CINEMA : WE ARE THE WORLD

FIVE INTERNATIONAL FILMS THAT JUST MIGHT MAKE YOUR LAZY WEEKEND COME ALIVE:-

1- CINEMA PARADISO (ITALY,1988):- In the dark confines of the Cinema Paradiso, a young boy and the other townsfolk try to escape from the grim realities of post-war Italy. The ambience is largely autobiographical, drawn from the memories of writer/director Giuseppe Tornatore who shows great affection for his characters, even when they suffer misfortune. Among the film's indelible images, perhaps the most memorable occurs when a film is projected on a town wall, creating an endearing contrast between differing realities.

2- IL POSTINO (ITALY,1994):- The relationship between the Chilean Nobel Prize winning poet Pablo Neruda and Mario, the postman who delivers his copious mail, is the focus here. Mario is a poet at heart and strives to win his way into the affections of the great author. Eventually, Neruda shares his leftist political philosophy as well-and helps him win over the captivating Beatrice, the woman of Mario's dreams.

3- CHILDREN OF HEAVEN (IRAN,1997):- After seeing so many American films in which family dysfunction is the norm, it can at first be unsettling to see a family whose members all love one another. Aside from the material loss, one of the things which causes the young boy Ali such pain is that his young sister Zahra worships him, and yet he has failed her.

4- ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER (SPAIN,1999):- Pedro Almodovar affectionately salutes the female spirit and alternative families in this one.The film is about Manuela's journey to Barcelona to find her dead son's father and assuage her grief. The unexpected fortitude and empathy she discovers with the help of a transexual, a stage diva, and a pregnant nun, turn All About My Mother into a joyful portrait of female bonding.

5- AMORES PERROS (MEXICO,2000):- Three stories of life along the margins in Mexico City converge in this inventive thriller. In his astonishing debut, director Alexandro Gonzalez Inarritu focuses on fractured human relationships. He brings his camera into the slums and condos and mines authentic perceptions about the strain of loyalties under the duress of an ironic, twisted reality.