Recommended films about immigrants + refugees
Submitted by kenji on Wed, 03/30/2005 - 04:50
Tags:
- Fear Eats the Soul (Fassbinder, Germany, 1973)
- Pelle the Conqueror (August, Sweden, Denmark, 1987)
- Time of the Gypsies (Kusturica, Yugoslavia, 1989)
- Journey of Hope (Koller, Switzerland/Turkey, 1990)
- Daughters of the Dust (Dash, USA, 1992)
- La Promesse (Dardenne bros, Belgium, 1997)
- Besieged (Bertolucci, Italy, 1998)
- Eternity and a Day (Angelopoulos, Greece, 1998)
- Last Resort (Pawlikowski, UK, 2000)
- In this World (Winterbottom, UK/ Afghanistan, 2002)
- Dogville (Von Trier, US/Denmark 2003)
What inspired this list?
I've always felt a special kinship with immigrants and refugees. I think you have to be very smart, brave and strong to make a new life for yourself in a foreign country. I admire anyone who has done it. However, if you are an immigrant, I want you to learn to drive a car, speak English, and get a job as soon as possible.
I thought of it yesterday, have forgotten why already- though i do often get annoyed with the racist press blaming immigrants and romanies for everything so naturally wanted to balance things up. Erm, we're thinking of moving abroad to sunnier climes, hope we have the courage (never mind the brains) to see it through. One quite famous American film about immigrants by Elia Kazan is America America (1963) but i've not seen it. Here in Britain most people expect immigrants to integrate thoroughly- "when in Rome, do as the Romans" etc- but most Brits abroad seem to expect the locals to speak English to them. In Wales, the Welsh are often thought very rude for speaking Welsh (even though Welsh was once the language of England!). And in Spain it seems there's a huge number of British immigrants who prefer to stay together in their enclaves near the golf course. Here we expect our immigrants to pass all sorts of dubious tests on British culture and history. Which all fits in with your point, i guess.
I was in a public swimming pool in my neighborhood one summer, not too long ago, when I realized I was the only one speaking English. I could distinguish at least five different languages being spoken around me. I have Sikh, Muslim, Russian, Serbian, Mexican, African, and Asian neighbors.
Ever seen The Emigrants or The New Land? Both quite good.
Dirty Pretty Things is one I recommend, if you haven't already seen that. I loved Last Resort.
Our film society screened DPT last year but i missed it!
I have a feeling i did a long time back, before i was really into world cinema (and when i didn't always remember titles) but in any event i'd need to see them again.
Fatih Akin's Head-On (Gegen die Wand) is about Turks in Germany and won some hefty festival prizes and awards.
Jim Sheridan's In America, too.