Balzac & the Little Chinese Seamstress (China, 2002)

One of the few films that I liked as well as the book. Perhaps it's because the author of the book, Sijie Dai, also wrote the screenplay & directed the movie.

The Three Gorges Dam project has been mentioned in several books & films about modern China that I have read or seen. The movie Up the Yangtze is one example. The book River Town by Peter Hessler is another.

It was even included in the ending of this film, though it was not mentioned in the novel. The book was published in 1980. The dam project happened in the mid-1990's. & the film was released in 2002.

Most of what I've been seeing about the Three Gorges Dam has been negative. It is one of the largest man-made projects in the world, supplying electrical power to millions of people, but no one seems to like it. & I didn't even hear about it until last year.

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Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (UK, 1998)

A complicated, interconnected heist gone wrong & gone right at the same time. It reminded me of Snatch, also written & directed by Guy Ritchie, also starring Jason Statham. The accents are thick, so I had to listen hard. Even so I was thoroughly entertained.

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Monsoon Wedding (India, 2001)

NOT a Bollywood movie. This film was produced by IFC.

A fun tale of an arranged marriage & the family issues that go along with getting together.

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God Grew Tired of Us (2006)

Whoa. Heavy stuff.

I used to teach English for Lutheran Social Ministry, a refugee organization in Phoenix. (No, I'm not Lutheran either.) I had a few of the Lost Boys in my classes. They were amazing: so dedicated to studying & achieving their best. After all that they had been through, it would seem that they would appreciate a respite from suffering. But as this film shows, many of them feel obligated to help their friends & family still in Africa who don't have the same opportunities that they do. They carry a heavy burden that I cannot begin to understand.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0301555/

The Order of Myths (2008)

A documentary on Mardi Gras in Mobile, Alabama, & how the event continues to be racially segregated. There is a "white" Mardi Gras & a "black" Mardi Gras, both with their own king & queen. They have separate parades on the same day, Fat Tuesday of course.

I have family in Louisiana, where the black/white line is still drawn firmly, so the subject is not new to me. The thing that I liked about this particular film was that it showed the two royal couples making an effort to accept the other, giving us hope for the future.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1157694/

The Last King of Scotland (2006)

Frightening how horrible human beings can become when power gets in the way.

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Soul Mate (Iran, 2004)

A fun movie about two "crazy" people who happen upon each other, & how they deal with that "craziness" in the end.

This movie is not listed on www.imdb.com.

Adios, Amor (Mexico, 1973)

A great 70's flick about love & craziness. There is no dialog for the first 10-15 minutes.

This movie reminded me a lot of Love Story.

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Amal (India, 2007)

Tagline: "Sometimes the poorest of men are the richest."

This movie has a great unexpected ending.

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Strangers (Isreal, 2007)

Your classic Romeo & Juliet with a political twist.

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Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... & Spring (Korea, 2003)

A minimalist story about the circle of life. In this case, less is definitely more.

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