Sometimes non-English language films are not seen as the most accessible or captivating category of film, but I think they provide insight into a different take on the medium. The following films are a great starting point if you’re interested in introducing more films into your media consumption. The films that follow masterfully invite viewers into a different perspective and worldview, as any great film does, but still maintain approachability in their narrative construction and film styles.
“Kler” (2017) by Wojciech Smarzowski
This Polish film by director Wojciech Smarzowski, which translates to “The Clergy,” follows the story of three priests in very different positions. The three intertwined stories involve abuse within the Catholic Church and deal with the subject matter in a very tactful way, including personal testimonies from real survivors of this abuse. I would urge anyone interested in the film to watch the trailer; however, the trailer unfairly portrays the film as fairly lighthearted which it most certainly isn’t. Since the film’s release, it’s had a massive impact on the interior dialogue within Poland about abuse claims that have long been ignored.
“The Insult” (2017) by Ziad Doueiri
Ziad Doueiri’s “The Insult” is a Lebanese film that portrays the conflict in Lebanon between Palestinian refugees and Lebanese Maronite Christians. The plot follows a highly-publicized trial after a Palestinian refugee accuses a Maronite Christian of hate speech. The film escalates gradually, interestingly portraying how these broad conflicts impact people’s everyday lives. Well-acted and brilliantly written, “The Insult” humanizes both sides of the conflict without stripping narrative nuance to either.
“Ida” (2013) by Paweł Pawlikowski
Yet another Polish film, Paweł Pawlikowski’s “Ida” follows its title character, a Catholic nun, as she discovers that she is Jewish in the 1960s. Another insightful depiction of Poland’s complicated history with the Catholic Church, and its similarly complicated recollection of the Holocaust, “Ida” is beautifully shot in black and white with stunning images of the Polish landscape. The film’s subtlety, including both visuals and sparsity of dialogue, keep it tethered to the implications of its plot, and ultimately the film questions what it means to have one’s identity completely rewritten and how one’s actions can change dramatically according to self-perception and understanding.
“A Fantastic Woman” (2017) by Sebastián Lelio
While Chilean film “A Fantastic Woman” is well-known for its groundbreaking depiction of a transgender woman, it’s also just an all-around solid film. Following her boyfriend’s health emergency, main character Marina (played by Daniela Vega) must interact with her boyfriend’s hostile family. To say any more about the plot would probably ruin it, so I’ll only say further that the film carefully investigates issues of transphobia and domestic violence, without erasing the humanity of its main character. Importantly, this film cast a trans woman in the role of a trans woman, and therefore serves as a key representation of a Chilean trans woman. Rightfully so, “A Fantastic Woman” won the Oscar for best foreign film in 2017.
“Son of Saul” (2015) by László Nemes
This Hungarian film follows the life of an Auschwitz prisoner as he struggles to give a proper burial to a young boy he believes to be his son. While this film, as any film about the Holocaust, is deeply disturbing, the deliberate camera work turns this inevitability on its head. Instead of wide shots that contain the physical realities of the concentration camp, director László Nemes employs tight shots that follow the main character, played brilliantly by Géza Röhrig, and the people with whom he interacts. Through this deliberate stylistic choice, the film displays that the power of film is not just in what it shows but also what is excluded from the shots. The most you can ask of a film is that it stays with you long after viewing it, and “Son of Saul” certainly accomplishes such an impact.