Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by Victor Khomenko (M) on June 22, 2004 at 11:20:09

In Reply to: Thank ya, sir. posted by rhizomatic on June 22, 2004 at 09:38:09:

This is not easy given how much we have discussed here, but let me take a few stabs.

Emir Kusturica should be high on any such lists... his Underground is simply a masterpiece, he is wonderful director.

Also from Yugoslavia - Dusan Makavejev with his incredible Montenegro.

From Poland come Krzysztof Zanussi with his Life as Fatal Sexually Transmitted Desease, and of course Andrzej Wajda who could be considered off-mainstreet.

I also think Bob Hoskins could indeed be considered an obscure gem of a director, and his The Raggedy Rawney is a very serious effort worth consideration... in addition to his being great actor, of course.

I think people like Cédric Klapisch could also be considered obscure in this country, and his Un Air de Famille is a wonderful film.

Bruce Beresford from Australia. Things like Black Robe are unforgettable.

Ettore Scola is vircutally unknown here, but he is a monument of a director. His Down and Dirty is a must.

Then we should probably include Agnieszka Holland - things like Angry Harvest.

Henning Carlsen and his Hunger.

From Hungary comes Ildikó Enyedi - his My Twentieth Century is good film.

Mike van Diem is also a must, his Karakter is gloomy but deep.

Visconti is also, for some strange reason, obscure in the US. Another MUST.

But I noticed the list is growing fast, and I am not even close to be done.

So let me pause here, and also suggest that many of the Soviet/Russian directors fall into this category, but since most of them are hard to find, maybe it would make more sense for you to see what's available and then ask pointed questions.

Also, I intentionally kept off the Asian film industry - you might ask TAFKA Steve directly, as his knowledge of that area is unmatched, I think.