Limiting yourself to English language films will make you miss out on so many other films. A lot of people don’t like reading subtitles, but these can make you discover new characters and stories and submerge yourself in the discovery of a new culture. The success of the Korean movie Parasite (winner of 4 Oscar 2020 awards) inspired me to write this article and help others fall in love with some of my favourite foreign language movies.
- Sister In Arms
-
Sister In Arms is a French war movie based on historic events. It tells the story of three women who are soldiers in Syria and fight alongside the Kurdish forces. They are born in different cultures but are united through their fight. The three women-fighters start healing their past wounds and discover their strength, more precisely the fear they inspire in their opponents. They soon become bound together and become sisters-in-arms. I really like this movie because it shows how strong women can be and strong female leads are always greatly appreciated especially when the character is well-directed and portrayed. The director, Caroline Fourest and the actresses Dilan Gwyn, Camélia Jordana and Esther Garrel did a wonderful job.
- Your Name
-
Your Name is a Japanese animated fantasy drama film. The movie tells the story of Mitsuha and Taki, two Japanese high schoolers, who respectively live in Itomori and Tokyo. After a star shower, they start to switch bodies and this continues to happen randomly. Through their exchanges, they build a connection and communicate with each other. I don’t want to say much about this movie because there is a huge plot twist that I was not expecting the first time I watched it. It’s a great movie that takes you on an adventure.
- On Your Wedding Day
-
On Your Wedding Day is a South Korean romantic comedy. The movie is about Woo Yeon and Seung Hee and their experience with first love. We witness the hardships that they go through over the span of 10 years as they go from teenagers to adults. This movie is one of my favourite movies I ever watched. I always have a hard time with romantic comedies as they can be predictable, but this movie made me laugh, cry and surprised me with the ending. A must watch.
- The Wedding Party
-
The Wedding Party is a Nigerian romantic comedy released in 2016. It tells the story of Dunni and Dozie’s wedding day which does not go as planned because of ex-girlfriends, fighting parents and uninvited guests. The Wedding Party is an extremely funny movie, and as an African, I relate a lot to some of the reactions people the characters had. I usually only watch Nigerian movies if I’m at my grandma’s house and she happens to be watching them, but this movie made me want to watch even more Nigerian movies because of how funny they can be.