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

The Missing Picture (Cambodia)

The Missing Picture Film Difficulty Ranking: 4

Have you heard of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge?

If you have, great, watch this film to understand how they changed Cambodian society.
If you haven’t, no problem, watch this film to learn who/what they were and how they revolutionised a country on film and destroyed it in reality.

Why Watch The Missing Picture?

To learn about life in Cambodia in the 1970s before and after Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge came to power
To imagine a country where your only possession was a spoon
Learn about a country where artists were prohibited – the only images left are of a myth created by Pol Pot and his regime
Clay figures!

The Breakdown

The Missing Picture starts in a darkish room full of stacks of film rolls. The floor is covered with film strips. Someone picks up one of the film strips and looks at the still images it contains. It shows a Cambodian woman dancing in traditional dress. This Cambodia, traditional Cambodia, was left to be forgotten by the Khmer Rouge so they could forge a new country.

Image result for khmer rouge logo rice paddy factory The Khmer Rouge created a new country by creating a new mythology. Art and tradition was thrown to the side. Now “the spade is your pen, and the rice field is your paper”. The picture on the right shows the Khmer Rouge’s utopia. There is a factory, irrigation, corn harvest, and rice fields but no people. This is Pol Pot’s vision for a state driven by work and void of culture.

The clay figures represent many things. As they are motionless, they represent the death: death of the past and death of the many Cambodians that died during under the Khmer Rouge. The clay figures also represent ‘the missing picture’ ie. everything that was not documented by the Khmer Rouge on film. As the Khmer Rouge only documented films of people working the rice fields, the clay figures end up recreating a lot of undocumented life. They re-enact the famine, death, and forced labour that the Khmer Rouge did not document. This is the untold story of Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge.

Conclusion

The Missing Picture allows us to recreate a more accurate history of Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge. It shows us the real footage shot by the Khmer Rouge and adds in ‘missing’ scenes of famine and death that the Khmer Rouge ignored. As a result, this film importantly documents the horrific events that the Khmer Rouge tried to absolve from history. If you’re after a true documentary of the Khmer Rouge – this is as close as you can get.

For another great South East Asian documentary, I strongly recommend watching The Look of Silence (available on Netflix).

Between Fences (Israel)

Between Fences Film Difficulty Ranking: 3

One of the best ways to understand someone else is to walk in their shoes. So, put yourself in the shoes of an African refugee for an hour and a half and watch Between Fences. You will learn about why some people are fleeing war and dictatorships in Africa. You will also learn how refugees are treated in other countries. Then debate whether we can do more to help others across the world.

Why Watch Between Fences?

Put yourself in a refugee’s shoes
Find out how refugees are treated in Israel
How would you spend a year without TV or entertainment?
Learn how art can help people to understand other people

The Breakdown

Between Fences starts with a man drawing on a wall full of graffiti. He draws a long snake across the wall. He is one of the many asylum seekers from Africa (mostly Eritrea and Sudan) that has ended up in Israel.

These refugees are all held/imprisoned at a detention centre in the Negev desert near the Egyptian border. They are not allowed to leave sight of the HOLOT detention centre. They are not allowed to go to any Israeli city to live a normal life as they are considered ‘dangerous.’ Even though Israel is a member of the UN and are required to accept refugees, the refugees were told that the human rights are “just on paper” and the UN membership is just “for the photo op”. There is clearly something wrong with their treatment.

The film-makers encourage the imprisoned African refugees to act out their history for some relief from the boredom of life in HOLOT. The refugees act out how the war and dictatorships they are fleeing from at home. They also act out their experiences with border enforcement and life in Israel. Interestingly, the directors also get some Israelis in to act with the refugees. In these parts the Israelis play the refugees and the refugees play the Israeli guards. It allows both groups to put themselves in each others shoes.

Conclusion

Between Fences provides a unique insight into the lives of the African refugees held at detention centres in the Israeli desert. The acting gives the prisoners short breaks from their dull life in the detention centres and allows us to see how they have been treated in Africa and Israel. A great film to watch for a better understanding of refugees by putting us into a refugees shoes.

Mirzya (India)

Mirzya Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

We’ve already reviewed The Lunchbox and Talvar from the India, the country that makes the most movies per year. Watch Mirzya for something different. It has a lot more of the classic Bollywood film than the other two, with more music and more drama and plenty of style. It is also currently available on Netflix, so check out the trailer below and enjoy!

Why Watch Mirzya?

You don’t have to settle for one genre as this film is an epic, fantasy, romantic, thriller, with a few musical numbers!
For some Punjabi Indian mythology
See some epic cinematography (reminiscent of 300)
You want to see a Shakespeare adaptation set in India

The Breakdown

A camera descends on a small town illuminated by fires in the night. The camera swoops into a small imperial residence built from marble, where a blacksmith is working with his daughter. From there, the camera dives into the pit of embers and emerges outside where workers are rhythmically bashing their hammers on iron wheels in slow motion. This is our magical entry point into Mirzya.

From the introduction, the narrative splits into two. The main narrative follows the life of Munish and Suchitra whilst the second narrative follows the mythical Mirza and Sahiban. These two narratives mirror each other for the film.

The style of the mythical scenes will remind you of the style of 300 or . Whilst there is colour, the colours appear pastel-like and very bright to create high contrasts. These scenes also include a lot of slow motion footage showing water droplets falling from characters. Check the epic slow motion scenes here in The Grandmaster for an idea.

Style and mirrored narratives aside, this story also shows the rich/poor divide in India. The poor work menial jobs to serve their rich masters. Meanwhile, the rich live in imperial palaces, play polo, and dress in fancy suits. Instead of rival families, the romance in this film plays across social boundaries.

Conclusion

Mirzya’s mythical foundation creates the magic behind this film. However, the importance of myths is not explored as deeply as in Song of the Sea or Whale Rider. Instead, what’s cool about this film is the style of the mythical sequences and the musical numbers. This is what makes Miryza truly unique and worth watching.

Whale Rider

Click on the poster to watch for £2.50 on Amazon or find this film on Netflix!

Whale Rider Film Difficulty Ranking: 1

Are you fed up with reading subtitles? Well here’s your chance for a break. Whale Rider is a beautiful film from New Zealand showcasing the Maori people and culture. It is your chance to learn about the indigenous people of New Zealand and how they are adapting their traditions and culture to the modern world. Do your part and watch this film to support Maori heritage.

Why Watch Whale Rider?

This is your chance to learn some Maori mythology
Learn a bit about Maori culture and it’s plight in New Zealand
See a chubby uncle whip out his Taiaha routine
The girl who played Paikea became the youngest nominee of the Best Actress at the Academy Awards (until Quvenzhane Wallis)
It’s a beautiful foreign film and easy to watch – it’s mostly in English and it is currently on Netflix!

Breakdown

The film starts with the birth of Paikea, the granddaughter of the village chief and direct descendant of Paikea, the whale rider who rode to New Zealand from Hawaiki. However, the opening scenes are traumatic. Paikea is born but her twin brother, the first born male son, is lost along with their mother. Her dad is obviously distraught, having lost his wife and son. His father Koro tells him that he can always make another one. Too soon!

Grandfather Koro is the chief of the village of Whangara. He is growing older and older and only desires a true heir. His son has rejected his calls for a son and Paikea cannot carry his lineage as a female. He is desperate to keep the tribal traditions alive but is too stubborn to adapt to the new world. The locals don’t take him seriously either. One kid farts at a school Maori dance and all the village laughs out loud, except for Koro. But don’t feel sorry for him, because he chooses to ignore the signs. In his stubbornness to adapt he is turning his tradition and culture into history.

The Maori culture is also threatened by the town they live in. As one boy says “this place is a dump.” And he’s right. The town has nothing to offer the kids; no opportunities, only poverty. The dads are absent, chasing opportunities in other places where they can find jobs. In the town, the only person you see working is the school teacher. So what’s the solution? It’s awareness. The film shines a light on the poor living conditions – something that we had no idea about. Just as In Vanda’s Room depicts the poverty in Lisbon or how Tsotsi shows the slums of Johannesberg.

Conclusion

Whale Rider is a beautiful film full of emotion. Plus it is easy to watch, at times reminding me of a great Disney film. However, it also has a lot of depth. It teaches us about Maori culture and the state of the Maori people today in New Zealand. It revives the myths and culture like Song of the Sea and shines a light on the indigenous situation like Smoke Signals. A must watch for all.

If you want to see more about indigenous people of Australasia check out Rabbit Proof Fence!

The Merchant of Four Seasons (Germany)

The Merchant of Four Seasons Film Difficulty Ranking: 4

For ‘real’ German cinema, look no further than here. For this is the New German Cinema of the 1960s-1980s, a cinema where commercial interests were kicked out of the window. In The Merchant of Four Seasons, you will see the real Germany of the 1950s in it’s grim glory. You’ll see everything commercial films won’t show you: class prejudices, domestic violence, and depression. Watch this film if you’re intrigued!

Why Watch The Merchant of Four Seasons?

You want to see the bleakness of humanity
To see something from the New Wave of German cinema (1970s) by one of it’s leaders: Fassbinder
Was life good in Germany in the 1950s?
For some 70s film cinematography: quick zooms and close ups

The Breakdown

The film starts with Hans (our protagonist) arriving home in the middle of the night. He has just come back from Africa where he spent 7 years with the French Foreign Legion. Instead of being pleased to see him, his mother tells him off for turning up in the middle of the night. She tells him “the good die young, and the bad always come back.” What a lovely mother! What has he done to deserve this?

We learn that Hans is a fruit salesman and doesn’t earn much money. However, before you start feeling sorry for him, he is an alcoholic and a wife beater as well. So much so, that his wife nearly leaves him after he comes back from the pub drunk and beats her. Is Hans a really bad guy or someone who has been forced down a bad path? The film argues both. West Germany in the 1950s looks bleak and without much opportunity, but Hans’ alcoholism and violent nature does not help him.

More important than Hans is the story of Irmgard, Hans’ wife. She is threatened and beaten by her husband, looks after the kid by herself, and is asked how much she costs when walking along the street. She is treated as a maid and a sexual object. Irmgard’s position as the ‘German woman’ of the 1950s shows the absence of equality and respect for women at the time.

Conclusion

Fassbinder’s portrait of post-war Germany is very negative. He doesn’t seem to think much of human nature and portrays life in West Germany as pretty grim. Both the protagonists are in positions they didn’t want to be in. For a gritty look at life in post-war Germany watch this. However, if you do not want to see class prejudices, domestic violence, infidelity, family discord, depression and self-destructive behaviour, watch something else.