Films watched on New Year's: international edition

December 26, 2015 10:18 AM

Looking for recommendations of films or programs traditionally watched on New Year's, in different countries around the globe

We're putting on a mini-film festival of movies or programs traditionally watched in countries around the world for New Year's.

For example, in the US, there's usually an airing of "Rudolph's Shiny New Year," and in Russia, it's a tradition to watch the movie "Irony of Fate" on New Year's Eve. I hear that in Germany it's popular to watch "Dinner for One."

-I live in the US, so am not in need of suggestions from this part of the globe.
-We may also add films relating to other winter holidays
-Bonus points if you can provide a link to an online version, with English subtitles (if in a foreign language.)

Thanks and Happy New Year!

posted by scrambles to Media & Arts (11 answers total)

Best answer: Die Hard in the UK and Ireland.
posted by DarlingBri at 10:23 AM on December 26, 2015

Best answer: A lot of people in Sweden watch Ivanhoe (1982) on TV on New Year's Day.
posted by mbrock at 10:41 AM on December 26, 2015

Best answer: Kouhaku in Japan, which is a musical show. When I started watching it, it was delightfully over-the-top; other than the comedy segments, not understanding Japanese doesn't hurt much because it's mostly about spectacle. But since then it's gotten more dull every year, IMO. I don't think anyone does an English-subbed version, and since it's very long, I think that most people outside Japan who want to watch it either have access to a channel that carries it or look for it on torrenting services. It's still kind of fun to put on in the background, though.
posted by wintersweet at 10:41 AM on December 26, 2015

Best answer: The Oudejaarsconference in the Netherlands: a satirical review of the year, which dates back to the 1950s (and radio) and Wim Kan.
posted by holgate at 10:44 AM on December 26, 2015 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Sweden: Sagan om Karl-Bertil Jonssons julafton * Tomten är far till alla barnen
posted by Foci for Analysis at 10:46 AM on December 26, 2015

Best answer: Scotland - Hogmanay Live

(And I don't know exactly how traditional this is, but getting oneself from 'deeply hungover' to 'semi-functional' is generally done by people I know with the Vienna Philharmonic's New Year's Day Concert the next day - always broadcast live on BBC 2)
posted by Vortisaur at 12:25 PM on December 26, 2015

Best answer: Not sure if this counts since it's watched on Chinese Lunar New Year's Eve (not the Gregorian calendar's New Year) but CCTV New Year's Gala in Mainland China. It's also popular with homesick mainland Chinese immigrants living overseas. I don't know if there's a sub though.

Here's the 2015 edition. It's a really long program.
posted by whitelotus at 3:59 PM on December 26, 2015

Best answer: Dinner for One plays in Australia every New Years Eve as well. Our national broadcaster also airs the previous years' Edinburgh Military Tattoo around New Years, for some reason!
posted by Naanwhal at 5:55 PM on December 26, 2015 [1 favorite]

Best answer: UK - Jools' Annual Hootenanny, a 'live' music show on BBC2.... switch over to BBC1 at midnight for the chimes of Big Ben at midnight and a fireworks show at the London Eye / South Bank.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 5:30 PM on December 29, 2015

Best answer: Just read about ekiden and thought I'd add it for future reference. :)
posted by wintersweet at 9:09 AM on January 1, 2016

Response by poster: Thanks everyone! We now have enough to watch for several New Year's to come.
Some additional information collected from friends:

The Hogfather (2006) - UK
The Snowman (1982) - UK
Die Fledermaus (1892, but performed live) - Austria
posted by scrambles at 11:18 AM on January 9, 2016