2000s

  • Ulrike Koch – Die Salzmänner von Tibet aka The Saltmen of Tibet (1997)

    1991-2000DocumentaryGermanyUlrike Koch

    For this Swiss-German documentary, filmmaker/Sinologist Ulrike Koch sneaked cameras into Tibet in order to film four men and 160 yak in a 2,000-year-old ritual — the annual spring pilgrimage to gather raw salt at remote lakes, a three-month Himalayan trek. Camping along the way, they engage in prayers, talk, and songs. Following nomadic traditions, the saltmen make the return trip with salt in backpacks made from yak pelts. In addition to Tibetan chanting, the film’s music includes a post-production blend of Hamburg musicians and native Tibetans. After a digital video transfer to film, the 108-minute documentary was shown at several 1997 film festivals, including (Sundance, Vienna, Taormina, and Pusan). ~ Bhob StewartRead More »

  • Adolfo Aristarain – Lugares comunes AKA Common Ground (2002)

    2001-2010Adolfo AristarainArgentinaDrama

    In Buenos Aires, a few days before traveling to Spain with his beloved wife Liliana Rovira to visit their son Pedro, the leftist Literature professor Fernando Robles is compulsory retired in the University. The ongoing economic crisis does not allow Fernando to get a new job. Liliana decides to sell her family’s apartment and the couple move to a small farm near Villa Dolores to reduce their expenses. Fernando comes up with the idea to grow lavender and sell the oil to the perfume industry.Read More »

  • Kiyoshi Kurosawa – Sakebi AKA Retribution (2006)

    2001-2010AsianJapanKiyoshi KurosawaThriller

    Plot from IMDB: An experienced police detective has to investigate the murder of an unknown woman dressed in a scarlet dress. All the clues he finds relate to him, which troubles him a lot. A ghost dressed in a scarlet dress soon starts appearing to him while more murders are discovered: all victims were drowned in salt water.Read More »

  • Ryûhei Kitamura – Longinus AKA The Spear of Longinus (2004)

    2001-2010ActionJapanRyûhei KitamuraWar

    A war rages on, its end unknown, covering the world in despair. At a military field hospital, a group of soldiers bring in one of their own, wounded by a large, vicious, bite-like wound, along with a large box. The soldiers are visibly shaken. Suddenly, an enigmatic man appears. As he starts to tell them the legend of the Lance of Longinus, their night of unimaginable terror begins.Read More »

  • Eugenio Polgovsky – Tropico de cancer AKA Tropic of Cancer (2004)

    2001-2010DocumentaryEugenio PolgovskyMexico

    At the Tropic of Cancer in the desert of San Luis Potosi, Mexico, various families survive by hunting animals which they sell on the freeway.Read More »

  • Julián Hernández – Rabioso sol, rabioso cielo AKA Raging Sun, Raging Sky (2009)

    2001-2010ArthouseDramaJulián HernándezMexicoQueer Cinema(s)

    Quote:
    In his latest film, Julián Hernández portrays love as an epic act of martyrdom in which redemption and fulfilment can only be found in the afterlife. This new work tells the story of two men, Kieri and Ryo, and their unquestioning love for each other. The absoluteness of this love gives meaning to their lives. But their mutual devotion is not to last – Ryo is abducted and, as a result, Kieri must now embark upon a mysterious journey. Unbeknown to him, it is “Corazón del cielo”, or heaven’s heart herself that leads and protects the lovers on their quest and spurs on Kieri’s longing.Read More »

  • Yue Lü – Mei ren cao AKA The Foliage [+Extras] (2003)

    2001-2010ChinaDramaFifth Generation Chinese CinemaYue Lu

    In the summer of 1974, Xing-Yu (Shu Qi) meets and falls in love with a rebel, Si-Mong. A member of the Chinese People’s Army, her comrades immediately frown on their relationship. Her leader and childhood sweetheart, Yuan, then enlists her in a plan to betray Si-Mong in exchange for a discharge so she may return home to care for her sick father. Will Xing-Yu choose country and politics over love?Read More »

  • Yoshimitsu Morita – Mohou-han AKA Copycat Killer (2002)

    2001-2010HorrorJapanThrillerYoshimitsu Morita

    This horrifying thriller, which stars Smap member Masahiro Nakai revolves around a lunatic killer who announces his crimes before he carries them out! All victims are killed in hideous ways, most of them being tortured before death. This nerve-wrecking shocker will leave you sitting on the edge of your seat until its startling climax!Read More »

  • Hirokazu Koreeda – Aruitemo aruitemo aka Still Walking (2008)

    2001-2010AsianDramaHirokazu KoreedaJapan

    Quote:
    The lyrical, profoundly moving Still Walking (Aruitemo aruitemo) is contemporary Japanese master Hirokazu Kore – eda’s most personal work to date. Created as a tribute to his late mother, the film depicts one day in the life of the Yokoyamas, gathered together for a commemorative ritual whose nature only gradually becomes clear. Rather than focus on big dramatic moments, Kore – eda relies on simple gestures and domestic routines (especially cooking) to evoke a family’s entire life, its deep regrets and its daily joys. Featuring vivid, heartrending performances and a gentle naturalism that harks back to the director’s earlier, documentary work, Still Walking is an extraordinary portrayal of the ties that bind us.Read More »

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