WATCH THE WORLD

Our goal is to open up the world to everyone through film. Everyone should travel if they can (the world is amazing), but it costs time and money which we don't always have. That's where FilmRoot comes in. We bring the world of films to your couch, so you can travel wherever you want to without the flight fees.

Use our World Map to find the best films from each country, choose a continent below to explore the best films from each continent, or simply scroll down to see our latest posts featuring films from around the world. Or, if you're up for a challenge, work your way up to the top of our Film Difficulty Rankings to become a World Film expert.

Latest Posts

Spy Movies From Around The World – It’s Not all About James Bond

The Spy movie genre is dominated by James Bond. The franchise’s one liners, action sequences, campy humor, evil villains and their conspiracies to control the world have become almost synonymous with the Spy genre. But James Bond doesn’t quite have a complete monopoly on the spy film genre. Here are 8 Spy Movies from around the world that share some of the iconic motifs of the James Bond franchise to expand the range of your spy film viewing.

8 Great Spy Movies from Around the World

The Lives of Others (Germany)

Actual Spy, Historical

The Lives of Others definitely doesn’t feature your James Bond style spy. Instead of an attractive womanizing action figure, the lead spy in this film is a balding loner that wiretaps a playwright in East Germany to spy on him for the Stasi (East German Secret Police). He’s the villain of this historical drama, and whilst he’s not a popular character like James Bond, there’s a more in-depth examination of his character and the morality of his work. Plus you’ll also get a realistic portrayal of what life in the former GDR looked like.

The Spy Gone North (South Korea)

Actual Spy, In Disguise, Historical, Conspiracy

Like The Lives of Others, The Spy Gone North, is set within a real historical context. In this case, East Germany is switched for North Korea as one South Korean is hired by the government to infiltrate a North Korean nuclear power plant posing as a money-hungry businessman. The focus in this film is on how the spy builds and maintains his disguise is some pretty high pressure situations as well as the political conspiracy behind his mission. So expect to see more diplomacy and tension and less action than your typical Bond film.

The Killer (Hong Kong)

Stylish Action, One Liners, Romance

You can probably remember the great action scenes from your favorite spy movies. Maybe it’s the crane parkour scene from Casino Royale or one of Tom Cruise’s many stunts from the Mission Impossible series. In The Killer the whole film gives 100% – the action scenes, romantic storyline, brotherhood, and style are all pure over-the-top cinematic entertainment. For all of this and more (every explosion is worth two of those in James Bond movies), The Killer is must see.

Mole Agent (Chile)

Documentary, Actual Spy

This Documentary is the wild card on this list as it features no action scenes, no attractive actors, and no suave comedy. Instead the spy in Mole Agent is a pensioner sent undercover into a retirement home to track the treatment of the other retirees. Mole Agent shows that you’re never too old for a new assignment even if you might not be able to pull it off like James Bond could.

The Bloodettes (Cameroon)

Stylish Action, Conspiracy, Evil Villain

Like James Bond movies, The Bloodettes has some stylish action and evil villains with grand conspiracies. But that’s where the similarities end. Firstly, the two agents in this film are women. Secondly, it looks and sounds like a nightclub with neon lighting and a thumping soundtrack. Plus, there’s also vampires. The Bloodettes is one of the most original films I’ve seen from Africa. It’s Cameroon in the future.

Read our full review here.

Castle of Cagliostro (Japan)

Technology, Evil Villain, Villain's Lair

You may be familiar with some of Hayao Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli animations. But maybe you missed his very first directorial feature, Castle of Cagliostro. Set within an animated whimsical Italy, Castle of Cagliostro follows a thief that stumbles on an evil villain and his castle lair – complete with secret doors and some fantastic machines (a consistent motif in Miyazaki’s work) – to rescue the princess imprisoned there. The villain and his castle are just like Scaramanga’s island hideout in Man with the Golden Gun and breaking into the villain’s castle is just as fun as the breakout.

Ashakara (Togo)

Conspiracy, Evil Villain, Technology

In Ashakara, a French multinational sends a spy to Togo to steal the recipe for a magical cure that has been used for years by a rural medicine doctor. The spy takes a metal case with remote video-calling technology (very futuristic for 1991 when this movie was made) to stay in touch with his ‘evil villain’ boss whilst he treks through the country. The Togolese are no pushovers though as the medicine doctors fight back against the French imperialist intentions and the money-greedy capitalists.

Read our full review here.

Enter the Dragon (Hong Kong)

Stylish Action, Evil Villain, Villain's Lair, One Liners, In Disguise

Enter the Dragon is a perfect gateway to Bruce Lee movies, it has his iconic martial arts moves plus a James Bond-esque plot with a few Blaxploitation themes thrown in. In the film Lee is sent undercover to an island to compete at a martial arts competition hosted by a suspected Hong Kong crime lord. Like James Bond movies, he and the ‘evil villain’ engage in mind games leading up to the film’s climax. The ‘evil villain,’ secret hideout, undercover identity, and stylish action, make this a perfect alternative to the early James Bond movies.

If you think we’ve missed a film from the list, please get in touch on Twitter or by email to share some more spy movies from around the world.

Bolot Feray – This Stage Adaption is the a Rare Seychellois Feature Film

Bolot Feray Film Difficulty Ranking: 3

Why should you watch Bolot Feray? Because it’s the only Seychellois feature film you’re likely to find to represent the country. It’s an adaption from a comedy theatrical play and will give you an insight into the customs of traditional society in the Seychelles even if you can’t find a copy with subtitles.

From: Seychelles, Africa
Watch: YouTube, Letterboxd
Next: The Grand Marriage, Hand of Fate, Gold Watch

Bolot Feray – The Breakdown

Disclaimer: We couldn’t find this film with English subtitles. If you speak French fluently, you might pick up a few words or phrases, but as the film uses the Seychellois Creole language, it won’t be too much of a help. We decided to watch the film anyway to be able to add the only film we could find from The Seychelles to this site. However, we’ll be looking out for a copy with English subtitles and also for any more films we can review in more depth from the country. If you know of any, please let us know.

It’s pretty obvious that Bolot Feray is adapted from a stage play. Firstly, the film is split into 3 parts with each one taking place in a different location – mimicking the set changes of a stage play. Secondly, there are a few moments where an actor gives an internal monologue to the audience – looking directly at the camera – something very rare in film, but fairly common on stage, particularly in comedies. Lastly, as is typical for stage plays, Bolot Feray focuses on the dialogue more than the visual elements, making the film dialogue heavy with no cinematic innovation. Watching the stage play (also available on YouTube) will likely be a pretty similar experience to watching the movie.

The story features a family getting ready for a wedding. There’s a lot of arguing and debating between both families of the future husband and wife. Unfortunately most of this will go over your head because of the language barrier. However, you get the idea that there is a lot of soapy gossiping and drama in what they’re saying. Despite this, the final part shows the wedding going ahead, complete with speeches and singing.

Whilst there’s not much you’ll be able to understand of this dialogue heavy film if you can’t find a version with subtitles you can understand, watching this film does allow you to see a little insight into the customs of Seychellois culture. Plus, if you’re trying to complete a World Film challenge, you’ll get to see a film from the Seychelles.

What to Watch Next

If you’re looking for more films that are adapted from stage plays, try Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom or Gold Watch. Or if you’re just after the set-piece drama style, you could also try Richard Linklater’s Tape.

Or if you’re after more films about marriage in Africa, there’s The Grand Marriage, a documentary that looks at marriage customs in the Comoros. Or, for more marriage drama, check out Hand of Fate from The Gambia, a family drama centered around the marrying off of a family’s young daughter.

Faya Dayi – A Khat Induced Trip Through Remote Ethiopia

Faya Dayi Film Difficulty Ranking: 4

Faya Dayi is a trip of an Ethiopian documentary. It’s a fully immersive sensory experience into the highlands of Harar, Ethiopia with the help of Khat. Whilst it isn’t easy to keep track of the narrative threads, you’ll remember the tangible feel of the film.

From: Ethiopia, Africa
Watch: Trailer, Letterboxd
Next: Malni, Mother, I Am Suffocating, Fausto

Faya Dayi – The Breakdown

You might not know what’s going on in Faya Dayi, but that doesn’t matter. As instead of telling an easy to follow story, Faya Dayi gives us a complete sensory experience built by the film’s look and sound.

The film centers on the historical town of Hara in Eastern Ethiopia. Once, Harar was the center of Islamic culture and religion in the Horn of Africa but now the town is remote, sitting 500km away from Ethiopia’s capital, at almost 2km high. However, it’s still famous for being the birthplace of Khat, a plant whose leaves act as a euphoric stimulant for the locals that have been chewing them for centuries.

Faya Dayi chooses to focus on the magical Khat plant, but documents it in a very unique way. One strand of the documentary has observational footage of the Khat supply chain, documenting the commercial cycle of the crop from harvest to sale. This part of the film is pretty conventional and real. However, it’s mixed with two more strands – one featuring a boy navigating his relationship with his Khat chewing father and his brother that has left for Europe, and another following the mythical story of Elias and the birth of Khat. Both of these narratives are more poetic. They’re where the film employs the full breadth of it’s unique Khat-inspired style, and substitutes a focus on realism for a tangible sensory experience. Instead of telling a reliable story with these two narratives, Faya Dayi gives you a trip in Harar.

The style is what makes this film. Firstly, it’s all shot in black and white. There isn’t much light in the film, with most of the scenes taking place at night, so the low black and white contrast gives the film a dreamy timelessness. The images of Harar could be from today, the future, or 100 years ago. In addition to the dreamy low contrast shots, the director also uses a high number of close ups – of hands working and Khat leaves – with a very narrow depth of field. These shots are like flashlight beams illuminating parts of the darkness. They provide a focus in an otherwise dreamy film-scape. These moments, alongside the crisp diegetic sounds – of rustling leaves and crackling fires – make it feel like you’re right there in the moment.

It’s on this level that Faya Dayi feels Khat imbued. The vague storylines are just part of the act. We’re experiencing the sensations of the magical plant through the screen in the film’s immersiveness. The style accentuates our senses, making us feel like we’re there, but dulls our understanding of the plot. Instead of a linear, easy to follow narrative, we’re given a handful of strands to grasp at, until we give up trying to follow them and surrender to the meditative, poetic style. Watch this film in a dark room with a good sound system or headphones and drift along with it.

What to Watch Next

If you’re looking for another dreamy music and sound driven documentary that transports you to another places, check out Malni – Towards the Ocean.

Or if you’re simply looking for a more slow cinema documentaries there’s Lemojang Jeremiah Mosese’s Mother, I Am Suffocating. This Is My Last Film About You. as well as the darkness of the Peruvian mines in El Dorado XXI.

Lastly, for more wonder filled storytelling, immerse yourself in the fleeting episodes of Andrea Bussmann’s Fausto.

Jebel Nyoka – Early Marriage vs. Education in South Sudan

Jebel Nyoka Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

Jebel Nyoka is a budget South Sudanese movie free to watch on YouTube that touches on the patriarchy and forced marriage. It follows a teenage girl living outside of the capital city in South Sudan. Conflict arises when her parents want her to get married instead of allowing her to finish her studies.

From: South Sudan, Africa
Watch: YouTube, IMDb
Next: The Hand of Fate, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Dhalinyaro

Jebel Nyoka – The Breakdown

Disclaimer: whilst the audio quality is more consistent than other films shot with few resources such as The Hand of Fate, it does contain a very repetitive backing track. It sounds a bit like stock filler for an 80s educational show, and unfortunately is often played over the diegetic sound and dialogue of the movie regardless of the context of the scene (playing over a rape scene as well as over family conversation). So before watching this film, be prepared to fight an urge to mute the audio from time to time.

Jebel Nyoka does have honorable intentions in the screenplay though, which touches on both the patriarchy, the lack of resources for education, and underage marriage. Kiden, our teenage female protagonist has to deal with all these issues – fighting her family and their wish for her to get married instead of supporting her education. The film sides with her and a girl’s right to education by showing her fight against her parents and marriage. However, it feels blind to the power of the patriarchy it unwittingly presents. It positions Kiden’s mother as the villain of the movie – presenting her as the driving force behind Kiden’s underage marriage even though her father holds the position of power in the family. She has to talk to crouch down to talk to him sitting in his chair, and whilst the father agrees to marry their daughter, he blames her when things go awry for pushing him to do it. Jebel Nyoka is quick to blame the female characters for problems held in place by the patriarchy.

It also features a lot of male characters that take charge of Kiden’s life without considering her perspective. Her father is one example, as is her prospective husband, but even the male characters that are presented as ‘good’ take advantage of her. The head of the orphanage is a prime example of this. Whilst he takes her in and provides her with an education, he also ships her off to another family looking for another girl to help out around the house (ironically so their own daughter can focus on her own studies). This action is never questioned, and ultimately the adopted father and the head of the orphanage become the heroes of the film. The focus on portraying benevolence in the men of Jebel Nyoka undermines the positive female story the director tries to create.

Therefore, despite honorable intentions, Jebel Nyoka’s message feels a bit empty. It highlights problems within South Sudanese society (such as underage marriage, poverty and education) without examining their root cause. Instead of looking deeper into these issues, or making a film about Kiden’s perspective, Jebel Nyoka focuses on the men around her, making them the saviors of the movie.

What to Watch Next

For a film which examines the patriarchy from a female student’s perspective, we strongly recommend watching Dhalinyaro from Djibouti. It follows a group of three high school friends facing different problems at home as the exam season starts.

If you’re looking for more low budget African films that deal with the patriarchy and forced marriage, you could watch The Hand of Fate from The Gambia.

Or if you want to watch more African films about kids using their intelligence to find a way out of poverty, try The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.

Hand of Fate – One Family Ripped Apart by Marriage Customs

Hand of Fate Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

In Hand of Fate, an underage girl is forced by her father to quit school and marry a man she doesn’t know living abroad. This greed-driven marriage splits their family unit as the patriarchy threatens to ruin another girls life.

From: The Gambia, Africa
Watch: YouTube, IMDb
Next: Mustang, Flesh Out, Dakan

Hand of Fate – Breakdown

Disclaimer: to get something out of watching Hand of Fate you’ll have to first ignore the audio quality. The volume of the dialogue and background noise chops and changes with the cuts making it hard to consistently hear what the characters are saying. Whilst this might not be too problematic for an action film like Who Killed Captain Alex? it doesn’t help this film which relies heavily on its dialogue.

If you can ignore the changes in audio quality, you’ll find a pretty entertaining family feud. At its best, the conspiring brother corrupting the once honorable father into selling his daughter’s hand in marriage is classic drama. It captures the father’s fall from respecting his wife after she gives birth to their first child, and promising a much better future for their daughter, to him reneging on his promises because of the cunning words of his money-grubbing brother. The father clearly isn’t the best bloke, but it’s fun watching him be swayed one way then the other between his brother (like the devil on his shoulder encouraging him to sell his daughter for wealth) and his wife and daughter (who he doesn’t really trust because he’s the man of the house – so what can a woman tell him). There’s enough drama to keep most viewers entertained.

That being said, there are a few conspicuous moments in which the director/producers slip in some educational messages. There’s a scene where one character gives another a mobile phone, and the gifter starts going on about how they shouldn’t drive whilst using their mobile phone. There’s another where a character suffers from a disease and a doctor arrives to berate them for not getting vaccinated when the state medics came to their town to offer it. It’s clear these kinds of messages are added to support government messaging – don’t use your mobile phone whilst driving – and – get vaccinated – and their obviousness disrupts the flow of the narrative. Hand of Fate also manages to sneak in a lot of current themes too, with European Migration, Female Circumcision, and Equal Education each playing a part in the script. These fit the script more naturally than the government messaging, but it still feels like the producers might have had a checklist for adding all these different topics to the story.

Hand of Fate is worth a watch if you’re able to overlook the audio quality and government messaging. It is a low-budget movie – clear from the quality of the production, setting, and acting – so it’s worth going into the movie not expecting much. However, once you get past all of that, you might be able to enjoy the heaps of drama and family feuding.

What to Watch Next

For more family drama featuring more forced marriages, watch Mustang from Turkey. It’s pretty upbeat for the most part, but not without a lingering melancholy that represents their fate in the hands of the patriarchy. For more films featuring forced marriages try Sand Storm, set within a Beddouin tribe in Southern Israel and Saudi Runaway, a personal documentary of one woman trying to escape hers.

For more controversial marriages, you could also try Flesh Out from Mauritania, featuring the dangerous Leblouh process where girls consume tremendous amounts of food to fatten up for their wedding.

Or if you’re looking for more family controversy set in Africa, there’s Dakan, a film about a gay relationship disrupted by homophobia in Guinea.