Top five non-English films to watch
Turn on the subtitles and hit play. Liangyu Sun presents five incredible films from around the globe that you have to check out.
A sun (陽光普照）
Taiwanese director Chung Mong-hong’s fifth feature film, “A sun”, was regarded as one of the best Mandarin language films in 2019, and won 5 prizes at the Taiwan Golden Horse Award. The story starts with your everyday, hard-working family living in Taiwan. Despite living under the same roof, the four family members hardly see or know each other, but when a tragedy strikes upon the brothers, the family is put at risk of falling apart. The film is infused with horror and absurdity, exploring the unspeakable lives and the meaning of family in post-modern Taiwan.
The bonus：If you are a fan of Taiwanese TV drama, you might recognise Greg Hsu in the film playing the older brother. Hsu also acted in the popular TV series “Someday or One day” (想見你).
Director: Chung Mong-hong
Language：Mandarin
Watch: Netflix
Balloon （དབུགས་ལྒང་། 气球）
“Balloon”, the Tibetan language drama film directed by Tibetan Chinese director Pema Tseden, was first debuted in the 76th Venice film festival in 2019, and has received overwhelming compliments across Chinese media platforms since. Dedicated to producing experimental Tibetan language films in his film career, Pema Tseden tells the poignant stories of births and deaths inside a three-generation Tibetan family.
Drolkar, who plays the wife and main character, sees her fate taken out of her own hands after she discovers she is pregnant. The child is a fate she cannot financially afford. The film is deeply embedded with feminist undertones and overall acts as a metaphor illustrating the patriarchal values that continue to define the lives of Tibetan women.
The cinematography of the film is also beautifully designed and arranged. The combination of the natural landscape, Buddhist symbols, and metaphoric storytelling has made the film an extraordinary visual experience.
Director: Pema Tseden
Language： Tibetan
Watch: Iqiyi
Minari （미나리）
Debuting in 2020, Minari hit Cinemas across Sydney in April. Awarded Best Foreign Language film at the Golden Globe and nominated for 6 awards in the 2021 Oscar, this North American film features the diasporic life of a Korean American family living in America in the 1980s.
Minari is an essential vegetable in Korean families that was introduced to North America, it acts as a metaphor of the Yi family immigration to Arkansas, California. Directed by Lee Issac Chung, ‘Minari’ tells the chronicle of a migrant family through a combination of comedy and drama. It also touches on the social problems migrants grapple like navigating cultural differences and facing racism.
If you are a fan of the ‘Walking Dead’ or historical K-drama you would be familar with the lead actors: Steven Yeun, and Han Ye-ri, the Korean actress who appeared in the Six Flying Dragons and Nokdu Flower who star as Mr. and Mrs. Yi.
Director: Lee Isaac Chung
Languages： Korean & English
Watch：Cinema （April 2021）
Parasite (기생충／寄生蟲)
Perhaps one of the most widely discussed film in 2019, “Parasite” is a black comedy directed by the Korean director Bong Joon-ho who is also known for Memories of Murder and the adapted sci-fi film Snowpiercer. It is a story of two families, one lives in a basement and works seasonal jobs like pizza wrapping; the other lives in a luxury home among South Korea’s elite. The story starts here when their paths overlap.
“Parasite” touches on social inequality through dark humour; it makes you laugh, cry and keeps you on the edge of your seat. You can also find the Director's exploration on post-coloniality in the everyday lives of Koreans through metaphors and symbolic elements.
Song Kang-ho, who has a long-term partnership with Director Boong, and has acted as lead actor in several award-winning Korean films before, including The Attorny and A Taxi Driver , is the leading face in the film.
Director：Bong Joon-ho
Language：Korean
Watch：Online （Stan）
Undine
“Undine” is the modern adaptation of the Undine-mythos, and won Silver bear best actress in the Berlin film festival in 2020. Relocating the ancient mythology in modern Berlin, the story starts with lead character Undine breaking up with her boyfriend. Undine is a water spirit who was only able to achieve her human form by falling in love with someone — one who must remain faithful to her or else forfeit their life.
Moving beyond the reincarnation of ancient mythology, ‘Undine’ brings the clashes between ancient mythos and modern-day life under the spotlight. It explores the meaning of modern love and the meaningfulness or meaninglessness of fidelity. Water, the most important element of the mythos and the film, were beautifully represented throughout the movie. It’s a bonus to your list if you love supernatural theme movies, mythologies, or simply modern romantic drama.
Director：Christian Petzold
Language：German
Watch: Coming soon on Amazon and Netflix