Eastern European Films at Ames Public Library
Today is 2/12/2012
Another Way (DVD FOREIGN ANO) In Hungarian with English captions. 103 min. 1982.
Livia, the beautiful wife of an army officer, is a reporter at the Budapest newspaper where Eve, an outspoken lesbian journalist, comes to work after two years of politically motivated unemployment. The two women engage in an intense flirtation that leads to tragic consequences.
Ashes and Diamonds - #3 (DVD FOREIGN ASH) In Polish with English captions. 98 min. 1958.
World-class director Andrzej Wajda’s trilogy, A Generation, Kanal, and Ashes and Diamonds is one of the finest achievements of Eastern European cinema. Ashes and Diamonds is set in rural Poland, on the last days of World War II. The Nazis have surrendered, and the Red Army has crisscrossed the country. A new struggle emerges against the communists. A group of Polish patriots set out to assassinate a mid-level communist-party functionary. Macick is the trigger man, but when he spots a blonde, his priorities change.
Beauty in Trouble (DVD FOREIGN BEA) In Czech with English captions. 109 min. 2005.
A married woman meets a wealthy, educated man, who causes her to question her path in life.
Before the Rain (DVD FOREIGN BEF) In Macedonian, English, or Albanian, with English captions. 113 min. 1994.
A mysterious incident in the Macedonian mountains blows out of proportion, eventually threatening a full-blown civil war. A silent young monk in a Macedonian monastery must abandon his vows of silence to protect an Albanian girl who is suspected of murder. In London, a photojournalist, pregnant and torn between a loveless marriage and an affair with a war photographer, finds fate dictates a choice she could not make on her own. And in Yugoslavia, a prize-winning Macedonian photographer, back from Bosnia, returns to a nation divided by religious hatred and violence. His efforts to salvage a portion of peace will have an impact no one could have foreseen and will bring all three stories full circle.
The Big Animal (DVD FOREIGN BIG) In Polish with English captions. 72 min. 2000.
A bank clerk in a Polish town discovers a camel outside his window. He and his wife bond with the animal and the neighbors become increasingly jealous. A lesson about tolerance, love, and sacrifice is learned by all.
Black Peter (DVD FOREIGN BLA) In Czech with English captions. 85 min. 2004.
A delightful coming-of-age comedy, Black Peter finds its humor in the keenly observed details of youthful romance, teenage dissatisfaction, and the small moments of life.
Closely Watched Trains (DVD FOREIGN CLO) In Czech with English captions. 93 min. 1966.
In this comedy-drama, a young trainmaster, employed in a tiny station during World War II, becomes involved in a plot to blow up a German ammunition train. When the plan backfires, he is forced to commit the ultimate act of courage.
Conspirators of Pleasure (DVD FOREIGN CON) In Czech with English captions. 97 min. 1999.
In the first episode, modern-day Prague is the setting for this story of six ordinary if somewhat seedy individuals who, with almost no dialogue, obsessively and painstakingly prepare their sexual “feasts.” The second episode offers a surreal and humorous look at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
The Country Teacher (DVD FOREIGN COU) In Czech with English captions. 115 min. 2008.
Petr travels from Prague to teach natural sciences at a grammar school in the country. Here he meets a woman and her troubled 17-year old son. When the teacher's ex-boyfriend comes to visit, he realizes that nobody in the village knows that the teacher is gay and harbors a secret affection for the teenage boy.--Container. The companion movie, "Petr and Ben," is a "touchy and quirky story of how two dropouts find friendship in a hostile world."
Death of Mr. Lazarescu (DVD FOREIGN DEA) In Romanian with English captions. 153 min. 2005.
A sixty-ish widower, living alone with his cats, feels sick enough to call an ambulance. This is the beginning of his Dantesque odyssey deep into the bowels of a big city’s medical establishment.
The Decalogue (DVD FOREIGN DEC) In Polish with English captions. 584 min. 2003.
This film has won several awards, including the Cannes special jury prize. Disc 1. I.: I am the Lord thy God: thou shalt not have other gods before me; II. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; III. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy; Disc 2. IV.: Honor thy father and thy mother; V. Thou shalt not kill; VI. Thou shalt not commit adultery; VII. Thou shalt not steal; Disc 3. VIII.: Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor; IX. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife; X. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods.
Divided We Fall (DVD FOREIGN DIV) In Czech and German, with English captions. 122 min. 2000.
During World War II and the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia, Josef and Marie hide a young Jewish neighbor in their apartment. They get visits from their neighbor, Horst, who is a German sympathizer with his eye on Marie. When Marie rejects his advances, he seeks revenge by trying to move a Nazi clerk into their home, forcing the couple to tell a lie that will change their lives.
The Double Life of Veronique (DVD FOREIGN DOU) In Polish and French, with English captions. 97 min. 1991.
Weronika is a Polish choir soprano, and her double, Véronique, is a French music teacher. Though they are unknown to each other, the two women share an enigmatic, purely emotional bond.
Elevator (DVD FOREIGN ELE) In Romanian with English captions. 85 min. 2009.
A boy and a girl, both high school teens, decide to get away from the world and be alone for the afternoon, hiding in an abandoned factory on the outskirts of town. While there, they get stuck in a cargo elevator. Tensions rise when they realize that their world has been reduced to a small metal box, especially after a failed escape attempt.
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