In 2008, I quit my corporate job, sold off everything I owned and moved overseas with my husband Drew. Since then we've traveled around the world, started our careers over as creative types and nurtured our love of sleeping in late. Oh and we had a baby. Cole, our almost 2 year old has been traveling since he was four months old and probably knows more Thai than me (not that he brags).
Traveling the World, One Bag of Popcorn at a Time
Today’s guest post is by Alan Perlman from the 9 to 5 alternative. Right now Alan’s in Albania, but sometimes, even he has to go back home.
“Once the travel bug bites, there is no known antidote, and I know that I shall be happily infected until the end of my life.”
~Michael Palin (English comedian and prolific travel documentary producer)
If you’re like most travelers, when you find yourself back home, you’re itching for the vagabond life. Whether it’s scouring Netflix for obscure Mongolian documentaries, or indulging in whatever ethnic cuisine you can find (Indian food, anyone?), your odd behaviors may cause others to feel a little, well, weirded out.
My advice? Avoid the expensive cheese fetish and stop eating Moroccan stew with your hands. Kick back, relax, and snuggle up to a foreign film. From Japan to India, these titles are classic, guaranteed to interest even the most philistine of companions.
Don’t forget the popcorn.
Amélie
Language: French
Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Year: 2001
Synopsis: Amélie, a young waitress in central Paris, devotes her life to helping a cast of quirky personalities around her.
Why It’s Worth Watching: Because it’s artsy, it’s beautiful, because it epitomizes how wonderfully unique the French film industry can be. Because anyone who took French in high school has already seen it.
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sECzJY07oK4
The Motorcycle Diaries / Diarios de Motocicleta
Language: Spanish
Director:Walter Salles
Year: 2004
Synopsis: The story of Ernesto Che Guevara as he takes an unforgettable motorcycle ride across Latin America.
Why It’s Worth Watching: Because it’s a true story. Because of the Latin American scenery. Because of the poetic narration.
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7u0U3dbVMHk
Ong Bak
Language: Thai
Director: Prachya Pinkaew
Year: 2003
Synopsis: Young Ting, a Thai villager, heads to Bangkok in search of his village’s missing buddha statue. Along the way, he gets mixed up with a gang. Of course…it’s a martial arts movie.
Why It’s Worth Watching: Because the first tree-climbing scene is breathtaking. Because Bangkok cinematorgraphy is wild. Because Muay Thai is kickass.
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtNmH1KuJaA
Billy Elliot
Language: English
Director: Stephen Daldry
Year: 2000
Synopsis: It’s 1984 in a northern England mining town, and against the wishes of brother and father, who are both on a miner’s strike, Billy stumbles out of the boxing ring and onto a ballet floor
Why It’s Worth Watching: Because of the British dialect. Because it’s hilarious. Because guys can dance ballet too!
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoiVEyCosEE
La Haine
Language: French
Director: Mathieu Kassovitz
Year: 1995
Synopsis: Over a 24-hour span, a Jew, an Arab, and a black boxer chance upon a stolen gun and romp around the French suburbs.
Why It’s Worth Watching: Because you’ll learn about life in the banlieu (ghetto). Because it’s raw and real and intense. Because the dialog covers just about every French slang word there is.
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yk77VrkxL88
Pan’s Labyrinth / El laberinto del fauno
Language: Spanish
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Year: 2006
Synopsis: During the Spanish Civil War, bookish and imaginative Ophelia is sent with her mom to live with their new stepfather, a ruthless captain in the Spanish Army. Fantasy and reality blend together as Ophelia is sent on a quest to prove that she’s a princess.
Why It’s Worth Watching: Because the historical setting is very well done. Because the faun’s croaking is creepy. Because it’s simply a beautiful film.
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqYiSlkvRuw
Beat the Drum
Language: English/Zulu
Director: David Hickson
Year: 2003
Synopsis: A mysterious illness strikes a KwaZulu Natal village, and newly orphaned Musa sets out for Johannesberg looking for his uncle.
Why It’s Worth Watching: Because you see a glimpse of both rural and urban Africa. Because of the Johannesberg city shots. Because it has a happy ending.
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyVyDIZy5WI
Spirited Away / Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi
Language: Japanese
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Year: 2001
Synopsis: Chihiro and her parents stumble upon an abandoned theme park, but by the time young Haku warns Chihiro to leave before nightfall, it’s too late.
Why It’s Worth Watching: Because if you’ve never seen an anime movie, this is a perfect first. Because it’s like a darker, more fantastical Disney movie. Because all of Miyazaki’s films are epic.
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6az9wGfeSgM
Rang De Basanti
Language: Hindi
Director: Rakesh Omprakash Mehra
Year: 2006
Synopsis: A young UK graduate is shooting a documentary about Indian freedom fighters and enlists the help of 5 New Delhi graduates after her original crew doesn’t show up. As they become more involved in the film, the graduates become more and more like the freedom fighters themselves as materialism and self-centeredness give way to spirit and revolution.
Why It’s Worth Watching: Because the graduates’ lives represent the youth of today so well. Because the songs are superb. Because it’s Bollywood baby!
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AK28V4FjqMc&
City of God / Cidade de Deus
Language: Portuguese
Director: Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund
Year: 2002
Synopsis: In the dangerous slums of Rio de Janeiro, drug abuse and violent crime are common place. Two boys take two different paths, one struggling to free himself from the slum’s grasps as a professional photographer.
Why It’s Worth Watching: Because it’s based on a true story. Because the story is incredibly written. Because the directors are geniuses (Yep, that good).
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioUE_5wpg_E
L’Auberge Espagnole
Language: French
Director: Cédric Klapisch
Year: 2002
Synopsis: Xavier, a straight-laced French student, moves to Barcelona to learn Spanish. His roommates are a melting pot of both cultures and personalities, and through their adventures, Xavier learns about life.
Why It’s Worth Watching: Because of the international dialog and cultural nuances. Because it’s introspective. Because it’s my favorite foreign film…
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCs6AzLeNQI
About Alan:
Alan Perlman travels the world as a cost-of-living surveyor and writes about travel, lifestyle design, and entrepreneurship on his personal blog, The 9 to 5 Alternative. You can also follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/alanperlman.
I was just talking to someone about Pan’s Labyrinth this morning, I thought that was a great movie, even though it is in a genre I am not usually a fan of.
I also really enjoyed City of God. If you want to see another fantastic movie set in the slums of Rio de Janerio, check out Elite Squad (Trope de Elite). One of the most popular movies ever to come out of Brazil, it is violent and gritty, but also incredibly honest. Very good.
Thanks for the picks!
@Sean: I’ve never heard of elite squad, but I will definitely see to it when I get the chance. Thanks for the recommendation!
Alan, great list – I’d also recommend the documentary Long Way Down.
Btw Christine, really great new look on the site!
What a great list of movies. I’ll check the local DVD store. This may be the kick in the pants I need to actually see The Motorcycle Diaries..
.-= Stevo´s last blog ..China Travel: Nanjing =-.
@Anil Long Way Down has been added to my list
Thanks for the comment!
@Stevo My advice? See Motorcycle Diaries ASAP. It’s such a brilliant film, I wish my Spanish was strong enough to justify turning the subtitles off.
Great list!
I watched almost every one of them!
Since I’m from Brasil, a love City of God. And I guarantee that almost everything is true!
cheers!
Oh boy, I can’t wait to get my hands on the ones I don’t know since all the ones you listed that I have seen are fantastic. Here’s a recommendation for anyone wanting to learn about people from Buenos Aires (porteños). Sticking to Alan’s format in hopes that others may add to the list as well.
Title: Nueve Reinas
Language: Spanish (or castellano here in Argentina)
Director: Fabián Bielinsky
Year: 2000
Synopsis: Two con artists team up one day and find themselves facing the opportunity of a lifetime. They try to sell a fake sheet of rare stamps, Nine Queens (Nueve Reinas). But the scam requires that one of them put up his life savings.
Why: Because Ricardo Darin (the main actor) is brilliant. Because with all the twists and turns you won’t be able to figure it out before the end. Because the dialog is authentic (and a great way to learn castellano). Because if there is a film out there that can make you feel like you’ve spent the day in Buenos Aires, this is it.
@Angela: Thanks for the addition! I have a pipe dream to live in Buenos Aires for a few months, so I will definitely check this film out!
.-= Alan´s last blog ..Summer Survey Assignment =-.
Alan & Christine,
My picks here
.-= Jen Laceda´s last blog ..A Travel Quote =-.
I love City of God, by the way. And I think I will look for L’Auberge Espagnole and La Haine! Thanks for the tips.
@Jen: Great list! I’m glad that only one of our movies overlap – looks like I have some more movies to watch
I think several of the films you recommended are great, but I have to say City of God annoyed me. Yet another film about male gangsters and women getting abused. The whole time I was watching it, I was thinking, “The only way the men can get away with this shit is that the women are doing all the work of holding society together. How about a movie about the women for once that marginalizes all these infantile men?
@Beth… I’ve got one for you. It’s one of the best movies I’ve ever seen in terms of cinematography. From Iran, “The Day I Became a Woman.” It’s not light, but it’s inspiring and probably somewhat shocking to many people that Iranian cinema is so exceptional. And an added plus here is that so much of it is cinematography that you can focus on the screen and not the subtitles (very little dialog).
While I’m at it, “Whale Rider” from New Zealand is another inspiring tale about a woman overcoming societal rules. A really lovely story and also beautifully shot. For infantile men from New Zealand, but a powerful story, try “Once Were Warriors.”
And any Almodovar (Spain) movie–”La Mala Educacion” or “Hable Con Ella”, in particular–represent filmmaking at its finest in my mind, although they are gut-wrenchingly sad.
Wow… this post really got me reminiscing over great movies I’d forgotten about.
Wow, I love all the movie suggestion follow up in the comments! Looks like I have more movies to catch up on this summer than I thought. Thanks everyone! (Keep them coming too!)
I will never tire of watching Amelie. Beautifully shot with an amazing story. I cry every time I watch it. Also, way to mention l’Auberge Espagnol! Anyone who has spent time overseas as a student can relate.
Nifty list! As with any list, I can’t help but add to it. The Razor’s Edge, Lust for Life, Wild Strawberries, La Dolce Vita, Roman Holiday, Manhattan, The Darjeeling Limited, Sideways, Elizabethtown, Paris je t’Aime–all brilliant movies that feature travel in various sense, and portray their settings with great sensation and profound respect.
@Tanya: l love l’Auberge Espagnole – it was actually the first foreign film I ever saw!
@Phil: Darjeeling Limited (and all of Wes Anderson’s movies) is a great addition. Thanks for adding to the list.
Hi Alan,
Thanks for list. I suggest, “Under The Bombs” and “Innocent Voices.”