The Tiger and the Snow (La Tigre e la Neve), 2005, Italy, director Roberto BenigiBorrowing a bit from the plot of his Oscar-winning film Life Is Beautiful, Italian actor-director Roberto Benigni plays a romantic poet who vows to follow his love (Benigni's real-life wife, Nicoletta Braschi ) to the ends of the earth -- even if that means going to Iraq at the dawn of the American invasion. Skirting political bias, Benigni's whimsical comedy presents a world in which all camps are absurd. French actor Jean Reno co-stars.
Cat Girl Kiki, 2007, Japan
Nothing much ever happens to shy Yoshiro, until one day when he brings home a stray kitten. The next morning, Yoshiro awakens to discover that the kitten has become a beautiful woman named Kiki. She may be the girl of Yoshiro's dreams, but how will he deal with her nasty habit of scratching the furniture? This nerd-meets-girl comedy is the second film in the Akihabara Trilogy, following The Legend of the Doll and preceding Pretty Maid Café.
Don't Look for Me (Such Mich Nicht), 2004, Germany, Director: Tilman Zens
Don't Look for Me (Such Mich Nicht), 2004, Germany, Director: Tilman Zens
Wounded in the line of duty, contract killer Anna (Lea Mornar) has decided it's time to hang it up. Her boss is willing to let her retire, provided she fulfills one last job. But when Anna learns that her final target is someone close to her heart, she finds herself faced with an impossible decision. Directed by Tilman Zens, this stylish German thriller also stars Udo Schenk, Stipe Erceg, Jürgen Lehmann and Mark Zak .
Linda, Linda, Linda, 2005, Japan, Director: James Iha
Linda, Linda, Linda, 2005, Japan, Director: James Iha
It's three days before the big school talent show and Kyoto, Kei and Nozumi are in a fix when their lead singer quits over artistic differences. Their only candidate to fill the spot is a Korean foreign exchange student who can barely speak any Japanese. Time for some all-night rehearsals! Directed by Nobuhiro Yamashita and featuring a score by former Smashing Pumpkins member James Iha, this lighthearted comedy stars Du-na Bae and Yu Kashii.
Shinsengumi: Assassins of Honor, 1969, Japan, Director: Tadashi Sawashima
Shinsengumi: Assassins of Honor, 1969, Japan, Director: Tadashi Sawashima
One of Japan's most revered actors, Toshirô Mifune stars in this historical samurai epic. As the end of the 19th century nears, the balance of power shifts from the shogunate to the emperor. Isami Kondo (Mifune), a farmer turned warrior, leads the fierce Shinsengumi, a small rebel army composed of farmers and peasants. Isami and his men oppose the emperor and band together to wage a battle against the inevitable tide of change.
