WHEN YOU CAN'T TRAVEL, WATCH FOREIGN FILMS!

I absolutely love traveling.  It exposes me to different people, languages, cultures, perspectives, and way of doing things.  It helps me to think OUTSIDE of the box and helps me to look at things from a more worldly perspective.  But when I can't travel, I expose myself to different people, languages, cultures, perspectives, and way of doing things by watching foreign films.

Do you ever get sick and tired of the same old Hollywood predictable plot lines?  Bank robberies, fast cars, and over-the-top special effects?  The good guy always winning?  The main character always getting the girl? 

Think about it.  English is just one language.  There are up to 7,000 different languages spoken around the world.  Why limit yourself to watching movies in English when there are so many other options?  Most people don’t realize that India producesmore films per year than the United States.  Japan, China, France, Italy, Spain, and Germany also produce a healthy number of films per year, along with many other countries.  There is so much amazing talent out there that most English-speakers haven’t been exposed to.

Watching a movie in a foreign language might sound more like torture than pleasure, but reading subtitles gets easier and easier over time.  When I find a truly great movie I often forget that I’m even reading subtitles.  And I get the added satisfaction that I got to watch something truly remarkable, that most of my friends have never even heard of.  Please watch the movies in their original languages!  Watching a foreign movie dubbed in English takes so much away from it.

Here is a list of ten of my favorite foreign language films and why I think you will fall in love with them.

1     Run Lola Run (1998) – Language: German – IMDB Rating: 7.8 – If you are in the mood for something original and thrilling, Run Lola Run should be on your watch list.  This movie will suck you in and have you on the edge of your seat from the very beginning. The music is guaranteed to have your heart pounding.  You will find yourself cheering for the main characters, even though they make some desperate decisions that are highly illegal.  You find yourself questioning your own morals and wondering, “What would I do in that situation?”  It’s the most original movie I think I’ve ever seen.  It shows us that each choice we make in our lives can lead to dramatically different consequences – so we should be careful to choose wisely because you don’t get a second chance…or do you?  This is a movie you will never forget, and surely want to watch again and again.  

2     Life is Beautiful (1997) – Languages: Italian, German – IMDB Rating: 8.6 – If you feel like watching something that teaches you to always look on the bright side, no matter how difficult the situation, Life is Beautiful is the film for you.  This movie is the most heartwarming but heart wrenchingly sad movie I’ve ever seen.  A family is victim of the Holocaust and gets put into a concentration camp during World War II.  Determined to shelter their young son from the horrors of reality, they convince him that they are merely playing an elaborate game.  This movie takes one of the most horrible events of world history and turns it into one of positivity, love, and hope.  You will feel more compassion for the characters in this film than you ever have before.  You will find yourself wondering what you would do in this situation.  You are guaranteed to laugh and cry as you watch possibly the most beautiful movie ever made.  

3     Amelie (2001) – Language: French – IMDB Rating: 8.4 – If you are looking for a film that will make you feel playful and happy and take you for a magical adventure, Amelie is the movie you should watch. You will simply adore it, especially the main character, played marvelously by Audrey Tautou. Amelie develops an extraordinary imagination because as a child her overprotective parents sheltered her so much that she didn’t get much interaction with others. She learns to use her imagination to make something extraordinary out of the simplest things, and will have you smiling the whole way through. When she grows up and moves into an apartment of her own in Paris she is still very shy and innocent, but becomes intrigued by the lives of others and begins spying on them. In her own unique mischievous way, she ends up bringing happiness to those around her. This movie is guaranteed to charm you, to make you smile, and to make you feel an overwhelming sense of happiness. 

4     Castaway on the Moon (2009) – Language: Korean – IMDB Rating: 8.2 - Even though I do really like Tom Hanks “Castaway” movie, this one is a million times better.  This movie is unique beyond description.  Castaway on the Moon is a perfect mix of drama and humor.  The main character starts out suicidal, but after a botched suicide attempt he finds himself stranded on a river island in an urban area.  He can see overpasses and skyscrapers, but it seems no one notices him.  If only he knew how to swim!  He has to adapt and survive using the washed up garbage and debris from the city.  In his fight for survival he develops a new appreciation for life.  While stranded on his island, he develops a relationship with an agoraphobic misfit who lives in one of the city’s high rise apartments and is obsessed with the moon.  When she spots him through her telescope she is sure she has discovered an alien from outer space.  You will fall in love with this quirky, unconventional movie. 

 

5     PK (2014) – Languages: Hindi, Urdu, English – IMDB Rating: 8.3 - This film is a goofy and wonderful gem.  It’s a tale of love, friendship, and life lessons.  If you’ve never seen a Bollywood film before, this one will get you hooked on the Bollywood film industry.  It’s colorful, musical, and just the right amount of cheesy.  The main character’s innocence and oddities will win you over instantly.  He looks at the world in a way no one else does, and makes others rethink their lives.  Social issues are looked at through this movie, but from a humorous angle.  It will have you laughing out loud and maybe even crying at some points.  You will be swept away to beautiful places on this adventure, and will get to experience the vibrant color and complexity of Indian society.  It’s an absolute masterpiece, and you will get to meet some of India’s best actors through it. 

 
6     Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) – Language: Spanish – IMDB Rating: 8.2 – This film is extremely creepy and magical at the same time. Although some people may describe Pan’s Labyrinth as a fairy tale, it’s definitely not for kids. It’s a dark fairy tale full of violence and brutality, but also hope. It is set in Spain at the end of the Spanish civil war under the regime of Francisco Franco. The main character, an innocent young girl, escapes the horrors of reality and finds herself on a desperate mission in a dark fantasy world. Some of the characters in the fantasy world of Pan’s Labyrinth would surely make little kids cry. The quality of storytelling and seamless overlapping of fantasy and reality is what makes this movie so brilliant. And as an added plus for people not used to foreign films, it doesn’t require an excessive reading of subtitles because it is more visual than dialogue driven. 


7     Ida (2013) – Language: Polish – IMDB Rating: 7.4 - Set in 1960’s post World War II Poland, this movie makes you believe that it was truly filmed during that era.  It is visually stunning, and the black and white images and choice of music are perfectly fit to the story.  The story is told in a very calm, quiet way.  The main character was raised in a Catholic orphanage.  She is about to take her vows to become a nun, but before she does that she has to go on a journey to meet aunt, her only living relative, and learn who she really is.  Ida is pious and innocent, and her aunt is a gruff alcoholic.  Ida learns that she is really Jewish, and that her parents hid her at the orphanage at the end of the war to save her from the Holocaust.  Ida goes on a quest to find her parents’ grave, and her experience outside of the nunnery make her question everything she thought she knew.  


 

8     Good Bye Lenin! (2003) – Language: German – IMDB Rating: 7.7 - The story line of this movie is extremely creative, tackling social issues in a humorous, satirical way.  It takes place around the time of the Cold War in East Germany, around the time of the fall of the Berlin Wall.  A mother who has dedicated her life to supporting the communist party ideals has a heart attack and falls into a coma when she sees her son on TV getting arrested in an anti-communist protest.  When she awakens, Germany has been reunited and western ideals and goods have poured in.  Everything is dramatically different.  Her son fears that his mother will fall back into a coma if she learns the truth.  To protect his mother, he creates a false reality and goes out of his way to trick his mother into believing that everything is as it was before the fall of the wall.  You won’t believe the things he has to do to keep this illusion up!  

 

9     Like Stars on Earth (2007) – Languages: Hindi & English – IMDB Rating: 8.5 – This film is uplifting, heartwarming, and inspiring.  It sends us the very powerful message that every child is special, and is especially powerful for parents and educators.  What each child needs to be successful may not be the same.  The little boy in this movie is always misbehaving and failing in school and his parents and teachers don’t know what to do with him.  He gets sent away to a boarding school because his parents and teachers think that strict discipline is the only thing that can straighten him out.  Boarding school starts out horribly for him, and he becomes severely depressed.  No matter how hard he tries, he still fails.  When his usual art teacher gets replaced by a highly unconventional teacher, things start to look up for him.  You will feel an overwhelming sense of joy when you see the little boy’s world start to turn around.  Like Stars on Earth will make you look at “difficult children” in a whole new light.
 

10     My name is Khan (2010) – Languages: Hindu, Urdu, English – IMDB Rating: 7.9 - This film will introduce you to a beautiful way of looking at the world.  “There are only two kinds of people in this world.  Good people who do good deeds.  And bad people who do bad.”  The main character’s mother taught him this when he was a child, and he lives by it.  You will grow emotionally attached to this Indian Muslim boy with Asperger’s syndrome because of his innocence, blunt honesty, and good heart.  As a child in Mumbai, India he faces the challenges of being different than all the other children.  When he is older, he moves to the United States where he falls in love with a Hindu woman.  His open heart leads him to many new experiences, both good and bad, and helps him to make friends and enemies of different backgrounds.  This movie will help you to look past race, religion, and social class and see people for who they truly are.  


Give these films a try!  They will open up your world.  Nowadays it is easy to find great foreign films.  You can even find many of these films on Netflix.

What are your favorite foreign films?  Please post in the comments below! 

DAD'S ADVENTURES IN PARADISE PART 3 of 4 - ST. VINCENT & THE GRENADINES

ST. VINCENT & THE GRENADINES -

Monday, October 26 -

  

We got inside the bay at Union Island outside of the town of Clifton at 3:45pm, and didn’t think we had time to anchor.  Skeeter grabbed a VHF radio, our passports, and clearance papers and jumped into the dinghy (crossing our fingers that it would run properly!) and put-putted to the dinghy dock and ran to the customs office. 

 

 In the meantime, I was driving Salt Whistle, trying to keep her in one place in the bay, fighting against a strong outgoing tide on my beam and the wind on my bow.  This was my first time driving Salt Whistle without Skeeter aboard.  In the back of my mind I was worrying about what I would do if I lost power while inside the tight bay, with shallow reef directly downwind from me.  Dropping anchor is easier said than done when the anchored is tied off on the bow and I cannot leave the helm even for a second.  

 I then heard Skeeter hail me on the VHF.  The customs office in Clifton does not take payments after 3:30pm (though they’re open until 4:30), so he’d have to walk to the airport.  Crap! 

Skeeter had to run to the airport to check into customs

Skeeter ran to the airport as I continued to hold position.  At the airport he was charged the overtime fees after all (80EC, $32US), even though the clock read 4:31pm and he had just gone on a wild goose chase to clear in!  Anyway, I was extremely relieved when Skeeter got back to the boat because the sun was starting to go down, I was tired of holding position and fighting the wind and current, and I really had to pee but couldn’t leave the helm!        

The sun was setting, and we weren't yet anchored for the night

We had planned to spend the night in Chatham Bay on Union Island, but instead we decided to motor to Frigate Island because it was closer and we were racing the sunset.  We anchored there in time, went for a sunset swim and took our daily boat showers.  

 I heated up leftover spaghetti and made some plantains and salad for dinner, and we watched “Into the Blue.”  Dad thought it was hokey but highly entertaining.

Tuesday, October 27 -

We woke up at 6am and managed to begin our sail to Bequia at 7am.  I always love getting an early start.  It was a beautiful day to sail.  The sky was clear, the seas were calm, and the winds were a steady 10 knots.  These were the calmest conditions we had ever experienced.  We played some Bob Marley and Jack Johnson as we sailed.  Dad slept most of the way.  

Calm enough seas to be up on the bow!

 At around 11am we decided to use the engine and motor sail so we could arrive with some daylight to spare.  Near the fort at the entrance to our anchorage, Port Elizabeth, Bequia there was an old shipwreck.  We were checking that out when all of a sudden we saw dolphins!  They were passing by us to take advantage of a big fish boil in the distance.

Shipwreck at the entrance to Port Elizabeth, Bequia

Dropping the mainsail as we enter the bay

Motoring into Port Elizabeth

BEQUIA -

We arrived in Bequia at around 2:30pm.  It’s a beautiful island, and the bay at Port Elizabeth is dotted with old fishing boats, sailboats, and tall ships.  We saw our friends’ boat, Cosmos Mariner, in the anchorage too!   

Cosmos Mariner, Windjammer, & a Lagoon catamaran

We dropped anchor, then went for a snorkel by the boat.  The bottom was a mixture of sand and sea grass.  Dad was very excited to see a gold spotted eel, and was determined that it was a snake.  He watched it for a long time, and dove down to get a closer look.  

A goldspotted eel

 After our boat showers we put on the dinghy motor and dinghied into shore.  We walked around town and did some exploring.  October 27^th is Independence Day for St. Vincent and the Grenadines, so it was a lively atmosphere.  There was a lot of music, drinking, and dancing in the streets. 

The entrance to this place, the Whale Boner, is made from whale ribs.  Sadly, Bequia still hunts whales :(

Most places were closed for the holiday, but we did manage to find an open restaurant called Maria’s.  It was next door to "Pizza Hut."  We all ordered Fish & Chips, and watched the sunset.  Service was very slow, but the food was delicious.  It was not your typical deep fried fish & chips.  The fish was fresh caught kingfish, baked in island spices.  Our waitress told us proudly that her son caught our fish.  

Bequia's "Pizza Hut"

Sunset our first night in Bequia

We went back to the boat and relaxed, and started watching “Shallow Hal,” but Dad fell asleep just a few minutes into it so we decided to call it a night.

Wednesday, October 28^th -

This morning we dinghied to shore and met up with our friends Rob & Deb next to the ferry dock.  

This ferry goes to the main island, St. Vincent

Rob and Deb are on S/V Cosmos Mariner (and also have a blog).  We  shared a safari style taxi and went to the Old Hegg Turtle Sanctuary, on the other side of the island.   

Deb & Rob from S/V Cosmos Mariner

Dad is excited to be going to the Turtle Sanctuary

Skeeter on the open air taxi

We were all excited to be visiting the turtle sanctuary.  We all love turtles, and are eager to learn as much as we can and to help them survive.

 

Dad outside the sanctuary

We paid our entrance fee, and stepped inside to the sanctuary.  The entrance fee goes toward feeding the turtles and maintaining their tanks.  They need to clean the tanks and change the water daily. 

There were numerous big rectangular pools, surrounded by smaller square pools.  The turtles were separated by age.  The biggest turtles were nearly big enough to be released back into the wild.  Some of the smaller pools contained the turtles who needed to be separated from the others for their own health and safety or that of the others.  

Brother King educates people about the turtles

  

The turtle on the left is a Hawksbill, and the one on the right is the only Green at the sanctuary.

Joshua is one of Brother King's knowledgeable assistants

 There were also smaller circular pools that contained lots and lots of tiny turtle hatchlings.

A pool of Hawksbill turtle hatchlings

 And some circular pools that contained one or two big turtles.

She was a very interactive Hawksbill turtle

The sanctuary is owned and operated by a retired local fisherman, Brother King, who started trying to help the endangered Hawksbill sea turtles have a better chance of survival.   

Brother King, the founder of the Old Hegg Turtle Sanctuary

 

He collects turtle eggs and raises them in his sanctuary until they are about 3 years old and big enough to have a better chance of survival on their own.  He releases them at the same beaches where he found them, in hopes that when the females reach maturity they will return to lay eggs of their own.   

Brother educates both tourists and locals, and hopes he can help save these magnificent reptiles from extinction.  They are still hunted in this area of the Caribbean, and their populations are dwindling. 

After our visit to the turtle sanctuary we took a walk around the beach town of Port Elizabeth.  

The Friendship Rose, a tall ship that does charters

 Then we took a walk along the boardwalk.  It runs along the waterfront, in front of various shops and restaurants.

 

If you hike over the hill it turns into a lookout deck and staircase along rocky cliffs overlooking the anchorage.  We could see Salt Whistle & Cosmos Mariner down below.  

Salt Whistle

Cosmos Mariner

It then follows the cliffs and runs just above sea level toward the picturesque Princess Margaret Beach.   

On the beach we met a local woman named Fay, who has been selling her handicrafts and souvenirs in Bequia for decades.  Dad found some nice little handmade fish keychain souvenirs for his friends at the Senior Center.

Princess Margaret Beach

Fay's beach stall on Princess Margaret Beach

On the way back from Princess Margaret Beach, Skeeter and I thought about how badly we need to scrape the hull and get the months and months of growth off before our big sail to St. Lucia.  It is a 63 nautical mile sail, and that extra drag on the hull would slow us down significantly.  With a clean hull we would move through the water much more easily, and it could add an entire knot of speed, reducing our total sail by hours. 

  

Taking a little rest on the walk back

The dive shop where we rented tanks

We decided to stop in at Dive Bequia on the boardwalk and see if we could rent some tanks.  We got 2 tanks ($15 each) and high-tailed it to the boat since we had to get the tanks back to the dive shop by 4pm and it was already 2. 

We scarfed down some sandwiches, threw on our scuba gear, grabbed some scrapers and a green scrubby sponge, and got to work.   

Getting geared up to go scrape the hull

Covered from head to toe, ready to scrape

We covered ourselves well with hoods, gloves, and wetsuits, realizing that we would be encountering millions of pinching shrimp, crabs, hydroids, fire coral, and other organisms.  It took us an hour and a half, and the hull looked beautifully clean.   

While cleaning the propeller, I noticed that the prop nut had vibrated itself loose.  Yikes!  Skeeter got a crescent wrench and tightened it down.  That could have been bad!  We dropped down to the bottom and took turns brushing the shrimp, crabs, and other sea life off of each other.  I even had a baby lobster on me!

No one wants to lose a propeller at sea!

When we ascended, Dad told us that it was almost 4pm, our deadline for returning the scuba tanks and for checking out of customs without incurring any overtime charges!  We didn't want to have to pay absurd overtime fees again!  We took off our scuba gear as quickly as we could, and rinsed off.  I dropped Skeeter off at the customs dock, and then Dad & I headed over to the dive shop to return the tanks.  We had to wait around for the dive boat to return.  They were out for a dive, and running late getting back.

After returning the tanks, Dad really wanted to go for a swim.   off the docks with the Bequia swim team.  He didn't get in the water when we were scrubbing the hull for two reasons.  First, he would have gotten covered in all of the nasty buggers we were scraping off the hull, and second, people drive their boats through that anchorage like maniacs so it isn't safe to swim there.  The coach was very nice, and welcomed him to join in their practice.  He said anytime visitors would like to practice with the team they are more than welcome.  

The Bequia United Swim Club

The kids are great swimmers who work very hard.  They swim miles and miles every day in the open ocean.  They are headed to Antigua soon for a big competition.  They have a "Go-Fund-Me" page, if you'd like to help support them.   

In the meantime, Skeeter and I ran over to Knights Trading Supermarket and grabbed a few groceries.  Our stocks were running pretty low.  

Heading back to the boat

 

We headed back to the boat and had leftover Caribbean curry for dinner, watched Star Trek – Into Darkness, and prepared the boat for our long passage to St. Lucia tomorrow. 

     

Thursday, October 29 -

We woke up at 5am, before the sunrise, and left Bequia by 6am.   

Skeeter, with coffee in hand

 

We were so glad to have scraped the hull.  We could feel Salt Whistle gliding through the water better and were seeing noticeable results in our speed.  Conditions were once again absolutely gorgeous.   

Seas this calm don't happen often!

Seas were like glass!

Sunscreen time!

You missed a little on your nose ;)

 

Dad would be getting his first sailing lesson today, so he decided to do some studying before he had to take the helm.

We decided to motor sail so we could make good time, and arrive well before sunset.  This would be our longest sail, about 65 nautical miles.  We had to sail across from Port Elizabeth, Bequia to St. Vincent, past the entire island of St. Vincent, sail across to St. Lucia, and more than half way up the coast of St. Lucia.  Sailing alone would have taken us well over 13 hours, but with the motor we were able to cut it down to just over 9.5 hours.  

Mainsail up for stability and a little extra push

 

At 8:30am I thought I saw two logs in the water.  But then I saw one of the logs move.  They weren’t logs, they were sleeping dolphins!  We had never seen sleeping dolphins before!  They sleep on the surface, and look very similar to logs.  Only 45 minutes later we saw more dolphins, and one of them breached, playfully jumping out of the water.   

Dad was very enthralled by the flying fish as well.  He couldn’t believe how far they could glide!  

To be continued...

DAD'S ADVENTURES IN PARADISE PART 1 of 4 - GRENADA 

DAD'S ADVENTURES IN PARADISE PART 2 of 4 - CARRIACOU

DAD'S ADVENTURES IN PARADISE PART 3 of 4 - ST. VINCENT & THE GRENADINES

DAD'S ADVENTURES IN PARADISE PART 4 of 4 - ST. LUCIA