10. All My Friends Are Funeral Singers - 2010 - USA
The frontman of Chicago-based indie rockers Califone makes his first foray into filmmaking with a quirky fantasy dramedy 'All My Friends Are Funeral Singers' which shares the name with his band’s 2009 album. Casting the delightful Angela Bettis in a starring role, Tim Rutili recounts the folk tale of a kind-hearted 'psychic advisor', Zel, who lives a harmonious life with a bunch of ghosts until a mysterious, heavenly light shines through the trees of the nearby woods. What initially appears to be a slice of life chronicle takes a slightly darker turn in the film’s second half which could be labeled as a melancholy subversion of a haunted house peppered with quirky humor.
9. Lore - 2012 - Germany/Australia/UK
Based on the British writer Rachel Seiffert’s novel 'The Dark Room', 'Lore' marks Shortland’s sophomore effort, a fine blend of road movie and postwar drama which gives clear insight into the life of 'Hitler’s children' after the fall of the Third Reich. Accompanied by her younger siblings, one sister and three brothers, a titular heroine, the fifteen year old Hannelore Dressler, goes on a forced journey across the ravaged land, in order to reach her grandma’s home near Hamburg. An emotional and perceptive story about growing up too soon, accepting chaotic reality and taking over the heavy burden of responsibility, a disturbing and fragmented anti-fairy tale holding no supernatural elements.
8. Painted Skin - 2012 - China
The talented actress/singer Xun Zhou reprises her role as Xiao Wei, a sly fox spirit who is released from her ice-covered prison thanks to a 'little bird', Que’er. A melodramatic, fairy tale-like story of unrequited love, true beauty and redemption plays out like a parable of what makes us human, focusing on the two heroines’ obsessions. Epic in scope, it involves two subplots, one of Que’er’s relation with a clumsy demon hunter, Pang Lang and the other of a barbarian kingdom, Tian Lang, whose queen wants her brother to marry Jing.
7. Bright Future My Love - 2014 - Serbia
The only short film on the list, sardonically titled 'Bright Future My Love', recounts the story of non-life in the dystopian future which is, all things considered, not very far from the Serbian present. As a writer, director, producer, editor and supporting actor, Marko Žunić has complete control over his work, whereby the non-professional cast’s performances complement his vision. Also commendable is the choice of locations, wonderful in their decrepitude and worthy of the characters status. 'Beautiful Future My Love' is available on the author’s official vimeo channel.
6. Macadam Stories - 2015 - France
In a charming ensemble dramedy 'Macadam Stories', originally, 'Asphalte', or rather, in its central setting which is a decrepit residential building of the French suburbs, three improbable friendships are forged. Imbuing the protagonists with remarkable nuances, the entire cast displays an easygoing rapport, as Benchetrit’s screenplay shines with gentle ironies, deadpan poignancy and heartfelt meanings. The grayish palette of Pierre Aïm’s modestly beautiful photography may be cold, but this feature’s humanity lends it many warm hues.
5. Symptom - 2015 - Greece
Exploring life and unconscious mind in their dark absolute, the cine-pianist Angelos Frantzis employs both myths and human nonsense 'to reveal the symptom of the eternal battle between our instincts and our ethics', as he puts it. Throughout the film’s first act which operates as a modernization/deconstruction/subversion of an ancient legend set in a reality rift, we are introduced to creepy masked children of a remote and very gloomy island where a strange beast appears. Looking like a rock musician under the influence of 'Donnie Darko's' Frank, it wears leather jacket, biker boots and tight black pants adorned with chains. Once again, Frantzis collaborates with Coti K. who composes befittingly brooding soundscapes for his psychological fantasy and captures some stunning imagery.
4. The Whispering Star - 2015 - Japan
This is one of the most atypical Sion Sono’s features, a tranquilizing, languorously paced sci-fi drama. Aside from great performances, the film boasts some gorgeous sepia cinematography, as well as the exquisite set design by Takeshi Shimizu. Topping that are post-apocalyptic-like locales of ravaged Fukushima dubbing as the remnants of terraformed planets and turning 'The Whispering Star' into a soulful, solemn requiem for tsunami and nuclear disaster victims.
3. Diamond Island - 2016 - France/Cambodia/Germany/Qatar/Thailand
The most exotic co-production on the list is undeniably the fiction debut for the French-Cambodian helmer Davy Chou who provides impressive visuals and an insightful look at transitional Cambodia and disenchanted youth. Told from the viewpoint of its hero, and 18 year old country bumpkin, Bora, it brings a coming-of-age tale which portrays the huge gap between the destitute and the wealthy. A poetic, minimalist, somewhat meandering narrative heads in familiar directions, yet Chou takes a fresh approach in addressing social issues, marrying an almost dreamlike arthouse drama to an urban essay. By virtue of Tomas Favel’s cinematography, he treats us to numerous vivid, frame-worthy shots, never stifling the emotional resonance.
2. Hel - 2016 - Poland
Taking a cue or two from David Lynch, the directorial duo from Katarzyna Priwieziencew and Pawel Tarasiewicz, boldly blur the boundaries between gray reality and grim fiction, dreams and hallucinations to puzzling effect. They adopt fill-in-the-blanks attitude and stubbornly refuse to give us answers, leaving the mystery unsolved, red herrings lying around and the viewer guessing the characters’ true intentions all the way to the end. The titular, ill-starred American screenwriter, Jack, arrives to work on a new script in isolation, but has a hard time finding inspiration. Following a tourist girl murder and her friends disappearance, his luck changes for the better, yet two locals, Kail and Mila, assume he is the killer and begin the unofficial investigation of their own. However, there is something fishy about the seemingly nice Kail as well.
1. Easy - 2017 - Italy/Ukraine
Titled after its protagonist nickname, 'Easy' follows a former kart-driver and now a depressive and overweight middle-aged man on a life-changing road trip arranged by his younger and ostensibly successful brother. From his home in Italy to Ukraine, he is supposed to take a coffin with the body of a bricklayer who died in a construction site accident. As soon as he crosses the border, mishaps start to pile up. Handling his feature debut with assured hand, Andrea Magnani demonstrates keen sense of comedic timing and delivers a slick, extremely enjoyable road movie which tears down language barriers in the most heartwarming fashion. Getting a brilliant low-key performance from Nicola Nocella, he provides an immersive watching experience that is further enhanced by the masterful wide-screen framing and eclectic musical backing with local flavor.