Around the World with Cinema Wellman
Our planet is an extremely large place. There are currently about 7.75 billion of us on this big blue marble. A large number of those people must like movies because films are produced all over the world.
I know. I’ve seen a lot of them.
An ongoing project here at Cinema Wellman is to see a film from every country in the world. That’s not as easy as it sounds. For one thing, it’s difficult to get an exact number of what are considered “countries.”
For example, there are 193 UN recognized countries, but FIFA, the soccer organization, boasts 211 members! Other research says the number is 197 or 200. I didn’t realize it was that complicated!
I went with 195. I took the UN total and added the Holy See and the State of Palestine.
At the time of this writing, I am only 25 countries short of my goal! Problem is that not all countries produce their own films. I realize I may not get all 195, but recent research led to discovery of a new 11 I didn’t know I had access to, so I’m getting closer!
My current total number of films (7,682) includes 1,563 foreign films. That means approximately 20% of my film viewing comes from outside of the United States. I’m so worldly! :)
A Quick Top 10 (since I love lists!)
Top 10 Foreign Countries/Current Film Totals
United Kingdom 432
France 161
Japan 121
Canada 103
Italy 85
Hong Kong 73
Australia 50
Germany 36
Sweden 33
10) Spain 25
Future blogs and podcast episodes will deal with some of those countries in depth. The 10 films you’ll be reading about today do not come from any of those countries. Today we’ll take a look at films from Belgium, Cuba, the Czech Republic, Greece, the Holy See, Iceland, Indonesia, Iran, Poland, and Ukraine.
These films are in alphabetical order according to country. They are not ranked in any other way.
Tanghi argentini - Belgium 2006
Available via Amazon Prime & kanopy
We’ll start with a short film from Belgium that runs all of 14 minutes. This is a delightful film that I think everyone will enjoy. It centers around an ordinary office clerk who is very interested in learning how to tango. I want to tell the entire story, but I really want people to see this, so I’ll keep quiet. It’s such a sweet story and the twist at the end gives you hope for the human race. I can’t think about this movie without smiling and shedding a little joyous tear.
Juan of the Dead - Cuba 2011
Not currently available according to my research
The next two films on the list were part of “24 Hours of Wellman” which will be featured on an upcoming blog and podcast. A few years ago, I did a 24 hour movie marathon that was timed down to the minute. 1,440 minutes, to be exact!
This was recommended to me by my friend Larry (who also assisted on the construction of the 24 hour list), and it’s a treat! A violent, bloody, hysterical treat.
From IMDb: “A group of slackers face an army of zombies. The Cuban government and media claim the living dead are dissidents revolting against the government.” I love the government take on the zombies!
I’m a huge fan of Edgar Wright’s 2004 zombie horror/comedy Shaun of the Dead, and it looks like I wasn’t the only one. This isn't a remake by any means, but it has the horror/comedy mix that makes for a bloody fun ride.
The tagline under the title, “Matamos a sus seres queridos” translates to “We kill your loved ones.” Lovely.
Little Otik - Czech Republic 2000
Not currently available according to my research
To begin, any film also known as Greedy Guts needs to be seen. This film was recommended to me by my friend Andy, who also composed the theme music for the Official Podcast/YouTube Channel of Cinema Wellman! You can hear new releases from Andy’s band Joyride on Spotify! Two songs are currently available: “Serial” and “I Get High.” Give them a listen!
So when Andy recommended this to me, he mentioned that it was ultra disturbing and bizarre. He also mentioned that he thought I’d love it. He was correct.
Once again to my friends at IMDb: “A childless couple passes off an anthropomorphous tree stump as their baby, but things get out of hand when the thing comes to life and demands to be fed.”
Yep. This is Little Otik!
The wife is so upset that she can’t have children that her husband brings this to her when he was out chopping wood one day. She begins to treat it as a real child and even breast feeds Otik at one point. Yep, you read that correctly.
What could go wrong? Well, everything. Especially when Otik gets huge and needs to eat a lot.
I’ve never put together a list of the oddest, most disturbing movies I’ve ever seen. Not yet at least. But when I do, Little Otik will get a well-deserved spot on it.
Dogtooth - Greece 2009
Available via kanopy & hoopla
Yikes! This film is directed by Greek filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos, and it’s quite interesting on so many levels. Maybe watching this short clip from IMDb will help introduce you to Mr. Lanthimos’ films in case you aren’t aware of him.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1379182/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0
I loved his 2015 film with Colin Farrell and Rachel Weisz titled The Lobster. After viewing that, I wanted to see more films by Lanthimos, and I watched Dogtooth.
This is extremely difficult to watch at times since the story centers around a controlling, abusive father who locks his three children away in a state of perpetual childhood by keeping them prisoner at their expansive estate.
Definitely worth a look, but you need to be ready for what it’s going to deliver.
We Have a Pope - Holy See 2011
Available via Amazon Prime & kanopy
Okay, so no zombies in this one! No murderous anthropomorphic tree babies! No abusive, controlling dads! This one deals with selecting a new pope, of all things, and it’s tremendous!
The newly elected pope wants NOTHING of it, so he runs away and seeks the help of his therapist. The film splits time between these therapy sessions and what the other cardinals (who aren’t allowed to leave until he returns) do to pass the time. The volleyball scene is hilarious!
This is considered a comedy/drama, and it has both in equal amounts. It is a heartwarming story that deals with mental health in a positive fashion. I’d like to see more films do this. We need to pay more attention to our personal mental health and happiness. Nothing wrong with not feeling right, and everything right about seeking help when you need it. Even if you’re the newly elected pope!
The Last Farm - Iceland 2004
Not currently available according to my research
I’m kind of glad this isn’t available to watch because I wouldn’t want to put you through it. This film made an impact on me, and it’s a film that I think of often. The trouble is that it’s so sad.
It deals with a solitary elderly couple in the Icelandic countryside who are preparing for the winter and a visit from their children.
It is beautifully shot and well acted. And it’s only 17 minutes, but it’s a gut-wrenching 17 minutes.
Feel free to e-mail me at cinemawellman@gmail.com and I’ll tell you the whole story. Don’t want to spoil anything here, as usual.
The Raid: Redemption - Indonesia 2011
Available via HBO
This is absolutely off the rails! The story centers around a S.W.A.T. team that is entering a tenement building that is run by a ruthless gangster and protected by henchmen and booby-traps.
Pretty much start to finish action with a lot of blood and stylized violence. Frenetic pacing and editing keep you on edge throughout.
A sequel three years later didn’t come close to capturing the feel of this. Total popcorn movie. Maybe a two-bucket film!
Offside - Iran 2006
Available via Amazon Prime
This movie centers around young female soccer fans in Iran. They are crazy about the sport and are desperate to attend an important match in person. The problem is that women are barred from entering soccer stadiums in Iran.
This is an upbeat film that has you rooting for these young women as they do anything they can to get into the stadium to see their team play. There are schemes and bribes and a lot of dressing in disguise as they attempt entrance to this forbidden place.
It’s not a total comedy since it does deal with gender inequality in Iran, but parts of it are extremely funny as the young ladies get into quite a lot of mischief just to attend a soccer match. A full three points for this match!
The Lure - Poland 2015
Available via HBO MAX, Criterion, & kanopy
I made this list alphabetically according to country without realizing that the final two films discussed would be The Lure and The Tribe. Wow. What a double feature this would be!!!
I once again turn to IMDb because they do it so well: “In Warsaw, a pair of mermaid sisters are adopted into a cabaret. While one seeks love with humans the other hungers to dine on the human population of the city.”
Yes! A Polish mermaid movie! And one of the mermaids dines on humans!
This is based on Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale “The Little Mermaid,” but I do not recall Ariel feasting on human flesh.
In any event, this is some wild stuff, as you can imagine. They do an amazing job with the mermaid effects, and the two young actors playing the sisters are most excellent. And it’s great fun watching creepy guys who prey on women getting eaten themselves. Even though it’s a movie. Karma.
Next time someone asks you if you can recommend any Polish mermaid movies, you now have something to share!
The Tribe - Ukraine 2014
Available via Fandor, Plex, & Crackle
I’ve always said that movies can have a deep impact on you in many ways. I think the longer a movie has you thinking about it after you’ve finished viewing, the better the film. I know that I can watch a film at 1:00 on a Saturday and totally forget it about 3 hours and 20 minutes or so later. Kind of an “in one ear, out the other” for the brain.
The Tribe is certainly NOT one of those films. I honestly think of this film at least once a month, if not more, and I saw it years ago. If I know you personally and we have talked about movies, chances are I’ve told you about this film.
It is like nothing I’ve ever seen before or since.
Let’s go to IMDb for the skinny on this one: “A deaf boy joins a boarding school for similar children. Confronted by the violent and criminal antics of some of the other boys and girls, he struggles to conform and join the ‘tribe’”
I have seen many films about deaf characters over the years including the wonderful CODA from 2021 and Sound of Metal from 2019. Both of these films used deaf actors to add authenticity, and the films wouldn’t be as effective had hearing actors been used in those roles.
The Tribe takes this to a different level. The entire cast is deaf. There are no spoken words of dialogue at all. The entire film is in sign language. And it’s Ukrainian sign language. Not even my nephew Orlando, who is a CODA and fluent in American sign language, would be able to fully translate this film. Amazing.
More amazing is the prologue at the start of the film. It reads, “This film is in sign language. There are no translations, no subtitles, no voice-over.”
Correct. The cast signs the entire film and it’s up to the viewer to figure out what’s going on. Challenge accepted! Hearing the noises made by the actors’ fingers and hands as they signed was something I didn’t expect. The more agitated the character was, the more violent their signs became, and you could hear that agitation and violence even though no words were being used.
“Love and hate need no translation,” according to the film’s poster. And they ran with that idea.
This film has an ending that blew my mind. Again, I’d LOVE to tell you all about it, but I promised no spoilers. If you don’t want to see this, for whatever reason, and want to know the ending, shoot me an e-mail and I’ll spill it!
So there’s a quick jump around the world and a look at some films you may not have heard of. I realize a lot of people eschew foreign films because it forces them to “read” a movie, but there is so much beyond our borders that deserves attention.
Coming Soon to the blog/podcast/YouTube channel:
Cinema Wellman goes to France
Cinema Wellman goes Italian
Cinema Wellman turns Japanese
Cinema Wellman ventures to Hong Kong
Cinema Wellman heads to the UK
And possibly episodes about cinema from Canada, Australia, Germany, Spain, and Sweden!
Thanks for reading!
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@cinemawellman
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