best film

11

No (Chile) – Probably The Best Film About the Fall of a Modern Dictator

No Film Difficulty Ranking: 3

No is probably the best film about the fall of a modern dictator (Pinochet in Chile).

Why Watch No?
  • To see what life was like in a country where police brutality was not just normal, but expected: Pinochet’s Chile
  • If you work in advertising and want to see how you could change the world
  • Because it’s got Gael Garcia Bernal in the lead role, that guy in Motorcycle Diaries, Amores Perros, Desierto, and many more
  • It’s another great film from Pablo Larrain; for more check out Neruda, Jackie, and Tony Manero
The Breakdown

It’s 1988 in Chile, and Chile is still being lorded over by Pinochet, one of the world’s most repressive dictators. After 16 years in power, growing international pressure has forced Pinochet and the Chilean government to hold a vote where the public can vote ‘No’ for a democracy or ‘Yes’ for another 8 years of Pinochet. Gael Garcia Bernal plays Rene, one of Chile’s top advertising professionals who has been given the opportunity to lead the ‘No’ campaign to end the Pinochet dictatorship.

You’ll see that the team behind the ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ campaigns use completely different advertising tactics. Whilst the ‘Yes’ campaign goes for very obvious propaganda messages depicting Pinochet as a national hero, the ‘No’ campaign message simply tries to depict ‘freedom’ (kind of like your typical Coke or Pepsi ad). If you don’t know anything about advertising, this film is worth watching just to see how people use adverts to influence people.

You’ll also notice that this film looks different from most. To film it, Pablo Larrain used 3/4 inch Sony U-matic magnetic tape, which some might recognise from old TV news shows. It’s grainy look gives the film’s storyline more credibility as it makes it appear more like a documentary film. It made me believe that Rene was an actual person, and that this whole film was based on truth. In reality, it’s only based on a true story.

Image result for no film

Conclusion

No is shot well, has a great story line, and you’ll learn something about Chilean history. It was also nominated for an Academy Award so I’m not wrong.

12

Fragment 53 (Liberia)

Fragment 53 Film Difficulty Ranking: 3

War. What is it good for? Absolutely nothing.

However, you can learn a lot from this documentary about the Liberian Civil War. It features interviews with the people responsible for killing hundreds if not thousands of people. You’ll also get to hear from all sides in the conflict and what they did in the role and what they think of the murders they committed now that the conflict is over. If you can’t imagine a time in which eating a heart is normal, I recommend you check out this film to find out.

Why Watch Fragment 53?
  • You don’t know anything about the Liberian Civil War, or anything about Liberia for that matter
  • Learn about the nature of war from the warlords, generals, and soldiers that fought in the Liberian conflict
  • Hear from General “Butt naked”
  • It’s a perfect compliment to Indonesia’s The Look of Silence and The Act of Killing
The Breakdown

Fragment 53 starts with the sound of a trumpet, a sound connected to war memorial services. The sound of the trumpet sets the tone of this war documentary, a tone that both recognises those lost, but also questions the nature of war. Alongside the trumpet we are shown a montage of statues and statuettes. Each one of them is a deity of war from various human cultures. War has been around for millennia. Is it a part of humanity or something we can stop?

Before, and also between the interviews of the war generals, the film hints at the surreal. We are shown shots of people working at roadside stalls, a cloud of fruit bats stripping the leaves off of a tree, and hills covered in rain forest and mist. Why are these images included? They are included as they show time passing. These mundane images are just as natural as war is to mankind. Bats will always strip the leaves off of trees, mist will always collect in the hills, and people will always be making a living. These things, just like war, will also continue into the foreseeable future.

The director’s also manipulate the interviews with the warlords and generals. Each interviewee is given the same introduction text and are all shot in close-up. But look out for how the director leaves them after the interview is complete. The first interviewee is rather vague about his opinion of war so his interview finishes with a blurred and dark image of him getting up to leave. The second interviewee is consistent in his views of war and his role and therefore the director ends his interview with a clear head shot. This is just one of the ways a director can influence our perception of interviewees in documentaries!

Conclusion

Fragment 53 is an intriguing look into the nature of war. Is it something that is a part of humanity or can it be eliminated? Hear from seven warlords/generals from Liberia. Their answers offer an insight into both the Liberian war and humanity as a whole.

For more documentaries on the nature of war, check out The Look of Silence and also Little Dieter Needs to Fly.

 

13

Shok (Kosovo)

Shok Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

Whilst in Kosovo, I asked a Kosovan what Kosovan film I should watch. He told me to watch Shok. If you don’t know much about the Kosovan War, or anything at all, go spend 21 minutes watching this film. You’ll learn a lot.

Why Watch Shok?
  • To learn about the war crimes committed in the Kosovo War (contentiously not termed a genocide because the aim was forced migration rather than destruction of ethnic Albanians).
  • It’s a film from Kosovo – so you’ll be able to tick off Kosovo from your film checklist
  • Shok is only 21 minutes long – shorter than your favorite TV shows
  • If you love all coming-of-age films
The Breakdown

Shok starts with a shot of the Kosovan hills in autumn. A Mercedes drives towards the camera and stops in front of a bike lying on the ground. Two guys hop out the vehicle. The driver tells the other to move the bike and get back in the car, however the passenger tells him to drive on without him.

As the passenger picks up the bike and cycles down the road, the film flashes back to the 1990s during the Kosovo War. You see the war through two boy’s friendship. Firstly, they are told off for being out after curfew. Secondly, when Oki stays over you can see images of Serbian tanks on the TV – the news reader tells us that many have been massacred. These are the signs that life is not normal for these two boys despite their joyous friendship.

However, the filmmaker leaves plenty of clues that things are not going to end well. Firstly there’s the first scene – why does this man get out of the car to ride a bike along an empty road? Secondly the director sews together a few scenes with apocalyptic images in monochrome. One of them is of a bike laying on the road, wheels spinning. The other shows a swing swinging on it’s own. Both are ominous signs that signify the ultimate forced migration of Albanians out of their land.

Conclusion

Shok is a powerful short film that will show you the war crimes that took place in the Kosovo War. It packs as much into 21 minutes as a feature film would in 100, without feeling rushed. Shok was the first Oscar nomination from Kosovo and is well worth 21 minutes of your time. Go find it on iTunes or online now!

As for more films which explore life living in a conflict and under occupation, I’d check out Omar and Ajami which both explore the Israel-Palestine conflict.

 

14

Ahlaam (Iraq) – Experience the Horror of the Iraq War

Ahlaam Film Difficulty Ranking: 3

Amazingly, this film was the first film shot in Iraq following the end of the Iraq War. Even more amazingly, it does not hold back at all from showing the devastating effects of the war on Baghdad and it’s citizens. If you haven’t seen an Iraqi film before, go watch this one! But beware, it’s not something you can sit back and relax to with a big bag of popcorn.

Why Watch Ahlaam?
  • To watch a film from Iraq! How many Iraqi films have you seen?
  • For a chance to learn a bit about the effects of the war in Iraq
  • Experience an Iraqi wedding complete with music and lots of ululations
  • Witness the fall of Iraq from the eyes of regular Iraqi citizens
The Breakdown

Ahlaam starts with bombs falling on Baghdad 3 days before the fall of the city. Inside an asylum, the patients are startled and scared by the exploding bombs. It is obviously not a pleasant situation to be in.

The film follows the true story of three Iraqi people as the Iraq war starts. One is a soldier for the Iraqi army. Another is the happy fiancee of a local man. The last is a man training to be a doctor. They are all based in Baghdad and all lead happy lives in what they describe as a ‘beautiful city.’

Of course, from what we unfortunately now associate with Iraq (war), we assume their happiness is not going to last. The director, Mohamed Al-Dara, does his best to foreshadow the bleak future. Firstly, there’s the snippet of the patients in the mental asylum at the start before the film jumps back to before the start of the war. Secondly, there are just too many nice statements. When you hear someone say ‘Baghdad is beautiful,’ and another say that ‘one day military service will be but a memory’ it’s obvious that Baghdad will not be beautiful by the end of the film and the army will be ever present. It’s like Chekhov’s gun, when you introduce a gun, it will be fired.

Conclusion

By the end of the film you will see the effects of war on the regular citizen of the world. It’s well worth a watch, but probably not the best option for your first date!

15

The Great Warrior Skanderbeg (Albania)

The Great Warrior Skanderbeg Film Difficulty Ranking: 3

Ever wanted to see an epic film from Albania? Image result for great warrior skanderbegHere’s your chance. In the spirit of the epic Soviet films from Sergei Eisenstein, The Great Warrior Skanderbeg does not disappoint. Yes, there are heavily stereotyped characters and a lot of nationalism, but there is also epic battles and even arm wrestling. If you’re up for watching something epic with an epic action movie character (think Conan the Barbarian) this one is for you. You can even watch it here on YouTube!

Why Watch Skanderbeg?
  • To see the most Albanian film not made by an Albanian
  • Learn about Albania’s most famous historical character (perhaps the first Albanian?)
  • You just finished Ben Hur and want to see something equally epic
  • For all the rivalries – watch the Skanderbeg face off against the Turks, the Venetians, and the Serbians!
The Breakdown

‘The Greatest Warrior of Albania’ flashes across the screen as some doors open to reveal an incredible view of a mountain valley. This film is about the myth of Skanderbeg, a myth which has constructed Skanderbeg as a national hero of Albania. As a result there is a lot of nationalist ‘propaganda’ which is not surprising considering that this is a co-production between the Soviet Union and Albania from the 1950s.

So how is it nationalist? It’s nationalist because Skanderbeg is depicted as a figure who united all the rival groups living under the Turks and Venetians as ‘Albanians.’ It’s nationalist because Albanian culture is shown throughout; there’s an Albanian wedding, Albanian Christianity, and Albanian costume.

What’s more is that the early story structure is almost identical to the story of Moses. Both Skanderbeg and Moses are princes of their future rivals, Skanderbeg serves the Turks while Moses serves Egypt. Secondly, they both receive a ‘call to action’ which leads Skanderbeg to betray the Turks and Moses to betray Egypt in favour of their people. They both become national leaders and demand liberty from the powers they formerly served. Skanderbeg becomes a leader of Albania, whilst Moses led the Israelites. Of course they both end up in epic climactic battles!

Conclusion

The Great Warrior Skanderbeg won prizes at Cannes after it’s release in the 1950s. Despite the unapologetic nationalism, it is an epic film. It has some epic battles with huge casts which are reminiscent of the master of epic film, Sergei Eisenstein (see Alexander Nevsky or Battleship Potemkin). You’ll also learn a fair bit about Albanian history and it’s relationships with the Italian Kingdoms, the Turks, and Serbians. Just ignore the overly stereotyped characters!