Have you seen Finsterworld? It was one of the best German movies in years.

I would also recommend the Turkish movie and [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z069ldsumxA]The Lobster which is an US movie, but I don't think it's very well-known in Germany.

I think I might have watched at least one of those, they sound familiar, but since I don't quite remember, I guess I can treat them as unknown, thanks. :)

Never heard of it actually, thanks for the great suggestion!

The Lobster's on my list of movies to watch, but if I'm not mistaken it's relatively new, so I couldn't get a hold of it yet. I thought it was a Greek movie though? But maybe that's just the nationality of the director.

I just checked and it is indeed an international production: Greece, Ireland, UK, Netherlands, France.

No idea why I thought it is an US movie.

Oh, also.

Bertrand Blier's Buffet Froid is dark surrealism at its finest.

I just remembered that Kitchen Stories is Swedish/Norwegian. Awesome story about a neutral observer installed (on top of some sort of tennis referee chair) in a kitchen to study the everyday behaviour of its users (in order to design more ergonomic kitchens). With of course the interdiction to interact with the inhabitants, because this would totally ruin the experiment.

It is a good film.

That one I know already, but thanks for all the suggestions! :)

Dangerous Parking, funny movie about alcoholism.
Vozrachenie, movie about two boys and their dad going on a fishing trip.
Possession (1981), all out weird movie, best to go in with a blank mind.

I guess I can list a couple of brazilian movies people probably haven't seen.


O Que é Isso Companheiro / Four Days in September - Two Brazilian friends join terrorist group MR8 in order to fight Brazilian dictatorial regime during the late sixties. One gets wounded and captured during a bank hold up so his buddy decides to kidnap the American ambassador in Brazil and ask for the release of fifteen political prisoners in exchange for his life. Based on the autobiography of the same name, of one of the men involved in the kidnapping.

Central do Brasil / Central Station - The film tells the story of a disillusioned former schoolteacher who makes her living writing letters for poor illiterate people at Rio de Janeiro’s Central Station. After one of her clients is killed in a traffic accident, Isadora helps the orphan Josué search for his missing father.

O Palhaço / The Clown (very topical) - Tells the story of a clown in a small traveling circus ran by his father in the 1970’s. He dreams of life outside the circus, with the amenities that a normal house could bring. So he decides to live as an ordinary employee, a decision that affects everyone around him, particularly his father, but also himself. Later, he realizes that being a clown and that making people laugh spontaneously is the only thing he can do.

<span class="bold">Where The Wild Things Are</span> - I think this is not that unknown but it might have slipped through some cracks as I read that it was poorly marketed, also it's based on a "happy" children's book while this comes with a lot of depressing and sad moments. I liked its honesty but I would have preferred a less in-your-face message and more otherworldiness.

<span class="bold">Les innocentes</span> - A drama about pregnant nuns. What I really liked about it is how well done it was depicting the changes that happens to the nuns after they have their babies.

<span class="bold">J&auml;ttil&auml;inen</span> - It follows about the mining industry in Finland. Shows in subtle ways of how deplorable "friend corruption" or peer pressure can be, external influences that just happens that are not really given in writing, words and barely even in body language. As a contrarian and non-conformist I wanted to puke. It has hidden humour too given it's extremely calm nature, something that seems to be common in Finnish movies but as I've grown tired of fast movies, particularly American, I find this type refreshing and calming.

<span class="bold">Le h&eacute;risson</span> - 2 intelligent females, one child and a middle age woman who struggle through life because of expectations asked by society. There's some darker undertones especially surrounding the child and her parents and the seemingly implied issues the middle age woman had to face in her youth. Suffice to say it's life affirming even considering the themes. It has a peculiar end that I'm sure will be disliked by most people but I thought it contained the story well.

<span class="bold">La Grande Bellezza</span> - Rich, shallow people partying in Rome. That's it, almost no plot or character development yet there's something there. Strong cinematopgraphy and tiny pieces here and there that reveals hypocricy in society that I liked it, especially the way they were shown. I recommend watching this as an experiment, I've been meaning to rewatch just to see different details the second time, also this time without subtiles because I find Italian very beautiful and probably the most humourous language I've ever heard.

Swedish:

<span class="bold">En Man Som Heter Ove</span> - Hilarious and well done drama about a highly conservative and set-in-your-ways older man who has become tired of life but unfortunately unexpected things appear and he can't seem to throw them off him. It's very Swedish but the important parts is humanly striking, should not be lost without knowing Swedish culture or using subtitles.

<span class="bold">Hundra&aring;ringen som klev ut genom f&ouml;nstret och f&ouml;rsvann</span> - Humour and well done drama just like former. Here we follow a man who has managed to live to 100 years and is now thrown into a soul sucking home** and decides to escape. A great deal of curiousities happen on the way, in my opinion even more Swedish than the former but given the variety of life this man has led chances are even if you come from other cultures you are going to understand them. Something about the way we treat old people today makes me sad, because I don't think it's as rare as this that people live colourful lives and yet no one ever finds out about it.

**I'm so not going to live in such a home, better move to a damn jungle and become Tiger food after a few days while actually struggling for something!

These 2 movies are probably the best Swedish movies I've watched the last 15 years or so but I tend to avoid them as I don't particularly like modern movies from Sweden, they feel too much American wannabe.

I've more but I'll add them later.

The Wages of Fear

French-Italian movie from 1953 that inspired an American remake in the 70's called "Sorcerer".

Anyway, check it out. It's good.

I'll second En Man Som Heter Ove. That's an awesome movie.

Some more recommendations for Scandinavian cinema:

The Hunt - Drama about a man who becomes the target of mass hysteria after being wrongly accused of sexually abusing a child in his kindergarten class.

Festen - One of the first Dogme 95 movies and maybe the best one.

Adams Aebler - Black comedy-drama about a priest who tries to rehabilitate a neo-nazi leader.

North - Road movie about a man who had a nervous breakdown and travels through an arctic landscape on a snow mobile after he found out that he might have a son.

Haevnen - Drama about revenge, forgiveness and the friendship of two 12-year-old boys. It won the award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 83rd Academy Awards in 2011.

Antichrist - Maybe Lars von Trier's most extreme movie.

Allt flyter - Comedy about some men who form the first Swedish all male synchronized swimming team

If i am going to watch any less well known film, the first thing i do is check if it has won any European film festival awards..... if yes, then i know not to bother watching it for sure!! Lol

Pan's Labyrinth is a really good one...

Alas, it's also quite well known, as I recall it was a big hit, even surprisingly for its darker moments. I remember enjoying it a lot and I've been meaning to rewatch it but I haven't had the right mood yet.

This was a superb thread idea, I must have added at least 20 movies. Now I'm thinking of doing the same but with great novels from less known places..

Matti (2006)

A compelling journey to the depths of the human psyche, an exploration to the biggest question of the humankind: what can change the nature of a man? (The answer: booze.)

Based on a true story.