What are your best recommendations of movies from for example Palestine? Or just generally outside the imperial core? Ones with English subtitles available.
I am finding some with search engines like a title called Lemon tree, but would prefer those who know better to point me towards some. Also interested in documentaries, watched the Mayor not long ago and it was great.
Irani cinema has some pretty great releases… The Wind Will Carry Us, A Separation, The Day I Became A Woman, Ten, Children Of Heaven, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, etc…
Some other good Middle Eastern ones include Capernaum, Farha, Incendies (French Canadian director), Last Man In Aleppo, The Band’s Visit, etc.
I think, in the general-ish region, Turkey has the largest and most diverse film industry by far. There are some legitimate gems. Dedemin İnsanları, Once Upon A Time In Anatolia, Son Çıkış, Annemin Yarası, Zeytin Ağacı, Bir Başkadır, Aile Arasında, Ölü Ekmeği, Yaşı Batı, G.O.R.A., Pek Yakında, Kosmos, Monseuir Ibrahim (French but it ends in Turkey).
I don’t watch movies all that often but having seen G.O.R.A. I think Cem Yılmaz is highly overrated. He has shallow humor that depends too much on pop-culture references.
Maybe nostalgia filter is at work here but Kemal Sunal is probably the most beloved Turkish comedy actor. Often got typecast as the naive but well-meaning working class hero. Kibar Feyzo even got banned for a while because it was too leftist(unions are portrayed sympethically and the plot is about Feyzo trying to unite the people of his town to overthrow their landlord, though he gets arrested at the end). It is not theory by any means but enjoyable.
Yeah Yahşi Batı isn’t my favorite but I’d watch anything with Demet Evgar. Pek Yaşında was cute though.
Regarding Ten: https://mailchi.mp/4d35e062af06/10-by-abbas-kiarostami-is-about-womens-issue-broken-news
https://fasikul.altyazi.net/in-english/mania-akbari-tells-her-own-story/
Oh thanks so much, I have seen A Separation and liked it a lot even though am not a drama film person as such. This is our Saturday movie night sorted, I am sure I can find one of these from somewhere.
A Separation has got to be one of my favorite movies, check out About Elly too if you liked it. really can’t go wrong with Asghar Farhadi’s movies.