Welcome to the fifth and final installment of our media resources series! This post features some recommended films and television series as well as streaming websites for content in the languages supported at Reed.
Kanopy is an online streaming website (like Netflix or Hulu) featuring a large number of films in many languages. Subscription is required, but is free and supplied through Reed. Simply select your institution (i.e., Reed College) and create a free account using an email address. Films are available in a total of 28 languages, including French, German, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, and Arabic. Most of the films on the website are classics: the Criterion Collection/Janus Films programme, for example, is offered. Films are spoken in the language of production, and many include subtitles in English or the original language.
Arabic
The first feature-length by a female Saudi director, this debut follows the life of Wadjda an 11-year old Saudi girl. She is unlike other girls in her class; she wears Converse shoes under her clothes, she aspires to ride a bike, something uncommon amongst girls, and has the wit to understand the very mature things happening around her. Wadjda strives to win a Quran recital competition to win enough money to buy a bike, so she can race her male friend. Along this journey of trying to win the competition she faces issues with her family and struggles with her identity.
This coming of age story concerns Theeb, the youngest of three sons who resides in a Bedouin community; a community of arab nomads with his two brothers. The movie takes place in 1916 during the Arab Revolt, a time when Arab nationalist sought independence from Ottoman Turks. One day in Theeb’s community a British army officer comes searching for a well to drink from. From there, when he tries to aid this officer, he is met with a series of unfortunate events that will ultimately lead him to travel through a desert with Hassan, the mercenary that has killed his brother. Theeb traverses the desert with great composure and dignity, knowing that Hassan needs him and he needs Hassan. When the journey ends can these two men trust each other or will there be hostility between them?
Chinese
Set in 1962 Hong Kong, the film follows the lives of two couples in a small crevice of the city. The spectator is only ever are allowed to see the wife in one relationship, Li-zhen and the husband from the other relationship, Chow interact with each other. It becomes apparent to the audience as small pieces of evidence begin to build up that their spouses are having a relationship with each other. The two protagonists of the film are transfixed in a passionate sensorium trying to combat a multi-faceted loneliness aided by the cheating spouses, the bustling city, and the ambiguous stance of the protagonists’ relationship.
A Taiwanese family, composed of a father and his children are struggling to make ends meet in Taipei. The father makes a living by holding up a sign for a real estate company, while his children wander through a supermarket or the outskirts of the city. The movie is not conventionally filmed and edited, but is rather strung together with long shots that show the complexity of daily mundane occurrences. Though the family lacks a mother-figure, this figure presents itself in many forms, creating a sense of wholeness in the film. In what seems to be a post-apocalyptic setting of sorts, with the bleak weather conditions, and their human conditions, there are hidden silver linings.
French
On the 6play website, you can gain free access to French television programs, including some French dubs of English shows like NCIS and Hawaii 5-0. You do have to create an account using your email or Facebook account. The website may play an ad with audio immediately when you access it.
Jules, an Austrian and Jim,a Frenchman are best friends who seek knowledge and beauty together through poetry, language, and women. One day they see a sculpture of a woman that embodies their ideals of beauty and travel to the Adriatic to find it and see it. They are completely taken aback when they meet this ideal of beauty in the flesh when they meet Catherine. The both fall in love with her; their friendship suspended in a love triangle. Questions of how and if their friendship can be preserved arise as Catherine is incapable of making up her mind in deciding who she loves more. The film is pulsating with life, keen insights into the things we consider sacred in relationships, and though in black and white embodies the spirit of French New Wave Cinema.
A doctor from the Congo finds a job in rural France and brings his family to stay in a tiny town there. The movie deals with themes of racism, prejudice, and homesickness as it shows the ups and downs of moving into a foreign country. But it remains lighthearted with many funny moments, such as the doctor building his business by frequenting the local bar and getting drunk. All the characters are well-acted; humorous, sad, and ultimately triumphant–this is a family you’ll want to spend more time with. Based on a true story.
German
In this German melodrama, a member of the Stasi, Gerd Weisler who has dedicated his life to following and spying on those who might pose a threat to the government of East Germany suddenly becomes enveloped with the life of a playwright and his lover. He begins to care about these complete strangers, and tries to undermine the request of his government minister in order to protect these two innocent lives. A touch of humanism is revealed through the protagonist’s dedication to his own moral code, which he realizes overlaps with the lives of others. A sleek, riveting piece of cinema, one will be on the edge of their seat until the end.
Tatort, a mystery/crime show, is one of Germany’s most popular TV-series, consisting of over one thousand episodes since its release in 1970. Episodes are individually produced by regional TV stations, featuring a variety of locations in the German-speaking world including Munich, Stuttgart, Cologne, Vienna, and even Switzerland. Although each location has its own characters and plots, nearly 30 full-length (90min) episodes are released each year, contributing to highly-developed stories and character relations. The level of German is fairly advanced, but the context and plot are easy to follow, and the variety of settings provides a good insight into regional dialects and accents.
Russian
All episodes available on Youtube. This sitcom follows a mixed Russian-Armenian family living in present day Moscow — comparable to Modern Family in its scope and silliness. An excellent resource for beginning students who want to start watching TV/films in Russian, as the dialogue is fairly easy to follow (children are often speaking) and context makes the simple plots easy to understand. The first episode is especially useful, as it deals with lots of beginning vocabulary — birthdays, smiles, nationalities, etc. A genuinely funny and heartfelt show about identity, family, and modern life.
Ivan’s Childhood opens with a dream—the film’s protagonist, 12-year-old Ivan Bondarev, runs around barefoot, chasing butterflies with his mother—before grounding itself into the harsh reality of World War II, where Ivan fights for the Soviet army as a frontline scout. The film continues in this non-linear fashion, where memories of serene family life are contrasted with the trauma of wartime life—although he is only a child, Ivan has experienced tremendous loss. Tarkovsky’s first feature film, Ivan’s Childhood joined a new genre of war films under the de-Stalinization of the late ‘50s and ‘60s, such as The Cranes Are Flying and Father of the Soldier—at a time when World War II was still a major influence on Soviet identity, these films moved away from the typical heroic and glorified post-war narratives and instead centered around the anguish and sorrow of Soviet citizens.
Spanish
In this Argentine drama, the line between civilization and barbarism is constantly breached through a series of vignettes. Scenes of violence, dark humor, and witty dialogue make this a palpable and enjoyable film. If you don’t mind something macabre, and are perhaps an aficionado of Tarantino and the Coen Brothers, this is the movie for you.
In naming this movie, the director was inspired by the “all-powerful, enigmatic and paradoxical being which bees obey and man’s reason has never been able to understand.” This movie centers on a little girl who becomes obsessed with Frankenstein and comes to believe he lives hidden at the edge of her sleepy Spanish town. Praised as one of the best Spanish movies of all time, “The Spirit of the Beehive” is slow paced and features many long yet stunning takes. The fact that the cinematographer was going blind during filming is a perfect way to explain the character of this movie, surreal, enigmatic, and paradoxical.
Pragda is a film distribution company for Ibero-American films. Its film catalogue is updated and modern and includes a lot of information about each film. It’s a good place to start to find new Spanish-language movies!
