Indie Flicks in the Global South
March 17, 2021 7:51 AM Subscribe
Lately we've been on a kick with indie, kinda-sad-but-not-depressing-sometimes-funny movies with Asian actors and directors (Farewell, Minari, Tigertail, Namesake). Looking for movies with the same kind of feel from South America and Africa that I can stream easily. Prefer stories set in those locales rather than immigration stories like the above, but those are interesting as well.
Monos is a very cool Colombian drama. It starts as a sort of surreal “Lord of the Flies” and morphs into an action/adventure film. It’s not funny, it’s in fact sort of grim. But it isn’t graphically violent and surprisingly free of any sexual violence. More importantly, it’s a great film! It is one of the excellent movies the pandemic buried in 2020.
posted by cakelite at 9:00 AM on March 17, 2021
posted by cakelite at 9:00 AM on March 17, 2021
Best answer: The Ethiopian film Lamb is quite lovely.
posted by bluedaisy at 9:54 AM on March 17, 2021
posted by bluedaisy at 9:54 AM on March 17, 2021
Mexico: Fernando Frías de la Parra: Ya no estoy aquí. Part of it is set in Mexico, part in the U.S., it's sort of a 1/2 immigrant story, except much, much stranger and funnier.
posted by signal at 10:22 AM on March 17, 2021
posted by signal at 10:22 AM on March 17, 2021
Best answer: Atlantics on Netflix is from and set in Senegal. Here's the NYT review that convinced me to watch it.
posted by carolr at 10:41 AM on March 17, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by carolr at 10:41 AM on March 17, 2021 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I Am Not A Witch is one of my favorite movies, set in Zambia, a somewhat absurdist tale of an orphan who is accused of being a witch. It's beautifully shot and acted, and very moving. It is apparently on Roku, Hoopla, Tubi, Mubi... etc.
posted by acidic at 12:50 PM on March 17, 2021
posted by acidic at 12:50 PM on March 17, 2021
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Alicia Scherson: Play, Turistas
Pablo Larraín: Tony Manero, Ema
Sebastián Lelio: La Sagrada Familia, Gloria (also the US remake Gloria Bell, same director), Una Mujer Fantástica (won an Oscar)
Pepa San Martín: Rara
Cristián Jiménez: Ilusiones ópticas
Disclaimer: I'm friends with all of these directors except Larraín.
posted by signal at 8:22 AM on March 17, 2021 [1 favorite]