All Recommendations

Sansho the Bailiff
8.1

Sansho the Bailiff

1954

In medieval Japan, a woman and her children journey to find the family's patriarch, who was exiled years earlier.

The Life of Oharu
7.8

The Life of Oharu

1952

In Edo Period Japan, a noblewoman's banishment for her love affair with a lowly page signals the beginning of her inexorable fall.

A Geisha
7.5

A Geisha

1953

Fleeing a distressing family situation, Eiko, a very young girl, becomes an apprentice to Miyoharu, a veteran geisha. Both, determined to preserve their professional integrity, must face the selfishness and ambition of several petty people.

Japan's Longest Day
7.1

Japan's Longest Day

1967

Following the detonation of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Japanese military and the government clash over the demand from the Allies for unconditional surrender. Minister of the Army Anami leads the military officers who propose to fight on, even to the death of every Japanese citizen. Emperor Hirohito, however, joins with his ministers in asking the unthinkable, the peaceful surrender of Japan. When the military plots a coup to overthrow the Emperor's civilian government, Anami must face the choice between his desires and loyalty to his Emperor.

Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East?
7.2

Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East?

1989

About three monks in a remote monastery; an aging master, a small orphan and a young man who left his city life to seek Enlightenment.

Christmas in July
6.9

Christmas in July

1940

An office clerk loves entering contests in the hopes of someday winning a fortune and marrying the girl he loves. His latest attempt is the Maxford House Coffee Slogan Contest. As a joke, some of his co-workers put together a fake telegram which says that he won the $25,000 grand prize.

Himiko
7.1

Himiko

1974

The myth of the Sun Goddess who founded Japanese society is seen through the lens of a modern view of history.

Fighting Through the Night
7.0

Fighting Through the Night

2016

An unconventional activist epic, filmed in Greece over several years among the many refugees and amidst some of the mass demonstrations that have rocked the country. The film is at once an essay, guerrilla journalism and poetic portrait. It tackles the socio-political upheavals of a country that stands alone in bringing down the western neoliberal model.

Wandering
5.8

Wandering

2016

Nob leads a happy life in a small town with his wife and young son. But when his son dies and his wife leaves him, he is unable to cope.

I Want to Be a Shellfish
10.0

I Want to Be a Shellfish

1959

On a post-war peaceful day in Japan, Toyomatsu Shimizu, a barber as well as a good father and husband, is suddenly arrested by the Prefectural Police as a war criminal and sued for murder.

Uprooted
7.5

Uprooted

2015

A magic axe and ecological vengeance.

Lap Rouge
7.7

Lap Rouge

1997

The camera pursues the life of two Dutch brothers, Herman and Egbert over the course of several months. Their mother wanted to disassociate herself from the petty bourgeois atmosphere in Holland during the fifties. In 1959 she took her two boys and left for Marnhac, a deserted village in southern France. After living in France for the the next 35 years both brothers have become almost fully alienated from society. They don't have the courage to leave their very aged and dominant mother. Written by Kurzfilmtage - international short film festival Oberhausen

Gate of Hell
7.1

Gate of Hell

1953

Japan, 1159. Moritō, a brave samurai, performs a heroic act by rescuing the lovely Kesa during a violent uprising. Moritō falls in love with her, but becomes distraught when he finds out that she is married.

Whirlpool
6.4

Whirlpool

1950

The wife of a psychoanalyst falls prey to a devious quack hypnotist when he discovers she is an habitual shoplifter. Then one of his previous patients now being treated by the real doctor is found murdered, with her still at the scene, and suspicion points only one way.

Walk on Water
6.9

Walk on Water

2004

Eyal, an Israeli Mossad agent, is given the mission to track down and kill the very old Alfred Himmelman, an ex-Nazi officer, who might still be alive. Pretending to be a tourist guide, he befriends his grandson Axel, in Israel to visit his sister Pia. The two men set out on a tour of the country, during which Axel challenges Eyal's values.

Loves of a Blonde
7.0

Loves of a Blonde

1965

Andula, an innocent Czech girl from a factory town, is desperately in search of love. She believes she's found it when she beds Milda, a charming young musician visiting from Prague. Milda, however, is only looking for a casual encounter, and leaves town assuming he'll never see Andula again. But when Andula doesn't hear from him, she packs up and heads to Prague, to the surprise of Milda and his parents.

Castle of Blood
7.1

Castle of Blood

1964

When a cynical journalist accepts a wager that he won't survive the night in a haunted castle, it unlocks an odyssey of sexual torment, undead vengeance, and a dark seductress who surrenders the gravest of pleasures.

Obsession
7.5

Obsession

1944

Gino, a drifter, begins an affair with inn-owner Giovanna as they plan to get rid of her older husband.

The Naked Spur
6.9

The Naked Spur

1953

A bounty hunter trying to bring a murderer to justice is forced to accept the help of two less-than-trustworthy strangers.

The River
7.2

The River

1951

Director Jean Renoir’s entrancing first color feature—shot entirely on location in India—is a visual tour de force. Based on the novel by Rumer Godden, the film eloquently contrasts the growing pains of three young women with the immutability of the Bengal river around which their daily lives unfold. Enriched by Renoir’s subtle understanding and appreciation for India and its people, The River gracefully explores the fragile connections between transitory emotions and everlasting creation.