Waking Ned Divine (1998)

Here the questions for Waking Ned Divine. Answer two of them:

• What is the theme of the film? Back up your opinion with three examples.
• What did you learn about Irish culture from the film?
• What about that moment when the minor drinks or the big reveal about who said minor's father is? The characters in the movie don't seem to have the same moral qualms with those moments as we do. Why do you think that is? Kudos to anyone who does some cultural research to find out how these actions would be seen in real rural Ireland.

Strange Brew (1983)

What do I say about Strange Brew? It's a strange brew of a movie. Answer two of the following questions:

- What is the theme of Strange Brew? Back up your opinion with three specific examples.
- What did you learn from Strange Brew about Canadian culture?
- Do you think this silly movie is good or bad for the world?

So, get to it, hosers!

First Movie at Home

Remember that you have a homework assignment to watch a movie at home by Tuesday, December 18, 2012. After you watch the film, comment below.

In your response, start by stating what film you watched and what country it is from. Do not write any plot summary but do answer all of the following questions:

• What is the theme of the film? Back up your response with at least three examples from the film.
• How did the film help you better understand the culture of the country in which the film was made?
• After seeing the film, what questions do you plan on asking the person from the country you will interview?

Extra Credit

So, you think you deserve extra credit?!

Well then, you better watch a film from another country above and beyond what is required in class and then write about it in a comment below.

And when you write about it, you gotta' answer at least two of the following questions:

- What is the theme of the film of the film? Back up your opinion with three examples.

- What did you learn from the film that helps you understand the culture of the country in which it was made?

- After watching the film, what questions do you have about the culture of the country in which it was made? (I'll give you even more extra credit if you do research, find answers to those questions, and report on it in your post.)

- What did you notice about how the film uses color? What do the colors symbolize?

Canadian Short Films

Visit the website www.nfb.ca and watch at least three movies. Only one of the movies can be from the home page. The other two must be found on the site but not on the home page. Pick the one short film that you find which you like best and post a link to it in the comments below. Then, also write why you liked this film, which purposes of Canadian film that you feel it fulfills, and what you learned about the style of Canadian films by visiting this site.

Lars and the Real Girl (2007)

Lars and the Real Girl is the most clean movie about a man and his sex doll that you will ever see and that is the genius of it! I hope you all had a wonderful, cathartic experience with this beautiful awkward movie.

I hope you also were able to see it as an example of the kind of story that can be told within Canada's state sponsored film system which would never be produced by Hollywood.

I hope you also enjoyed the wonderful performances of Ryan Gosling and Bianca ;)

As always, please answer the following question:

• For you, what is the most prominent theme of this movie? Back up your opinion with three examples from the film.

Then, answer one of the following questions or respond to something someone else has already said:

• Which purpose(s) of the Canadian Film Board do you feel this film fulfills?
• How is this film different than typical Hollywood movies? How is it similar?

Iron Monkey (1993)

Iron Monkey was the flagship international film of our class. I hope you enjoyed it for all it's Hong Kong gender-blending and awesome fight scenes. I hope it was also a pleasurable adventure in other-culture explorational that helped you become a better world citizen.

In the comments below, first answer the following question:

• In your humble (or not so humble) opinion, what is the theme of Iron Monkey. Provide three examples from the film that illustrate this theme.

Now, answer one of the following questions or respond to something someone else has commented about the film:

• How did the cultural research we did in class prepare you to enjoy this film more?
• Since watching the film, what additional cultural research have you done that has helped you appreciate the film more? Please share it with us for the benefit of all.
• How did this film help you become a better world citizen?

Mr. Vampire (1985)

What if there were a movie where Hong Kong martial arts masters fought vampires?! And what if the vampires vamped people with their long, spine-like fingernails? And what if they were blind but could see your breath? And what if they hoped everywhere? Like a bunny. Yeah, they should definitely hop like a bunny. That would be awesome. Oh wait! That movie's already been made! It's called Mr. Vampire and it is awesome.

So, now it is time to write your awesome comments about this awesome movie. Be sure to answer this question:

• For you, what is the theme of Mr. Vampire. Provide three examples from the movie that illustrate this theme.

And then, answer one of the following questions or respond to something someone else has said:

• How did the cultural research we did in class prepare you to enjoy this movie more?
• How did this film help you to become a better world citizen?
• Who would win in a fight: a Chinese vampire, an classic Dracula-style American vampire, or a Twilight vampire?

Hero (2002)

Hero is an example of the newer style that is appearing more recently in Hong Kong. I hope you noticed how the production value was much higher and the tone was much more serious than older stuff like Iron Monkey. I hope you also saw element of good old Hong Kong weirdness as well.

Keep in mind that this film was partially financed by the Chinese communist government and they never finance any movies unless the movies promote their political agenda.

So, answer the following two questions:

• For you, what is the theme of Hero?
• What did you notice about how color was used in the film. Do you have any thoughts about how the use of color emphasizes or drives home the theme you wrote above?

Chungking Express (1994)

So, Will's roommate Blair (who we both usually trust as an amazing movie expert) said that this is one of the greatest movies ever made in the 1990's and that the kids in our class would totally love it! Hmmmmm... maybe... not so much ....

So, here are the question to answer about this movie. As always, you have to answer this question:

In your opinion, what is the theme of Chungking Express? Give three solid examples from the movie that show this is the theme.

Then, you may choose to either answer one of the following questions or respond to something someone else has said already in this post:

• Do you agree or disagree with what Blair said about this post? Provide a good reason why. Why do you think some people like Blair think this is such a great film?
• Why did you learn from the cultural research we discussed in class that helped you understand this film better?
• What did you see in this film that helped you understand Hong Kong culture better?
• What have you learned from your own research that you can share with us that will help us better understand unfamiliar cultural things that happened in this film?

The Seventh Seal (1957)

Let's set this one up with this description from wikipedia: "The Seventh Seal (Swedish: Det sjunde inseglet) is a 1957 Swedish film written and directed by Ingmar Bergman. Set during the Black Death, it tells of the journey of a medieval knight (Max von Sydow) and a game of chess he plays with the personification of Death (Bengt Ekerot), who has come to take his life. Bergman developed the film from his own play Wood Painting. The title refers to a passage from the Book of Revelation, used both at the very start of the film, and again towards the end, beginning with the words "And when the Lamb had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour" (Revelation 8:1). Here the motif of silence refers to the "silence of God" which is a major theme of the film.^[1]

"The film is considered a major classic of world cinema. It helped Bergman to establish himself as a world-renowned director and contains scenes which have become iconic through parodies and homages."

This is definitely a movie that is meant to be digested slowly more than crassly consumed in a moment. It takes some investment in the form of careful thought and consideration for this film to yield its fruits but that can be well worth it. Let us know what you think of the film. As you do so, consider the following:

- What do you feel Bergman is trying to say with this film?

- What worked for you? What didn't? Are you interested in watching more Bergman films? Why or why not?

- What did you learn from the film about history, the world, other cultures, filmmaking or life that is valuable to you? Explain.

Mr. Vampire (1995)

What if there were a movie where Hong Kong martial arts masters fought vampires?! And what if the vampires vamped people with their long, spine-like fingernails? And what if they were blind but could see your breath? And what if they hoped everywhere? Like a bunny. Yeah, they should definitely hop like a bunny. That would be awesome. Oh wait! That movie's already been made! It's called Mr. Vampire and it is awesome. So, react to it below. Start with the following but be sure to respond to each other comments as well:

- What do you like and dislike about the film? Why?

- What did the film help you understand about Hong Kong cinema and culture?

- Who would win in a fight: American vampires or Asian vampires? Why?

Third Movie at Home

Well, after a term of learning about your chosen culture, the end is in sight. By Tuesday, May 22, you need to watch your third film at home and report on it in a comment below. This report will be longer than the others as you will report on the film and your experience with the entire project. This is what you need to do:

1) Write at least 2 paragraphs on the 3rd film. Answer at least two of the following questions:

- In what specific ways do you feel this film meant more to you after learning so much about this country?

- What did you like and dislike about the film? Why?

- What do you feel that Hollywood filmmakers could learn from this movie?

2) Now, write at least 3 more paragraphs about your overall experience learning about your chosen culture. Answer at least 2 of the following questions:

- What are the most important things you learned about this culture? What do you still want to learn about this culture?

- Using examples from your experience in this class, discuss why it matters to learn about other cultures and countries.

- How did the films you watched help you understand your chosen culture in ways that the interviews alone could not? In turn, why was it important to do the interviews and not just watch the films?

The Illusionist (2010)

It is no wonder that this endearing film about the adventures of a French Illusionist and a young woman was nominated for Best Animated Feature in 2011. The attention to detail in the animation is incredible! It is hard to say what country this film comes from as the writer is a French mime and the director is British. As you comment, consider the following:

- What British influence do you see in this film? What French influence? Discuss more than the places and cultures depicted in the film and talk about style.

- How would this film be different if it were made by Americans?

- What do you like and dislike about the film? Be specific, of course.

Ikiru (1952)

Kurosawa's movie about a man learning to really live ("ikiru" means "to live") because he learns he will die was a film which was personally important to Kurosawa as he'd been deeply effected by watching a friend of his go through the same experience. It also happens to be a film which is deeply important to me, probably because the themes resonate so deeply with my own life experiences. It is a very impressionistic and expressionistic film, meaning that the acting style and filming style do not mean to reflect reality but convey a reflection of the emotions happening inside the characters. As you reflect and comment on the film, keep the following in mind:

- What did you see in this film that was stylistically similar to the other Kurosawa film we watched, Seven Samurai? What was different? (Remember to talk about style, not genre -- we all know this is not a samurai flick.)


- What did you learn about Japanese culture by watching the film? What questions about the culture did the film raise for you?

- What did you like and not like about the film? Why? Be specific.

Second Interview

This is the fifth step of the term cultural immersion project. What you have to do is a second interview with someone from your chosen culture and then report on it in a comment below. Write a good 4 paragraph report and answer at least two of the following questions:

- What was the most valuable thing you learned from this interview? Why?

- How did what you learn change on perspective on the films you have watched from this country?

- What is the greatest misperception that you have realized you had about your chosen country? Why does it matter that you've overcome that misperception?

Le Samouraï (1967)

I love the description of this film on the back of The Criterian Collection DVD: "In a career-defining performance, Alain Delon plays a contrast killer with samurai instincts. A razor-sharp cocktail of 1940's American gangster cinema and 1960s French pop-culture—with a liberal dose of Japanese lone-warrior mythology—maverick director Jean-Pierre Melville's masterpiece Le Samouraï defines cool."

Here are the questions to jumpstart the conversation:

- How is this film typical of the French New Wave? Of film noir? Provide very specific examples.

- What do you make of the title "The Samurai"?

- What do you make of the ending. Why did Jef do what he did? What was going on in his head?

- Overall, what did you like and dislike about the film? Why?

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964)

One of my favorite movies of all time, Jacque Demy's bittersweet love story is a audial and visual feast. Most famous for its use of music (every line is sung), we discussed in class how the film also masterfully utilizes color to tell its story about the choice to follow one's heart in the rain or put up an umbrella and play it safe.

As we discuss this film, let's begin with the following questions:

- What did you like or not like about the use of music and color? Why?

- Which characters do you most relate with? Why? Which characters do you dislike? Why?

- How did this film help you connect with French culture?

The Red Balloon (1956)

Lots of kids bring home stray dogs or cats but how many can say to their mother, "Mom, a balloon followed me home. Can I keep it?" But that is indeed the premise of Albert Lamorisse's critically acclaimed short, "The Red Balloon".

I personally am blown away by how affectively this film employs show, don't tell and uses set-up's and pay-off's and stakes to create drama around what, one would think, would be a rather undramatic subject. I am also very impressed with the film's use of color.

While commenting on this little treasure, think about the following:

- In what specific ways does the filmmakers' use of color add to the film?

- What techniques does the writer use to encourage the audience to be invested in the balloon's survival? Did those techniques work for you? Why or why not?

- In what ways can this be considered a French New Wave film? Explain (thoroughly).

Or maybe you'd like to do some cultural research. I would really like to know why the balloons in the film are so large. Is that a French thing, a 1950's thing, or just a stylistic choice for the movie?

Harakiri (1962)

Welcome everyone to the dark side of the samurai. In contrast to Seven Samurai, this film depicts our favorite katana-wielding warriors and their codes and customs in a much less favorable light. Here are the questions to get the conversation started:

- How did this film help you understand Japanese / samurai culture better? What questions did it raise about the culture?

- Which do you like better, Seven Samurai or this film? Why?

- What have you learned about Japanese culture in this class which helped you appreciate this film more?

Or, you might do some research and report on it. Here are some cultural things you might research:

- What is harakiri? How does understanding harakiri help you appreciate this film more?

- The film depicts katana sword fights as a lot of waiting and only slices at key moments when you have the advantage. Is this an accurate depiction of samurai fighting styles? Explain.

Second Movie at Home

The third dead line for the International Cinema term-long project is approaching. By Tuesday, April 24, you need to watch a second film from your country and respond to it in a comment below. This could mean watching another film from that culture or rewatching the first one. In your response, tell us of your name, remind us which country you're focusing on, and tell us the film you watched for this step. Also, answer at least two of the following questions in at least four paragraphs:


- How did the interview you did with someone from your chosen country help you appreciate this film?


- Imagine an American friend of yours were going to watch this film. What would tell this friend to prepare him or her to enjoy it?


- What did you like most about the film? What did you like least? If this was your second time watching it, how was it different for you this time? Why?

The Italian (2005)

The Italian is a beautiful and quiet film about a Russian orphan who is lucky enough to be adopted but then runs away to find his biological parents. When responding to this one, consider the following:

- How do you feel about the pacing of this film?

- How does what you learned from Alla Volkova about Russian culture and filmmaking help you appreciate this film more? What questions did this film raise about Russian culture?

- What did you like most about this film? What did you not like?

Operation "Y" & Other Shurik's Adventures (1965)

I'm sure glad that Alla Volkova (my amazing Russian filmmaker friend who so graciously spoke to our class) recommended we watch this amazing collection of three comedic shorts. Those Soviets sure know how to make comedy! Maybe being suppressed by a totalitarian government wouldn't be so made if you get to watch Shurik all day! JK. As you respond to this one, think about the following:

- What did the filmmakers' use of sound do for you?

- What did you learn from Alla that helped you appreciate this film more? Give lots of specific examples. What questions did the film raise for you about Russian culture?

- For you, what were the funniest moments of the Shurik films? Why? What moments didn't work for you? Why?

Extra Credit

If anyone wants extra credit in International Cinema class, you can watch any film made in another country and comment on this post with a response of 4 or more paragraphs. In your response, talk about what you liked and didn't like about the film, how the film made you more other-culture-minded, etc.

You can also get extra credit by doing 45-60 minutes of research into another culture and then reporting on what you learned in a comment on this post.

First Interview

As part of the International Cinema Class's term-long project to connect with another culture and its cinema, we will each be interviewing a person who is native to (or at least has lived in) the culture in question. The interview should last about 60 minutes. You need to have completed the interview by April 10 and then report on it by writing what you learned from the interview in a response to this post. You need to write me enough to show me that your interview lasted the full 60 minutes or more (so, a lot more than two or three paragraphs). Here are some questions to help you get your response started:

- Which questions did you ask that yielded the most intriguing responses? Explain.

- How did what you learned help you see the movie you watched in a new way?

- In what ways do you feel you understand the culture better? In what ways do you feel you still have a long way to go?

- How do you feel the interview prepared you to watch the next film from the country in question?

- In what other ways did doing this interview enrich your life?

Besouro (2009)

This film (called The Assailant in the U.S.) might be a good movie but the dubbing on the netflix version we watched was so bad that I didn't make you all finish it if you didn't want to. But I'd still like you to write a response to whatever portion of the movie you did see. Here are some questions to get you started:

- Which do you prefer to watch: a dubbed film or a subtitled film? Does it depend on the situation? Why?

- What do you pick up about African-Brazilians' culture or values by watching what you did of the film?

- Did you enjoy the film or not? Do you feel you'd enjoy it more if it were subtitled instead of dubbed? Why?

The Middle of the World (2003)

The Middle of the World (called O Caminho das Nuvens in Brazil) is Vicente Amorim's film about a proud, superstitious father who leads his family of five on a 2000 mile bike ride across Brazil in search of a better job. Based on a true story, this film highlights Brazilian cultural issues such as machísmo, Catholicism (with all its patron saints), and intense poverty. The movie also is a great example of how many films being made in other countries do not use Hollywood three act story structure but instead are much more character driven, beginning at or even after the inciting incident and ending abruptly at a thematic high but without any epilogue.

Here are some questions to get the conversation started:

• What did you learn about Brazilian culture by watching the film? How does that help you understand your own culture better?
• In the film, Ramão says, "Children should respect their parents but do not own them." Do you agree with this statement? Why? Do you have any personal experience with this idea?
• As mentioned above, the film begins after the inciting incident (they're already on the road) and ends in a way that feels very abrupt compared to Hollywood. Do you like or dislike this story structure? Why?

Or, you can do some research and report on the following cultural questions that relate to the film:

• What is a patron saint?
• How much money is 1,000 reales? Is it more or less than you need to feed a family of five for a month?

OK, now dazzle and amaze me with your responses (no pressure but they better be so good they make the tops of my socks move up and down my legs when I read them):

First Movie at Home

The dead line for the second step of the International Cinema term-long project is coming up soon. By Tuesday, March 27, your need to watch a film from your chosen country and write about the experience in at least three paragraphs by commenting on this post. In your response, tell us your name, which country you're focusing on, and which film you watched. Also, answer at least two of the following questions:

- What specific moments of the film do you feel you would understand better if you knew more about the country's culture and history?

- After watching the film, what questions do you plan on asking when you interview someone from the country?

- What did you like and not like about the movie? Why?

- If the film had been made in the United States, what do you feel would have been done differently?

After Life (1998)

Well, I hope that you all enjoyed After Life. It can be a little slow at times (with lots of music-less scenes of people talking about the meaning of life and what not) but I personally found it to be a real gem of a movie. Here are some questions to get the conversation started:

- How did what we saw in the film relate to what we learned about some of the traditional Japanese views of the afterlife?

- What memory would you choose?

- Also, the film mentioned the "Great Earthquake" a lot so you could do some research and what exactly that is and report on it in your response.

Alright ... COMMENT!

Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

Here's a movie that really knows how to draw out the emotions. We laughed, we cried ... and we cried, and cried, and cried, and fell into a deep depressive abyss of sad sadness (in the best sort of way). And the whole experience was enhanced by the fire drill alarm that went off during the first bombing scene -- really helped us feel like we were there!

So, here are some topic questions to respond to to get the conversation started:

- What was it like for you to be the Them that was causing so much fear and destruction (the bombings were caused by the American military)?

- Did you notice all the focus on little, everyday routines and actions that were animated with such detail (e.g. Setsuko getting undressed to swim, the candy sticking when Setsuko tries to get it out of the tin, Seita rolling in bed, etc.)? As we learned in class, this is characteristic of Isao Takahata's work. How do you feel these moments contribute to the overall film?

- Also, there were some cultural references in the film that would be fun to know more about. For your response, you could do a little research and report on one of the following: what is the symbolism of cherry blossoms in Japan? What is the symbolism of the fireflies and the movie's title? What is the significance of the uniform that Seita wears? What is the "Divine Wind" the characters talk about at the end of the film (after they've lost the war)?

So, after checking out one more interesting little thing I found, write your 2-3 paragraph response to the film below, jumping off one of the discussion points above or something else someone has said.

Great Kurosawa Films

Putting "great" with "Kurosawa films" might be a bit redundant but here is the list you all requested in class of my favorite Kurosawa films. You can find a lot of these on Netflix instant play. Once you've watched any of these, please comment on this post with a 3+ paragraph response to the film and I will give you some extra credit. We may watch Dersu Uzala in class when we do Russian cinema:

- Sanshira Sugata (1944).
- Drunken Angel (1948).
- Stray Dog (1949).
- Rashomon (1950).
- Ikiru (1952).
- Throne of Blood (1957).
- The Lower Depths (1957).
- The Hideen Fortress (1958).
- Yojimbo (1961).
- Sanjuro (1961).
- High and Low (1963).
- Red Beard (1965).
- Dersu Uzala (1975).
- Ran (1985).
- Dreams (1990).

Seven Samurai (1954)

Probably the most well known film of one of my favorite directors, Akira Kurosawa, Seven Samurai follows the story of a bunch of peasants who hire samurai (you guessed it, seven of them) to defend them from some villainous bandits. We watched Seven Samurai in our International Cinema class as we were studying Japanese film.

The questions we're discussing this film are:

- How did the film help you connect with Japanese culture or more generally help you be more other-culture-minded?

- What did you like and not like about the movie and why? Be VERY specific.

- How did learning beforehand about Japanese culture and about the director help you appreciate the film? Again, be specific.

Students: remember that your response should be at least three paragraphs long. Be sure to prominently include your name in your post or I can't give you credit for your response. OK ... ready ... set ... COMMENT!