I love watching documentaries, foreign films, and independent films. By far my most favorite genre is Bollywood, and my least favorite is Iranian movies. (Although I do mean to give the Oscar-winning film, A Separation, a try.) I love lists from respected reviewers, like these from Jeffery Overstreet. (Although I think my husband wished I didn’t listen to his recommendations so much. Secret of the Grain, anyone?)
They have come to subsist at a crossroads of contemporary culture, somewhere between journalism, film narrative and television entertainment. They appear to thrive on contradictions, between the stubborn reality they purport to capture and their necessarily limited means, between the impositions of storytelling and the desire to interpret or analyse. They aren’t fictional, ever, but they can seem in their attractiveness more real than reality. – Why Documentaries Matter
Watching movies that dive into a culture or a topic is an easy way to try and understand another’s point of view. That’s why I love Netflix. They have an enormous collection of documentaries and foreign films. I usually just scan their list and read the reviews to pick what I want to see, but if you want some lists to help you get started, check these out:
Top 50 Foreign Films of All Time
And if you want a few modern titles to check out:
Do you have any favorite documentaries or foreign titles?
This post is Day 3 in the 31 Days to Loving the World series.
Caris, did you know I went to university with Jeffrey Overstreet? I wouldn’t say we’re close friends, but we do stay in loose contact with each other. I really like his reviews as well.
Speaking of favorite foreign films, I just watched a good German one the other day: Sophie Scholl: The Last Days. I wrote about it on my blog. I’d definitely recommend it. I also like one called The Syrian Bride.
We could do a movie night! My girls sing Bollywood songs and we love a good documentary! I haven’t been watching as many foreign films as I used to for the simple fact that I am either too distracted by little ones coming in and out of the room to read the subtitles, or if they are fast asleep, I tend to doze off.
I have some favorites but I am sadly far too tired to think of them today 🙂
I am a documentary nut and make my students watch them in class all the time…and I love Indian literature so I guess it is time to stretch out a little more into INdian film. I have watched a few and loved them. Thanks for this reminder…if you know any must see’s for seniors in high school. let me know. I’ll show it.