I realize this is awkward and a bit funny. I did already kick off my series last week but I never wrote a proper introduction because I didn’t think anyone would join. Meanwhile there have been two introductory posts, one by Novroz (Polychrome Interest) here and one by TBM (5o Year Project) here and quite a few people who said they would like to join us as well as you can see on the World Cinema Series Pages.
As a result, the World Cinema Series is now officially an event and you can sign up on the page which I will amend slightly, adding parts of this post.
Coincidentally Richard (Caravana de recuerdos) has started a Foreign Film Festival on his blog which is open to interested participants as well.
Just a few words on the “rules”, similarities and differences of our events.
I will, as I stated already, review up to two movies per month and add the review links to my page. The aim is to take a trip around the world in movies. This means I’m personally interested in movies that open a door to another culture. I wouldn’t review a Turkish crime movie that is set in the US. Not sure that exists but you get the idea. However I will review a German movie whose topic is Cambodia and I also plan on reviewing documentaries. But this is my interpretation. If you like fantasy movies and want to explore how different countries handle this in different ways, that’s a neat interpretation as well. All a participant has to do is link to my page and add a comment with the link to their review so I can add it. I will try to do an occasional wrap up post but nothing scheduled.
I’m glad if anyone has suggestions. I’m not very familiar with African filmmaking for example.
Richard’s Foreign Film Festival, in which I will participate as well, works a bit differently. Foreign is interpreted depending on your country of origin. No French movies for the French. You can sign up with Richard here and post links to your reviews on his blog. While I will just collect links, Richard will do a monthly wrap-up. The two projects are really two faces of the same medal. Movies can be entered on both sites.
What we decided off-line is that we will maybe organize the one or the other watchalong. The movies will be announced early on and we will post our reviews and discuss the movies on a set date. Suggestions are welcome.
At the end of the year I will give away a DVD to the person who has managed to cover the most countries. Old reviews are not considered as an entry.
Other introductions
Here are the links to all the reviews
Beauty is a Sleeping Cat 
I’ll be very interested to see what gems of world cinema you (and Richard) discover.
It should be very interesting and will hopefully inspire others to watch movies they might otherwise not have heard of.
A late bu great introduction post Caroline 🙂
I will take a look at Richard’s blog later at home, blogspot is a bit not friendly with my mobilephone.
I actually have watched Let The Right One In, but finding the time to post it is a bit difficult as my current fav TVseries, Sherlock, is on air and I am more eager to review and post about it.
As you have seen in my list, I am not aiming on culture…whatever genre from any countries 🙂
Thatnks, Nov. Despite the cultural factor I would also review a movie like Let the Right One In because it’s a truly great movie but the initial idea was the cultural exploration. Movies from other countries, with a few exceptions, always focus on the country too. Yes, I saw Sherlock is on again.
Richard had to change his comment format which makes it more difficult to comment.
I’m really excited for this one. It will be fun to not only watch the films, but to read about the others that the other participants will watch. Great idea! I’ll pop over to Richard’s site as well.
Absolutely, TBM, I’m really curious to see what others come up with. There will be many discoveries, I’m sure.
Like Tuulenhaiven I’m also excited about documentaries. I love watching them.
I think I already counted myself in, but I’ll do so properly now. I like the idea of watching documentaries, and will plan to do so in addition to watching some movies from countries outside my “normal” world cinema (I watch a lot of UK and French films). Should be fun!
I had counted you in. Sorry about this somewhat non-linear posting sequence…
One of my inofficial motto’s this year is to “do things in different ways”. I tricked myself into being true to that.
@tuulenhaiven and @TBM I watched a lot of documentaries at uni and we saw a few really amazing films. I’d like to rediscover them, not sure whether I can find them, it will not be an easy task… Some are as artful as movies.
Yes, yes, yes, it will be great.
I hope to try and join in on a ad hoc basis Caroline I have a few films on shelves but have had eye on others to buy so will get some during year all the best stu
That’s great. I’m sure you will come up with interesting films.
This sounds like fun and I’d like to ‘watch along’, though I rarely write about what I watch. I don’t feel like I know enough about films to talk about them (not that I know that much about books but I read more often). I’ll be very curious to see which films you and Richard choose and will have to see if I can get my hands on them as well! I’m definitely looking forward to hearing your thoughts on them, though!
I’m not sure yet when we will do it but it will be something different and interesting as well. You can always just watch and discuss with everyone without reviewing it.
I’m looking forward to it. Maybe we could watch an Italian movie. I’d enjoy that. Or Chinese.
Wonderfully themed movie festival, Caroline! I also loved Richard’s interpretation of ‘foreign’ – it is quite elegant. I can’t wait to read your movie reviews and those of the other participants.
Thanks, Vishy. I’m very curious to see what people will choose.
The two interpretations work well togther. I think I will be cheating, I will adopt the interpretation that will fit my movie choices.:)
I love the way you have decided to interpret that interpretation 🙂
The best from both interpretations. 🙂
I have a lot of other things on the table at the moment, so I can’t make any promises, but I will be reading the posts.
Great, Guy. I don’t think you have to make any sepcial plans, you are going to watch an review non US/UK movies anyway and they would all qualify. On Richard’s site as well, if we get that access thing sorted.
Your Oxford history will – correctly – point you to Ousmane Sembène as a staring point for African film.
I’m a cheater, Tom, I don’t own that book, yet.
I have read Ousmane Sembène but totally forgotten about the movie aspect. Thanks a lot for reminding me. Oh yes, it should be interesting to start with him.
Just had a problem getting to Richard’s blog. The page stuck.
Guy, at work for example, his is one of the rare blogs I cannot access.
It works fine from my laptop and PC at home… I’ll let him know. It’s too bad really.
I think my viewing of the DDR-version of ‘Effi Briest’ last year is as close as I’ll get to taking part in this 😉
Why’s that? You’re not watching movies or no foreign ones? What about Japanese cinema?
No, I rarely watch any films at all (I’d rather read!).
I thought that’s what you have said somewhere.
Officially signing in.
I love movies with popcorn. :p
Great, Rise, I’m looking forward to your choices.
I’ve got a popcorn machine for my last birthday. Had to organize something to go along with it. 🙂
Great project. I’ll read the reviews.
Thanks, Emma, we already have quite a few. 🙂
I’m looking forward to reading your reviews, Caroline, and discovering some great movies from around the world. I won’t be participating, as I’m having enough trouble finding the time to write book reviews at the moment without adding movies as well! But I will be an enthusiastic reader. Hope you are doing well so far in 2012, and wishing you a belated happy new year 🙂
Thanks for the wishes, Andrew, and the interest in the event. I hope to find great movies too.
I can imagine your time is scarce and hope we will be able to read your new novel soon. I’m looking forward to book reviews from you too although I should read the books I discovered on your blog and haven’t read yet (but bought).
This sounds wonderful, as I’m a total foreign film fanatic. Can’t wait to see if you’ve watched some of my faves.
I’m quite thrilled by now as well and I’m sure there will be a lot of geat contributions.
I would love to know which movies they are. I hope you’ll suggest some. It’s possible I haven’t seen them.
Hi Caroline, I tried to leave this comment before but it musn’t have loaded properly. Here is my contribution to the World Cinema series: http://filmplicity.com/2010/07/studio-ghibli-the-cat-returns/ (Japan)
http://filmplicity.com/2011/06/del-toro-has-julias-eyes-wide-shut/ (Spain)
http://filmplicity.com/2011/03/his-and-hers-friday-11th-march/(Ireland)
http://filmplicity.com/2010/05/guest-post-tsar/(Russia)
http://filmplicity.com/2010/04/guest-post-mix-up/(UK)
Hope you enjoy reading about these great films Caroline.Thanks for this great idea!
You ended up in the spam twice but I did add them to the list. 🙂 I have read a few of your reviews but had no time to leave comments.
Thanks a lot for the contributions.
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This sounds like fun!
That book BTW is a very good resource.
I will be sure bookmark, tag, whatever so that I can catch all the developments of this blogging activity.
Thanks for visiting. I’m glad you like the idea.
I hope you can participate as well.
Oh fun, I will join… or well at least see what everyone else is watching. I’ve been watching a lot of Danish films lately well… mainly Danish films.
Film blog’s over this way: http://popcornpictures.wordpress.com/
I need to get back into watching film – I stopped a couple of weeks ago because I got a waxy ear and went half deaf which began to seriously annoy me when watching a film even though it was with subtitles!
But sometime last year I decided that I was tired of watching films in English and fell in love with subtitles. (Reading AND watching a film… horrah!) So I’ll have to look through your films and find some inspiration. Or… just go through my LoveFilm account and randomly add as many films as possible to my queue.
I’ll write up a blog post on my film blog at a later date. I’m so glad that you mentioned this on my blog just now. 😀
I’m glad too now. I had no idea you have a movie blog as well (maybe I wasn’t attenttive and you say it somewhere). That’s a coincidence. I’ve got a Danish movie here. It would be great if you could join. I’ll make sure to visit your film blog later today.
No problem… I only updated my about me section yesterday actually because I realised I hadn’t really mentioned that Popcorn Pictures was my film blog and not just some blog randomly on my ‘blog roll’.
Which Danish movie have you got?
I also have a film blog btw but it’s specialized on war movies and war time movies.
http://allaboutwarmovies.com – I reviewed Max Manus and Flame & Citron there. I haven’t linked it here because of the topic. Some people who visit this blog know it.
The Danish movies I have are Flickering Lights and After the Wedding. I’m a huge Mads Mikkelsen fan.
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Fun idea! I’ve never really watched too many foreign movies. I’ve heard of reading through the world, but watching through movies could be fun too.
It is but I got so busy recently and didn’t do it as regularly anymore. I’ll retunr to it though and it will certianly run next yer as well. Feel fre to join anytime.