective has been changed forever and no matter what they do, they will stay open-hearted.
The disappeared camel makes a surprising entry near the end of Ivaylo Hristov’s Fear, which isn’t a subtle film at all. Bamba (Michael Flemming) is an African refugee who arrives on the Bulgarian border. He wants to go to Germany but ends up getting stuck in a small Bulgarian border town where he encounters Svetla (Svetlana Yancheva).
At first, Svetla is hostile towards Bamba but she reluctantly helps him and then develops an understanding with him. On the other hand, the town locals are openly racist towards Bamba and don’t hide their hatred. When the locals find out that Svetla is helping Bamba, they attack her as well.
In the end, Svetla and Bamba decide they don’t want to live in Bulgaria and plan to go to Africa. As the couple wander off into the snowy landscape, the black and white film gets a splash of colour when a camel casually walks across the screen.
The presence of the camel in Fear brilliantly ties the film with Big Animal. Of course, this isn’t the only connection. The hatred of the locals and the words they speak in Fear mirror those spoken in Big Animal with regards to the camel. Such hatred towards foreigners isn’t isolated to small European towns but sadly exists everywhere in the world. The last few years has exposed this hatred across small towns in North America.
I had seen a few films of Jancsó long before I had seen any film by Béla Tarr. Now, having revisited some of Jancsó's films, Tarr’s words make more sense because I can clearly see the influence of Jancsó on Tarr’s films. The sweeping camera movements, the sideways camera pan, found in Jancsó’s films clearly has an influence on Tarr’s films in terms of shot composition. Although, Tarr’s camera rhythm and pan speed is slighter slower than Jancsó's and that is due to the differing focus and topics the two directors want to cover.
Jancsó’s films are concerned with the fate of a society or nation in general and as a result, characters in his film are involved in debates between capitalism vs socialism, industrial vs agricultural ways of live. Depiction of these debates are shown via sweeping camera movements as the camera moves across a diverse array of characters, rival groups and fighting armies who are debating these lofty ideals and the fate of society.
The camera has a lot of ground to cover in Jancsó's films because there are multiple viewpoints that need to be shown and these beautiful measured camera movements engulf an entire universe as individuals slowly blend into a larger mosaic. Jancsó also shows the impact of authoritarian rule which crushes individuals and his films depict the sexual abuse committed by men (soldiers or those in power). On the other hand, Tarr’s camera wants us to focus on 1-2 characters in its movements. Sometimes, Tarr’s camera wants us to focus on objects as the characters are not in the frame. There are crimes committed in Tarr’s films as well but those are mostly individual in nature or undertaken by a few against a small community.
Another difference between the two directors is regarding the mood in the films, which includes the colour palette and background noise. The sound of the landscape, rain and environment, filters through more in Tarr’s films whereas in Jancsó’s films, it is songs, music, spirited debates and gunfire that come through. Tarr’s films feature dark or grayish palettes with rain and gloomy skies. On the other hand, Jancsó’s films are packed with bright lively skies in the four colour films in the above set (The Confrontation, Winter Wind, Red Psalm and Electra, My Love). This is true even in Winter Wind where the snow doesn’t appear gloomy at all.
Miklós Jancsó’s films take real life events in Hungarian society and bring them to life. However, the manner in which the films are shot have a universality to them. This is due to the films being shot in open fields which turns the focus more on the words and actions of the characters. The crimes the men commit and their unflinching loyalty to their cause are still applicable in today’s world as the world is more divided than ever with men willing to go to any lengths to justify their cause.
There is plenty of good writing on Jancsó’s films. Here are just a few worthy ones:
Doing a deep dive into a specific region or nation’s cinema often reveals blindspots and gaps in one’s knowledge. This proved to be case when compiling a list of top films from Austria, Belgium, Greece, Holland, Ireland, and Switzerland for Wonders in the Dark’s “Rest of Europe” spotlight. The gaps again highlight the lack of viable legal options to see many classic films from these six nations. There are some exceptions though when it comes to older films from these regions such as Chantal Akerman’s 1975 film Jeanne Dielman and Paul Verhoeven’s 1973 Turkish Delight, both of which are easily available. The oldest film in this list is Michael Cacoyannis’s 1956 Greek film A Girl in Black and that isn’t a surprise because until the late 1990s, his films such as Stella (1955), Zorba the Greek (1964), Attila 74 (1975) were the most common Greek films available to rent on VHS tapes at my local video stores (yes those physical spaces). Next most common Greek films available were those of Theo Angelopoulos. Things changed after 2010 when newer Greek films became available due to works of New Greek cinema playing at most film festivals and finding distribution after their festival runs.
Top 15 films from “Rest of Europe” Poll: Austria, Belgium, Greece, Holland, Ireland, and Switzerland
1. Homo Sapiens (2016, Austria, Nikolaus Geyrhalter) 2. L’Enfant (2005, Belgium, Jean-Pierre Dardenne/Luc Dardenne) 3. Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975, Belgium, Chantal Akerman) 4. The Vanishing (1988, Holland, George Sluizer) 5. Rosetta (1999, Belgium, Jean-Pierre Dardenne/Luc Dardenne) 6. Father and Daughter (2000, Holland, Michael Dudok de Wit) 7. Turkish Delight (1973, Holland, Paul Verhoeven) 8. A Girl in Black (1956, Greece, Michael Cacoyannis) 9. The Weeping Meadow (2004, Greece, Theo Angelopoulos) 10. Lourdes (2009, Austria, Jessica Hausner) 11. The Boat is Full (1981, Switzerland, Markus Imhoof) 12. In the Name of the Father (1993, Ireland, Jim Sheridan) 13. Revanche (2008, Austria, Götz Spielmann) 14. A Town Called Panic (2009, Belgium, Stéphane Aubier/Vincent Patar) 15. Dogtooth (2009, Greece, Yorgos Lanthimos)
Honourable mention:
Man Bites Dog (1992, Belgium, Rémy Belvaux/André Bonzel/Benoît Poelvoorde)
1. Taste of Cherry (1997, Iran, Abbas Kiarostami) 2. Touki Bouki (1973, Senegal, Djibril Diop Mambéty) 3. Crimson Gold (2003, Iran, Jafar Panahi) 4. The Time That Remains (2009, Palestine, Elia Sulieman) 5. Soleil Ô (1967, Mauritania, Med Hondo) 6. Timbuktu (2014, Mauritania, Abderrahmane Sissako) 7. Black Girl (1966, Senegal, Ousmane Sembene) 8. Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (2011, Turkey, Nuri Bilge Ceylan) 9. The House is Black (1963, Iran, Forugh Farrokhzad) 10. Chronicles of the Years of Fire (1975, Algeria, Mohammed Lakhdar-Hamina) 11. Close-Up (1990, Iran, Abbas Kiarostami) 12. A Man of Integrity (2017, Iran, Mohammad Rasoulof) 13. Return to Homs (2013, Syria, Talal Derki) 14. A Separation (2011, Iran, Asghar Farhadi) 15. Al-mummia (The Mummy, 1969, Egypt, Chadi Abdel Salam) 16. Cairo Station (1958, Egypt, Youssef Chahine) 17. Salt of This Sea (2007, Palestine, Annemarie Jacir) 18. Tilaï (The Law, 1990, Burkina Faso, Idrissa Ouedraogo) 19. The Little Wars (1982, Lebanon, Maroun Bagdadi) 20. Waltz with Bashir (2008, Israel, Ari Folman)
Note: I have listed the primary country only for the co-productions above.
We are almost halfway through 2022 and I still haven't caught up with all the worthy 2021 films. Still, I have seen a few that required a change to the Top films of 2021. So here goes.
Top 10 Films of 2021
1. The Great Indian Kitchen (2021, India, Jeo Baby)
As
the title indicates, there is food in the movie which will cause one to
get hungry. The food preparation and techniques are shown in incredible
detail but it becomes apparent that the film is more than about food.
And the kitchen is more than just a space to make food. The difference
in roles of the husband and wife are emphasized as are the expectations
of a woman in some segments of society. Even though this film is rooted
in South India, aspects about marriage and treatment of women are
applicable to many other patriarchal societies around the world. Credit
to the director Jeo Baby of how this depiction is shown, by repetition
of the same tasks, which definitely produced a visceral reaction in me.
2. Drive My Car (2021, Japan, Ryûsuke Hamaguchi)
The second of Hamaguchi’s films to be released in 2021 is an exquisite tender film that is funny, charming, emotional and intelligent. It is also that rare film which lives up to the hype and unanimous praise from all corners of the world.
The sound design opens a new dimension to Apichatpong’s previously explored themes of past/present, living/dead. In fact, the sound allows time/space to be collapsed and presents a new way to experience our world, a new way to make sense of our memories and dreams.
4. Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy (2021, Japan, Ryûsuke Hamaguchi)
The
first of the two Hamaguchi films released in 2021 is pure cinematic
delight. The playful structure, including abrupt zooms, reminds of Hong
Sang-soo’s cinema but the honesty and mature stories are a continuation
of what he explored in his earlier Happy Hour (2015). Another lovely surprise is the inclusion of an element that reflects our current pandemic world.
5. Întregalde (2021, Romania, Radu Muntean)
There
are no vampires in this contemplative film set in Transylvania yet
there are elements of morality and ethics that are relevant to our world
today. Those elements centre around doing good for others at the
expense of one’s needs.
6. The World After Us (2021, France, Louda Ben Salah-Cazanas)
A charming Parisian film that balances the sweetness of romance with the bitterness of a writer’s struggles.
7. A Night of Knowing Nothing (2021, India, Payal Kapadia)
Payal
Kapadia’s beautiful poetic film shows that despite decades of progress,
many things haven’t changed in India (or the world in general). In
fact, some things are regressing including basic human rights.
8. Fire in the Mountains (2021, India, Ajitpal Singh)
A
remarkable film which derives its power with a smart mix of dry humour
and plenty of heart. In the hands of another filmmaker, this could have
been a completely dramatic film but Ajitpal incorporates many light
hearted touches and that elevates the film.
An
immersive, hypnotic and poetic journey to Harar! With a photographer's
soul, Beshir lovingly captures the myths and rituals around Khat along
with its growth, sale and consumption.
Smartly
uses a Jorge Luis Borges short story as a spring board to explore
diverse stories in Buenos Aires, Greeland, Kathmandu, New York City and
the Sahara. Easily one of the most creative films of the year!
Amma Ariyan (Report to Mother, 1986, India, John Abraham)
My selection for the 6th AFOFF is inspired by Allan’s incredible ‘The Fish Obscuro’ section. I always used to look forward to see what film Allan would post about in this section. Often, the titles were discoveries for me as I hadn’t seen the film or had only heard about them. Allan also included how he saw the film (DVD2, DVD1, not on DVD) and that highlighted the lack of proper distribution for many films he was seeing. Over the last few years, we have had many more streaming options to see films yet distribution of many foreign films still remains a problem. Case in point, John Abraham’s 1986 film Amma Ariyan (Report to Mother).
Abraham’s name is vital when discussing India’s Parallel Cinema even though he only directed four features and tragically died at a young age of 49 in 1987. However, I hadn’t seen any of his four features and never came across a DVD/Blu-Ray of his films. That changed over the last 2 years when I finally saw his last film via the link posted below. Incidentally, Amma Ariyan also received a proper screening in 2021 via Bologna’s Il Cinema Ritrovato festival in a special section on Parallel cinema curated by Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, Cecilia Cenciarelli and Omar Ahmed.
On paper, the story of Amma Ariyan is simple but the brilliant execution is what makes this film stand apart. In the film, Purushan (Joy Mathew) is a young man on his way to Delhi to pursue a better future when he comes across a dead body that the police say is unidentified. Purushan can’t get over the sight of the dead body and feels the face is familiar. So he postpones his journey to Delhi and goes about trying to identify who the person is. His quest leads him to meet people from all walks of life, including musicians, theatre artists, who end up helping identify the deceased as Hari, a tabla player. Purushan wants to travel to Kochi (formerly Cochin) to inform Hari’s mother of his death. He is accompanied by all the different people who helped confirm Hari’s identity. Thus begins a road journey unlike any other where people who have nothing in common work together towards a common end goal.
The film’s structure consists of multiple flashbacks where each person sheds a little more light on Hari’s past and that helps piece together events that preluded Hari’s death. The story is set against the backdrop of the Naxalite movement in Kerala when police tortured and beat up youth. The details of the political ideologies and struggles aren’t spelled out but the omission of details works in the film’s favour as that lends the material a universal flavour. Multiple countries, including those in our contemporary times, have cases of police abusing their power and beating up innocent people based on differing political ideologies. In that sense, Amma Ariyan is powerfully relevant to our current world.
The community nature of the film also has relevance in our current world. In the film, all the people who help identify Hari form a community and drop everything to go inform Hari’s mother. They want to do their part in helping out in whatever manner they can and share the grief of Hari’s death. The film’s ending features an emotional walk of the group including the mother. Over the last few years, we have seen many movements where people from different backgrounds have come together to share in a common sense of loss. Even in social media retweets or reposts of a tragedy are one form of people sharing in someone’s loss.
I can’t imagine how such a precious film did not get proper distribution earlier. For now, I hope more people can view this film and appreciate what it has to offer.
Margem (Margin, 2007, Brazil/Colombia/Peru, Documentary) Terras (Lands, 2009, Brazil, Documentary) A Febre (The Fever, 2019, Brazil/France/Germany) Fluid Borders
Margem/Margin (Maya Da-Rin)
The examination of borders is a theme in all three of Maya Da-Rin’s films yet the borders aren’t defined by fixed walls or markers. Instead, they are fluid borders where it is hard to tell where one border ends and another begins. In both Lands and Margin, the boats traveling on the Amazon river cross from Brazil to Peru or to Colombia without any actual border crossing or any markers. The locals points to the direction on land where a new country begins but in the river, it is hard to tell where one nation's border ends and another starts.
In The Fever, it is the border between city/jungle and dreams/reality that is examined. At certain points in the film, there is a chain link fence that stands between the urban centre and the jungle but in many other parts of the city, this border is nonexistent. And as the film goes along, it is hard to determine if there is any separation between dreams and reality as the two realms feed into each other.
Transporting of goods
In the two documentaries, one can see the essential everyday items (food, goods) being transported in the boats. These items are on full display in the boats so locals can see them from afar and even hold the items. In addition, the locals can engage in trading if something catches their eye.
However, in The Fever, the goods are secured inside gigantic shipping containers. They come from faraway lands and their identity is well hidden. The good may be parts for industries as per Justino (Regis Myrupu). We never get to see what lies in these containers but instead observe the complex machinery at ports which load/unload these endless ocean of containers.
Globalization The impact of globalization on local villages and people’s lives is clearly on display in all three films. In Lands and Margin, locals talk about leaving their nation to find better jobs on the other side of the border. This same need to earn a better living plays a big part in Justino’s decision to leave the forest and move to Manaus in The Fever. Manaus is surrounded by the Amazon rainforest and we can see how the city is encroaching on a daily basis further into the rainforest. However, in its own way, nature fights back. There are reports of attacks on the locals from a mysterious creature which has likely come from the jungle. The bigger fightback from nature is the fever that Justino gets. The fever is a reference to humans destruction of nature thereby eroding whatever borders protected humans from nature’s diseases. Justino also remarks on the eating habits in the city where as per him, eating supermarket food weakens one’s immune system. This comment illustrates how food is distributed and how in the cities, people get their food from packaged/processed goods as opposed to local means. The Fever is packed with many brilliant observations including some vital scenes which show the racism that indigenous people have to suffer in the city.
La Ciudad de las Fieras / The City of Wild Beasts (2021, Colombia, Henry Rincon)
Tato (Bryan Cordoba) is a young rapper in Medellin who is looking to make ends meet and find money wherever he can.
His days are spent in rap battles, hanging out with his girlfriend La Crespa (Valeria Pérez) and his friend Pitu (Joel Mosquera).
After his mother’s death, Tato attempts to dig out of poverty and debts but his life heads into dangerous territory riddled with guns and crime. When death comes looking for Tato, he escapes to the countryside to find his grandfather.
Tato has never met his grandfather Octávio (Óscar Atehortúa) before but his grandfather is the only relative he has left. Octávio isn’t initially impressed with Tato and his attitude and dress style. Meanwhile, Tato isn’t too keen to follow Octávio’s rules and hardworking lifestyle. Yet, as the two get to spend more time together, their perspectives start to change.
The story at the core of The City of Wild Beasts sounds familiar and even some of the visuals of Medellin recall other Colombian films. However, the film is vibrant and full of life. Huge credit to director/writer Henry Rincon and the entire crew for making a tender film which gives me hope that cinema will always exist and continue to spin its magic as long as filmmakers are willing to tell stories in an honest manner.
In compiling a list of the best films from Spain, Portugal, it became immediately clear that many essential films from the Iberian peninsula have had a decent amount of distribution. This is in stark contrast to films from Africa, Arab world and Hungary. Of course, Spanish and Portuguese films weren’t always as easily available. Until a decade ago, I hadn’t seen any films from Pere Portabella and only saw them after mubi.com showcased a selection of his works. Meanwhile, the quest to legally see any films from Pedro Costa was almost a 4 year personal quest and that only ended in 2010. Plus, I had not seen any of Paulo Rocha’s films until 2020.
Lucía y el Sexo (Sex and Lucía, 2001, Spain, Julio Medem) Juventude em Marcha (Colossal Youth, 2006, Portugal, Pedro Costa) Dans la ville de Sylvia (In the City of Sylvia, 2007, Spain, José Luis Guerín) A Fábrica de Nada (The Nothing Factory, 2017, Portugal, Pedro Pinho) Dolor y Gloria (Pain and Glory, 2019, Spain, Pedro Almodóvar)
In the first case, a list was put out in 1968 for top 12 Hungarian films from 1948 - 1968.
Frigyes Bán: Treasured Earth Miklós Jancsó: The Round-Up Zoltán Fábri: Merry-Go-Round András Kovács: Cold Days Félix Máriássy: Budapest Spring Zoltán Fábri: Professor Hannibal Imre Fehér: In Soldier's Uniform Károly Makk: The House Under the Rocks Ferenc Kósa: Ten Thousand Days István Gaál: Sodrásban Márton Keleti: The Corporal and the Others István Szabó: Father
There was a New Budapest Twelve list put in 2000.
Miklós Jancsó: The Round-Up Károly Makk: Love Zoltán Huszárik: Szindbád István Szőts: People of the Mountains Géza Radványi: Somewhere in Europe Péter Gothár: Time Stands Still István Székely: Hyppolit, the Butler Zoltán Fábri: Merry-Go-Round András Jeles: Little Valentino Ildikó Enyedi: My 20th Century István Szabó: Father Zoltán Fábri: Professor Hannibal
I have only seen half of the above 2000 list so I still have some work to do. Although, one glaring omission from the above list gives me pause. There isn’t a single title by Béla Tarr. By 2000, he had directed 8 films including Sátántangó. Werckmeister Harmonies was released in 2000 so perhaps if that was not seen, then surely 7 of his titles of would have been considered. This omission doesn’t seem like a mistake.
“But the discrepancy between the appreciation of Tarr’s films on the international and on the national level is striking. And I am not talking about the discrepancy between an elite’s taste and the popular taste. This would be obvious and needs no explanation. What I am talking about about here is a discrepancy within a Hungarian art-film audience, which right from the appearance of the Tarr style in 1988 became divided about its value.” page 172, ‘The Cinema of Béla Tarr’, András Bálint Kovács
This gap between directors who are popular locally vs internationally isn’t isolated to Hungarian cinema but takes place in many other nations as well, where some directors find much more appreciation internationally as opposed to locally. Some examples such as Carlos Reygadas (Mexico), Apichatpong Weerasethakul (Thailand) and Lav Diaz (Philippines) come to mind while a handful of Indian directors do well at international film festivals yet hardly ever get their films shown locally.
While I still have some catching up to do for Hungarian films, here is my current list.
Top 10 Hungarian Films of All Time
1. Sátántangó (1994, Béla Tarr)
Béla Tarr’s almost 7.5 hour Sátántangó is a cinematic wonder. The film is hypnotic and an immersive experience which showcases the best elements of Tarr’s cinema: long takes, sweeping camera movements, harsh realism, artistic compositions and unforgettable sounds (howling winds, relentless rain).
2. Adoption (1975, Márta Mészáros)
It is easy to see why this is the first film by a woman to win the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival. The film’s creative camerawork brings the material alive and lends a high degree of intimacy with the characters.
3. The Round-Up (1966, Miklós Jancsó)
The setting is 1880s Hungary but the abstract depiction of events has parallels in our contemporary world. This was also true back in 1966 when the film came out as it echoed 1960s Hungary and also implied events in Hungary during WWII. This is because the film shows how power is held and abused while highlighting those who will do or say anything to survive.
On another note, the film’s set coupled with the discussions remind me of the morality battles shown in Glauber Rocha’s parched Brazilian landscape. 4. The Fifth Seal (1976, Zoltán Fábri)
A dizzying film packed with philosophical ideas some of which will always be relevant due to how people align with differing ideologies.
5. The Witness (A tanú, 1969, Péter Bacsó)
Banned for over a decade in Hungary, Bacsó's wicked satire about communism is also a rare humourous film on this list. The Witness shows how the changing political situation also changes what is acceptable behaviour and what is deemed appropriate. Unfortunately in the film, József Pelikán (Ferenc Kállai) finds himself on the wrong side at all times. The film also features the famous Hungarian director Zoltán Fábri playing a politician.
6. Current (Sodrásban, 1964, István Gaál)
István Gaál’s Current has a different look and feel from the other Hungarian films on this list. The depiction of friends spending a lazy afternoon swimming initially evokes French cinema. However, when one of the friends disappears, the introspection that the others go through feels like something out of Michelangelo Antonioni’s films. 7. On Body and Soul (2017, Ildikó Enyedi)
Ildikó Enyedi won the Golden Bear at Berlin for this smart film which depicts our isolated contemporary society where real connections are hard to come by.
Enyedi’s film My 20th Century was named on the 2000 'Budapest Twelve' list but I prefer On Body and Soul instead. 8. Kontroll (2003, Nimród Antal)
A wild film that follows the lives of the Budapest underground subway metro staff on their daily routines. The humorous first half looks at the insanity, the male power games, the inner turmoils, and hilarious passengers but the second half shifts gears and explores the shades of darkness lurking beneath the surface.
9. Angi Vera (1979, Pál Gábor)
Using the main character Vera (Vera Pap) as a lens, the film shows how one can assimilate in a party structure and convince leaders of their dedication to the cause. In addition, one can use the examples in the film to extrapolate how easy it would have been for neighbours to turn on each other not only in Hungary but across multiple regions (Eastern Europe, Latin America, Middle East to name a few) over the last few decades. 10. The Turin Horse (2011, Béla Tarr/Ágnes Hranitzky)
Béla Tarr and Ágnes Hranitzky craft their unique end of the world scenario with a few bare essentials: an old man, obedient daughter, rebel horse, untrustworthy visitors, an angry wind, potato, bucket, well, table, chair and a window. The film features an array of reverse and sideway shots that manage to open up space in a confined house setting. Honourable mentions (alphabetical order as per English titles):
The Falcons (1970, István Gaál) Mephisto (1981, István Szabó) Son of Saul (2015, László Nemes) Son of the White Mare (Fehérlófia, 1981, Marcell Jankovics) Werckmeister Harmonies (2000, Béla Tarr/Ágnes Hranitzky)
1. The Time That Remains (2009, Palestine co-production, Elia Sulieman)
Elia Sulieman’s films often draw references to Buster Keaton and Jacques Tati due to Sulieman playing a character with deadpan expressions in absurd scenarios. However, there is nothing funny or absurd for most of Sulieman’s brilliant film The Time That Remains. That is because the film deals with the tragic expulsion of Palestinians in 1948 (‘nakba’), an event that created fissures and divisions in the Middle East, none of which have ever been healed and have gotten worse in the seven decades since. For the longest time, most of the world believed that Palestinians left peacefully of their own accord in 1948 but that has been proven to be a lie. Sulieman’s film shows that lie but doesn’t dive into details. Instead, a few scenes show the forceful surrender and forced departure of Palestinians. Events cover a few decades and centre around Fuad Sulieman (played brilliantly by Saleh Bakri) and his family/friends/accomplises. The director enters the frame in the film’s final third as the grown up version of Fuad’s son. Some of the director’s trademark humour attempts to enter the frame in the final 20 minutes but that can’t hide the tragedy of what has unfolded since 1948.
2. Chronicles of the Years of Fire (1975, Algeria, Mohammed Lakhdar-Hamina)
Also known as Chronicle of the Years of Embers
An epic film that is ambitious in scope and charts a timeline from WWII to Algerian freedom. The film won the Palme d’Or at Cannes 1975 and it is easy to see why.
The film starts off by depicting hardships of village life made worse due to a combination of the harsh weather and lack of water (rain coupled with a dam reducing access). This results in locals migrating from the village to the city for a better life by leaving their land, family and roots behind. Once in the city, the villagers are exposed to political ideas as topics of revolution, independence and World War occupy their thoughts. The film depicts that as WWII spreads, Algerians are forced to join France’s fight. The locals are tired of the French, which leads to some cheering for Germany, but they find themselves dragged into alliances and a war they want no part of. The film’s final segments show the emergence of Algeria’s quest for independence post-WWII and how revolutionaries are forced to hide in the mountains to carry out their attacks against the French.
3. Al-mummia (The Mummy, 1969, Egypt, Chadi Abdel Salam)
Also known as The Night of Counting the Years
A film that is often cited as a vital Egyptian and Arab film. Based on real life events of tomb looting, the film raises relevant questions about who should benefit from ancient Egyptian treasures: the locals or a central government.
4. Return to Homs (2013, Syria co-production, Talal Derki)
Once the Syrian Revolution started in 2011, Syrian and Western media were not allowed in the country. Derki was a rare person who was able to capture the events which makes the footage in the film essential in understanding what went on while the rest of the world continued to sleep. Derki and his crew continued filming even when bullets were fired in their direction. Such vérité footage results in many gut wrenching moments when people are on the verge of dying on-screen. By keeping the focus on a few key people, Return to Homs shows the human impact a revolution has on people. But one can also extrapolate these personal experiences to a larger scale and understand what motivates people to act the way they do. In essence, the film focuses on a few streets in a city but this microscopic focus helps shed a light on similar struggles going on in other streets not only across Syria but the rest of the Middle East.
5. Cairo Station (1958, Egypt, Youssef Chahine)
A classic work by Egyptian master Youssef Chahine that embodies what is best about Egyptian cinema of that era: charismatic characters, over the top scenarios, a hint of romance, seduction and a mystery.
6. Salt of This Sea (2007, Palestine co-production, Annemarie Jacir)
Many Palestinians left or were forced to leave their homes in 1948 with the hopes of returning one day but their ownership documents are meaningless because legally now their homes belong to someone else. So what happens when all the surviving members of 1948 are gone? Annemarie Jacir attempts to examine such questions by showing an example of a third generation exile who keeps the memories of pre-1948 alive. In the film, Soraya (Suheir Hammad) leaves her home in Brooklyn to visit her grandfather’s land and retrieve his money. However, the bank can no longer hand over the money because in their eyes that old Palestinian branch no longer exists. So Soraya decides to rob the bank along with two accomplices. What follows is a road movie but in this case, the road passes through non-existent towns and streets because the old Palestinian towns are either renamed or in ruins. What remains of the original towns? Only their memories. The film contains some scenarios that are hard to believe but as the film progresses, it becomes clear that Jacir has scripted these scenes to provide a space for a dialogue that is hardly present in the Western world. A dialogue about happened in 1948, what will happen when the original generation of 1948 has perished and what happens when even the memories of that generation are gone.
7. Pomegranates and Myrrh (2008, Palestine co-production, Najma Najjar)
Like Salt of this Sea, the film uses an individual family’s example to raise issues that are hardly talked about. In the film, soldiers arrive at a Palestinian Arab family’s home and annex the land as part of a security pretext. The soldiers provide no proof but show their guns. The elder son Zaid (Ashraf Farah) retaliates and is arrested. The family, including Zaid’s bride Kamar (Yasmine Elmasri), has to make trips to the court to get him released while providing documentation of their land. In the meantime, settlers arrive with their own guns and attempt to occupy that land.
This sounds like wildly scripted fiction but it is not. 2021-2022 events in Sheikh Jarrah, East Jerusalem captured by cell phones show that this has been going on for a long time but never talked about and no action is taken.
The film keeps the drama at the human level with Kamar yearning to find her own identity and stay sane while Zaid is behind bars. However, even though the film maintains focus on Kamar and Zaid and their collapsing relationship, it is hard not to draw comparisons with this individual family’s case with that of the larger Palestinian Arab community that went through similar or worse ordeal. 8. Beauty and the Dogs (2017, Tunisia, Kaouther Ben Hania)
Based on a true story, this powerful film shows in harsh detail the lack of justice that exists in a corrupt society where men allowed to abuse their power and get away with anything. In the film, Mariam (Mariam Al Ferjani) is a young girl who is raped by police causing her to undergo a nightmarish Kafkaesque sequence of events. Miriam tries to report the rape but she is unsure who to trust and is hounded by the police members who committed the crime. She can’t even turn to her family for help as they would judge her as harshly as the police hounding her. At times, the film is tough to view given the never ending psychological torture that Miriam is forced to undergo. However, that harshness is precisely the point because no matter how hard it is to view these scenarios, it is nowhere near as the painful struggle of women like Miriam. 9. The Cruel Sea (1972, Kuwait, Khalid Al Siddiq)
Original title: Bas ya Bahar
The first and only film I have seen from Kuwait so far. The film shows Kuwait before oil brought it plenty of wealth. In the early days before oil, pearl diving was a lucrative way of making a living. However, pearl diving often involved a treacherous 3-4 month journey out in the sea on a boat. The film shows the rituals of the diving season and dangers associated with it. This diving was at a time before scuba gear and other gear that would have these dives easier. In the film, Moussaed (Mohammed Al-Mansour) goes on the trip so that he can make enough money to get married to Nura (Amal Bakr). The genuine highlights of the film are around the close-up scenes of divers on boat at ocean and the impact of heat and exhaustion on the crew.
10. The Little Wars (1982, Lebanon co-production, Maroun Bagdadi)
The film depicts the start of the Lebanese Civil War in 1975 by using a trio of characters as lens to view the differing ideologies and beliefs of those involved. Soraya (Soraya Khoury) is a woman caught in the middle as she watches the two men she likes, Nabil (Nabil Ismaïl) and Talal (Roger Hawa), go off in different political directions.
In real life at the time of filming, Nabil Ismaïl was a photographer covering the civil war as shown in Bagdadi’s documentary Whispers which compliments this feature. In Little Wars, Nabil plays a photographer but a fictionalized version who plots a kidnapping. In both Little Wars and Whispers, the bombed buildings form a backdrop to events and depict impact of the civil war on everyday lives of the residents.
11. It Must be Heaven (2019, Palestine co-production, Elia Suleiman)
Elia Suleiman reprises his mostly silent character who travels from Palestine to Paris and New York. At the film’s start, he quietly observes the regular routines in his neighbourhood whether it is his neighbour stealing lemons from his tree or neighbours fighting or steely confrontations with gang members at a restaurant. Deciding he wants a change of scenery, he packs his bags for Paris and then New York but he finds that no matter where he goes, he encounters reminders of his homeland. Suleiman’s last feature The Time That Remains contained little humour. So he makes up for it by packing this film with delightful vignettes that feature a mix of deadpan or slapstick comedy and offers a meditative look at questions of identity and human behaviour.
In his previous three features (Chronicle of a Disappearance, Divine Intervention, The Time That Remains) Suleiman's character doesn’t speak a word. But in this film, he finally speaks. When asked where he is from, he first says “Nazareth” and then clarifies “I am Palestinian”. His character has aged in the more than 23 years since his first feature. The decision to speak isn’t the only change because in the film’s final scene, his character has a slight change of expression, something which wasn’t present previously. Is the change in expression a sign of hope that maybe things will get better? Although, that hope is hard to come by given events since the film premiered at Cannes in 2019.
12. Le Grand Voyage (2004, Morocco co-production, Ismaël Ferroukhi)
A father wants to make the pilgrimage to Mecca so he asks his son to drive all the way from France to Saudi Arabia. The son is initially not happy with his father’s decision but gradually gains a better understanding of his father as the journey progresses. The film manages to stand out from a traditional road feature by incorporating some engaging elements, such as the mysterious Eastern European woman the duo pick up. The woman’s mysterious disappearance and reappearance fits in perfectly as does the predictable actions of the Turkish man the son befriends. The journey ends up becoming a metaphor for life and each experience helps broaden the son’s mind. The end point of the journey at Mecca features the film’s strongest and most emotional moment.
13. The Syrian Bride (2004, Syria co-production, Eran Riklis)
15. Between Heaven and Earth (2019, Palestine co-production, Najwa Najjar)
A beautiful film shows the difficulty of a couple in getting a divorce as the strains of occupation put up new obstacles and uncover a mysterious past.
16. Until the Birds Return (2017, Algeria co-production, Karim Moussaoui)
A fascinating film that combines three stories in a creative and surprising manner. Two music sequences come as a surprise but heighten the material.
Director Amin Sidi-Boumedine has crafted an incredible film that uses the Algerian civil war as a springboard to dive into long-lasting impact of violence and trauma on citizens. Aided by Kaname Onoyama’s stunning visuals, Abou Leila uses the vast beautiful desert as a worthy canvas to explore this nightmarish tale that is a blend of different genres evoking Lynchian, Western and metaphysical themes.
Nadine Labaki’s delightful debut feature is about five women debating their relationships. Four of the five women work in a beauty salon and their day is packed with gossip about their relationships and life in Beirut. The women also support each other and share a nice bond which comes in handy for situations when things get difficult. 19. A Summer in La Goulette (1996, Tunisia co-production, Férid Boughedir)
22. West Beirut (1998, Lebanon co-production, Ziad Doueiri)
A charming coming of age film related to the start of the Lebanese civil war that highlights how neighbours that got along one day became enemies the next.
23. The Silences of the Palace (1994, Tunisia co-production, Moufida Tlatli)
This film compliments and both contrasts Beauty and the Dogs. In Moufida's film, sexual abuse is not meant to talked about but instead quietly buried within the palace walls. 24. Divine Intervention (2002, Palestine co-production, Elia Suleiman)
Suleiman’s uses his trademark style to highlight absurd scenarios related to borders and checkpoints. There are some delightful references such as the red balloon free to roam across the border and the action sequence straight out of a comic book.
Mohamed Diab’s powerful film depicts the division in Egyptian society that came to a boil in 2013. The entire film takes place in the confined space of a police van and that creates a powerful immersive experience!
6 films by 5 Women directors: Annemarie Jacir (Salt of This Sea), Najma Najjar (Pomegranates and Myrrh, Between Heaven and Earth), Kaouther Ben Hania (Beauty and the Dogs), Nadine Labaki (Caramel), Moufida Tlatli (The Silences of the Palace).
