Elling

Getting released from the mental institution in Elling

This  little known gem from Norway, released in 2001, focuses on a sensitive man who has a knack for poetry. Sheltered by his mother all his life, he is forced to live in a state institution following her death. There, he meets and befriends two odd individuals. The trio end up living together after their release. The film picked up several prestigious movie awards and was even nominated for an Oscar.

My Sassy Girl

The sassy girl getting a piggy back ride

This Korean production was first shown in 2001 was a surprise hit in Asia. The film was based on the internet writings of a young man about his strange and complicated relationship with an equally strange but beautiful girl. My Sassy Girl stars Gianna Jun and Tae-hyun Cha. The movie did so well that it spawned an American remake The American version pales in comparison though so if you have not seen either, picking up the original Korean release is a must.

Amélie

Young Amelie photographing a bunny-shaped cloud

Released in 2001, Amélie is an imaginative comedy starring the lovely Audrey Tautou. Sharp eyed movie goers may recognize a slightly older Tantou performing opposite Tom Hanks in The Da Vinci Code. The film revolves around a shy young woman who makes it her mission in life to make people happy. She also pursues a handsome weirdo who collects discarded pictures from photo booths. This French classic has had a tremendous impact on pop culture—we’ve all see the traveling garden gnome, right? It originated in Amélie.

Shaolin Soccer

Cleat to face kick in Shaolin Soccer

For something a little more ridiculous, why not consider the Hong Kong-made Shaolin Soccer? Written, directed and starring the talented Stephen Chow, the film effectively merges martial arts and soccer action. One of the best slapstick comedies of its kind, Shaolin Soccer tells of a Shaolin Kung-Fu practitioner who meets a former soccer coach. Chow, who plays a Shaolin master combines his martial arts abilities with his soccer to become an amazing player and even helps train other players who all end up playing as teammates. Together they hope to compete in and win a prestigious soccer tournament.

3 Idiots

The 3 Idiots on butt stools

In this offbeat Bollywood flick, three college buddies made a bet to see who would become the most successful. They meet ten years later but only two of the three show up. Worried, the pair search for their missing friend. Those not familiar with films from the Indian subcontinent should expect the gratuitous song and dance numbers with women dressed in loud, bright colors. A tad long, this zany movie’s running time clocks in at almost three hours.

Sano Sansar

As you might imagine, many of the most popular Nepali movies are romantic comedies. This one, Sano Sansar, is heavily influenced by the American romantic comedy You’ve Got Mail. And if you’re a fan of romantic comedies, Sano Sansar will probably seem pretty familiar to you, being a classic boy-meets-girl-and-they-hate-each-other-at-first story. And like a lot of Nepali movies, it features at least a few musical numbers. Yay? Yay!

Kagbeni

In addition to romantic comedies, Nepali movies are also produced under the genre of horror. So it is with Kagbeni, a Nepali movie based on the famous horror story The Monkey’s Paw. In case you don’t know, The Monkey’s Paw is about a wish-granting totem that doesn’t always give the wisher exactly what he had in mind. Kagbeni was called a “a benchmark for Nepali films.” Sounds pretty good, right?

Kusume Rumal 2

This one isn’t technically a sequel to the earlier movie Kusume Rumal, but it does reference it extensively. You see, the whole “_____ 2″ titling convention is treated a bit differently when it comes to Nepali movies. That didn’t stop this from being one of the most popular Nepali movies to come out in 2009, however. The story is heavily influenced by Hollywood movies like A Walk To Remember, but part of the fun of Nepali movies is seeing familiar storylines play out in novel ways.

Muna Madan

This 2003 Nepali movie is based on a one of the most popular epics in Nepali literature. With source material like that, it’s no surprise that it’s gone on to be one of the more popular Nepali movies.

Sick City

Another popular Nepali movie, this one with a really cool title (has it been used in America yet?). And it’s a lot edgier than what most people associate with Nepali movies. It’s a gritty crime story, about a young man who divides his time between being a husband and father and a drug dealer in the city of Tharmel’s red light district. Judging from the trailers for the movie online, it seems strongly influenced by movies like Requiem for a Dream in the way that it shows the flashiness and allure of the drug lifestyle while simultaneously depicting the consequences of it. This would appear to be an interesting introduction to Nepali movies, since it’s the kind of edgy crime story we see all the time in the US.

Maybe you are going to the Salute to Israel Day Parade this weekend, or maybe you are interested in learning more about films from this volatile region of the world – regardless of your motivation we thought this was a good time to get up to speed on films about Israel.

As Israel continues to capture the world’s imagination both in the news media and as a spiritual place for three of the world’s major religions, these films provide insight into the culture of this society.