G mpaa in Foreign DVDs & Videos

Description:

A "man of the woods" saves the members of a Russian surveying expedition by teaching them how to cope with nature. Years later, a member of the team meets up with him again, and tries to convince him to come and live in the city. Academy awards: Best Foreign Language Film.

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Joseph and Augustine take their family to spend an unforgettable summer vacation in the south of France. Based on autobiographical recollections of French author Marcel Pagnol. Sequel: "My Mother's Castle."

Description:

This Academy Award-winner for Best Foreign Language Film was a big art house hit, spawning a whole international subgenre, "foodie" (films about the liberating effects of good food). It's adapted from a story by Isak Dinesen about two sisters in a 19th century Calvinist settlement in Denmark who, under their late father's rigorous spiritual dictates, pass up their chances for romance and worldly success. Years pass; they grow into charitable old spinsters and one day a French war refugee, Babette (Stéphane Audran), comes to work for them. Life goes quietly one for years until one day Babette decides to prepare a lavish gourmet dinner for the elders of the town, even though the thought of such decadence makes the sisters fear for their Christian souls. This all may sound rather dull to some viewers, but rest assured, no one who has seen this film has ever regretted it. Even with its measured pacing and austere emotional palette this remains a riveting experience from the first frame to the last. The acting is marvelously naturalistic, and the cinematography evokes the dark beauty of 19th century Scandinavian paintings, rendering the ancient, white-whiskered faces of the villagers, the windswept coastline, the wood-hewn interiors, and of course the incredible food, with a vital, deeply felt reverence that lingers in the mind long after the film is over.

Description:

In the innovative film THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG, Jacques Demy pays loving homage to the Hollywood musical as well as the French melodrama. The film is shot in Cherbourg, France, using inventive cinematography and blazing colors and textures. Local life is rendered in pink, orange, green, and blue. Wallpapers and umbrella patterns, sweaters and hats, cars and gas stations--each element of the film contributes to the exuberant color and exalted mood. The film is also unique in the sense that every word is sung. The fertile collaboration between Demy and legendary French composer Michel Legrand reaches its climax in the light opera structure and lilting and memorable songs that make up the plot. Catherine Deneuve is the fresh and beautiful 16-year-old Genevieve, pining away in her mother's umbrella shop. When she falls in love with the charming local auto mechanic, Guy (Nino Castelnuovo), worlds collide. The young couple who, in their innocence, believe that love can overcome all obstacles, face many of them, including Genevieve's disapproving mother, an unexpected pregnancy, and Guy's induction into the French Army. Joy and melancholy suffuse every aspect of the film, which explores both the transience of love and the persistence of affection--motifs that Demy would further develop in his follow-up musical, THE YOUNG GIRLS OF ROCHEFORT.

Description:

Ingmar Bergman has stated that THE MAGIC FLUTE had long since been an inspiration to him by the time he directed this movie version of an actual staging of Mozart's opera. In Emanuel Schikaneder's libretto--performed here in Swedish instead of German--Prince Tamino (Josef Köstlinger) is sent by the mysterious and powerful Queen of the Night (Birgit Nordin) to rescue her daughter, Pamina (Irma Urrila), from the sorcerer Sarastro (Ulrik Cold), who has kidnapped the girl. Tamino is aided on his mission by the bird catcher Papageno (Håkan Hagegård), an endearing buffoon (and arguably the opera's most popular character) who wants nothing more than to find himself a loving wife. The director presents a shortened version of the story, enhanced with a Freudian plot element (of sorts), while also giving the piece a slight overhaul for a more modern, less politically questionable feel. Bergman shows the goings-on onstage, often zooming in for close-ups of the performers' interaction with one another, interspersed with shots of individual faces in the audience. The actors were mostly chosen for their appearance and stage presence rather than their vocal prowess, though Hagegård has been singled out by critics for his fine performance and went on to enjoy a distinguished music career.

Description:

NOT ONE LESS is an original, extremely affecting story of a small Chinese village and the children that inhabit it. When an elementary school teacher leaves her assignment to care for her ill mother, the community leader allows a 13-year-old girl, Wei Minzhi, to take her place. After the class clown is forced to leave the village in order to find work, Wei Minzhi organizes a fundraiser that will give her enough money to track him down and return him to his rightful place in the classroom. Zhang's (RAISE THE RED LANTERN) film proves that determination and will can conquer any odds.

Description:

A touching and philosophical film, set in the 18th century and based on the diaries of real-life French doctor Jean Itard. Itard fought authorities for the right to take charge of the social and intellectual education of a "wild child"--a young boy who somehow had managed to survive, alone and uncared for, in nature. Although most of the medical establishment felt that the child, who could not speak and often exhibited violent behavior, was hopelessly retarded, the tenacious Itard, with techniques sometimes kind and frequently cruel, managed to prove them wrong.

Description:

The old master of a powerful family in 1920's China supports three wives. Each has her own house within the closed world of the family compound, where every evening a red lantern is lit in front of the door of the wife with whom the master chooses to sleep. Let the rivalries begin.

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After a near fatal car crash and three weeks in a coma, a man awakens to a new life, attempting to search for his true identity after suffering amnesia. The more he remembers, the more dangerous it gets.

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Description:

In this French comedy, Louis de Funes stars as Victor Pivert, a hopelessly bigoted man. Victor loves people, as long as they're Caucasian, French, and Catholic. But when it comes to foreigners, Victor draws the line. His ultimate nightmare becomes a reality the day of his daughter's wedding, when he stumbles across a group of Arab revolutionaries and is forced into hiding as a rabbi. Gerard Oury's film features an onslaught of hilarious chase sequences.

Description:

In the innovative film THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG, Jacques Demy pays loving homage to the Hollywood musical as well as the French melodrama. The film is shot in Cherbourg, France, using inventive cinematography and blazing colors and textures. Local life is rendered in pink, orange, green, and blue. Wallpapers and umbrella patterns, sweaters and hats, cars and gas stations--each element of the film contributes to the exuberant color and exalted mood. The film is also unique in the sense that every word is sung. The fertile collaboration between Demy and legendary French composer Michel Legrand reaches its climax in the light opera structure and lilting and memorable songs that make up the plot. Catherine Deneuve is the fresh and beautiful 16-year-old Genevieve, pining away in her mother's umbrella shop. When she falls in love with the charming local auto mechanic, Guy (Nino Castelnuovo), worlds collide. The young couple who, in their innocence, believe that love can overcome all obstacles, face many of them, including Genevieve's disapproving mother, an unexpected pregnancy, and Guy's induction into the French Army. Joy and melancholy suffuse every aspect of the film, which explores both the transience of love and the persistence of affection--motifs that Demy would further develop in his follow-up musical, THE YOUNG GIRLS OF ROCHEFORT.

Description:

The old master of a powerful family in 1920's China supports three wives. Each has her own house within the closed world of the family compound, where every evening a red lantern is lit in front of the door of the wife with whom the master chooses to sleep. Let the rivalries begin.

Description:

Set in pre-World War I France, this lovely drama is about an aging painter whose family comes to visit him in the Parisian countryside one Sunday afternoon. A poignant depiction of family life directed by the award-winning filmmaker Tavernier.

Description:

A collection of favorite Polish cartoons, in Polish.

Description:

A young man living in France discovers a chateau in the woods where a ball is being held to celebrate an engagement. Like a princess in a fairy tale, the groom's sister appears and he falls in love. After that magical night, the chateau disappears and the lovers weave in and out of each others' lives. Romantic idealism gives way to the reality of adulthood.

Description:

The life of Jean Marais, perhaps the most popular French actor of the 1950s and '60s and a favorite of director Jean Cocteau, is revealed in this riveting documentary about the talented man who was also an exceptional writer, sculptor, stuntman, potter, and painter.

Description:

In this French comedy, Louis de Funes stars as Victor Pivert, a hopelessly bigoted man. Victor loves people, as long as they're Caucasian, French, and Catholic. But when it comes to foreigners, Victor draws the line. His ultimate nightmare becomes a reality the day of his daughter's wedding, when he stumbles across a group of Arab revolutionaries and is forced into hiding as a rabbi. Gerard Oury's film features an onslaught of hilarious chase sequences.

Description:

In the innovative film THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG, Jacques Demy pays loving homage to the Hollywood musical as well as the French melodrama. The film is shot in Cherbourg, France, using inventive cinematography and blazing colors and textures. Local life is rendered in pink, orange, green, and blue. Wallpapers and umbrella patterns, sweaters and hats, cars and gas stations--each element of the film contributes to the exuberant color and exalted mood. The film is also unique in the sense that every word is sung. The fertile collaboration between Demy and legendary French composer Michel Legrand reaches its climax in the light opera structure and lilting and memorable songs that make up the plot. Catherine Deneuve is the fresh and beautiful 16-year-old Genevieve, pining away in her mother's umbrella shop. When she falls in love with the charming local auto mechanic, Guy (Nino Castelnuovo), worlds collide. The young couple who, in their innocence, believe that love can overcome all obstacles, face many of them, including Genevieve's disapproving mother, an unexpected pregnancy, and Guy's induction into the French Army. Joy and melancholy suffuse every aspect of the film, which explores both the transience of love and the persistence of affection--motifs that Demy would further develop in his follow-up musical, THE YOUNG GIRLS OF ROCHEFORT.

Description:

NOT ONE LESS is an original, extremely affecting story of a small Chinese village and the children that inhabit it. When an elementary school teacher leaves her assignment to care for her ill mother, the community leader allows a 13-year-old girl, Wei Minzhi, to take her place. After the class clown is forced to leave the village in order to find work, Wei Minzhi organizes a fundraiser that will give her enough money to track him down and return him to his rightful place in the classroom. Zhang's (RAISE THE RED LANTERN) film proves that determination and will can conquer any odds.

Description:

The old master of a powerful family in 1920's China supports three wives. Each has her own house within the closed world of the family compound, where every evening a red lantern is lit in front of the door of the wife with whom the master chooses to sleep. Let the rivalries begin.

Description:

Joseph and Augustine take their family to spend an unforgettable summer vacation in the south of France. Based on autobiographical recollections of French author Marcel Pagnol. Sequel: "My Mother's Castle."

Description:

A young man living in France discovers a chateau in the woods where a ball is being held to celebrate an engagement. Like a princess in a fairy tale, the groom's sister appears and he falls in love. After that magical night, the chateau disappears and the lovers weave in and out of each others' lives. Romantic idealism gives way to the reality of adulthood.

Description:

In the innovative film THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG, Jacques Demy pays loving homage to the Hollywood musical as well as the French melodrama. The film is shot in Cherbourg, France, using inventive cinematography and blazing colors and textures. Local life is rendered in pink, orange, green, and blue. Wallpapers and umbrella patterns, sweaters and hats, cars and gas stations--each element of the film contributes to the exuberant color and exalted mood. The film is also unique in the sense that every word is sung. The fertile collaboration between Demy and legendary French composer Michel Legrand reaches its climax in the light opera structure and lilting and memorable songs that make up the plot. Catherine Deneuve is the fresh and beautiful 16-year-old Genevieve, pining away in her mother's umbrella shop. When she falls in love with the charming local auto mechanic, Guy (Nino Castelnuovo), worlds collide. The young couple who, in their innocence, believe that love can overcome all obstacles, face many of them, including Genevieve's disapproving mother, an unexpected pregnancy, and Guy's induction into the French Army. Joy and melancholy suffuse every aspect of the film, which explores both the transience of love and the persistence of affection--motifs that Demy would further develop in his follow-up musical, THE YOUNG GIRLS OF ROCHEFORT.

Description:

In the innovative film THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG, Jacques Demy pays loving homage to the Hollywood musical as well as the French melodrama. The film is shot in Cherbourg, France, using inventive cinematography and blazing colors and textures. Local life is rendered in pink, orange, green, and blue. Wallpapers and umbrella patterns, sweaters and hats, cars and gas stations--each element of the film contributes to the exuberant color and exalted mood. The film is also unique in the sense that every word is sung. The fertile collaboration between Demy and legendary French composer Michel Legrand reaches its climax in the light opera structure and lilting and memorable songs that make up the plot. Catherine Deneuve is the fresh and beautiful 16-year-old Genevieve, pining away in her mother's umbrella shop. When she falls in love with the charming local auto mechanic, Guy (Nino Castelnuovo), worlds collide. The young couple who, in their innocence, believe that love can overcome all obstacles, face many of them, including Genevieve's disapproving mother, an unexpected pregnancy, and Guy's induction into the French Army. Joy and melancholy suffuse every aspect of the film, which explores both the transience of love and the persistence of affection--motifs that Demy would further develop in his follow-up musical, THE YOUNG GIRLS OF ROCHEFORT.

Description:

In the innovative film THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG, Jacques Demy pays loving homage to the Hollywood musical as well as the French melodrama. The film is shot in Cherbourg, France, using inventive cinematography and blazing colors and textures. Local life is rendered in pink, orange, green, and blue. Wallpapers and umbrella patterns, sweaters and hats, cars and gas stations--each element of the film contributes to the exuberant color and exalted mood. The film is also unique in the sense that every word is sung. The fertile collaboration between Demy and legendary French composer Michel Legrand reaches its climax in the light opera structure and lilting and memorable songs that make up the plot. Catherine Deneuve is the fresh and beautiful 16-year-old Genevieve, pining away in her mother's umbrella shop. When she falls in love with the charming local auto mechanic, Guy (Nino Castelnuovo), worlds collide. The young couple who, in their innocence, believe that love can overcome all obstacles, face many of them, including Genevieve's disapproving mother, an unexpected pregnancy, and Guy's induction into the French Army. Joy and melancholy suffuse every aspect of the film, which explores both the transience of love and the persistence of affection--motifs that Demy would further develop in his follow-up musical, THE YOUNG GIRLS OF ROCHEFORT.

Description:

Set in pre-World War I France, this lovely drama is about an aging painter whose family comes to visit him in the Parisian countryside one Sunday afternoon. A poignant depiction of family life directed by the award-winning filmmaker Tavernier.

Description:

Set in pre-World War I France, this lovely drama is about an aging painter whose family comes to visit him in the Parisian countryside one Sunday afternoon. A poignant depiction of family life directed by the award-winning filmmaker Tavernier.

Description:

Ingmar Bergman has stated that THE MAGIC FLUTE had long since been an inspiration to him by the time he directed this movie version of an actual staging of Mozart's opera. In Emanuel Schikaneder's libretto--performed here in Swedish instead of German--Prince Tamino (Josef Köstlinger) is sent by the mysterious and powerful Queen of the Night (Birgit Nordin) to rescue her daughter, Pamina (Irma Urrila), from the sorcerer Sarastro (Ulrik Cold), who has kidnapped the girl. Tamino is aided on his mission by the bird catcher Papageno (Håkan Hagegård), an endearing buffoon (and arguably the opera's most popular character) who wants nothing more than to find himself a loving wife. The director presents a shortened version of the story, enhanced with a Freudian plot element (of sorts), while also giving the piece a slight overhaul for a more modern, less politically questionable feel. Bergman shows the goings-on onstage, often zooming in for close-ups of the performers' interaction with one another, interspersed with shots of individual faces in the audience. The actors were mostly chosen for their appearance and stage presence rather than their vocal prowess, though Hagegård has been singled out by critics for his fine performance and went on to enjoy a distinguished music career.

Description:

Ingmar Bergman has stated that THE MAGIC FLUTE had long since been an inspiration to him by the time he directed this movie version of an actual staging of Mozart's opera. In Emanuel Schikaneder's libretto--performed here in Swedish instead of German--Prince Tamino (Josef Köstlinger) is sent by the mysterious and powerful Queen of the Night (Birgit Nordin) to rescue her daughter, Pamina (Irma Urrila), from the sorcerer Sarastro (Ulrik Cold), who has kidnapped the girl. Tamino is aided on his mission by the bird catcher Papageno (Håkan Hagegård), an endearing buffoon (and arguably the opera's most popular character) who wants nothing more than to find himself a loving wife. The director presents a shortened version of the story, enhanced with a Freudian plot element (of sorts), while also giving the piece a slight overhaul for a more modern, less politically questionable feel. Bergman shows the goings-on onstage, often zooming in for close-ups of the performers' interaction with one another, interspersed with shots of individual faces in the audience. The actors were mostly chosen for their appearance and stage presence rather than their vocal prowess, though Hagegård has been singled out by critics for his fine performance and went on to enjoy a distinguished music career.