Cultural Arts Center of Saint Louis Recommends

Afghan Documentaries

Daughter of Afghanistan (2004) English & Arabic with English subtitles

Canadian journalist Sally Armstrong guides us on a journey following four women and one girl as they pursue their dreams of liberation. Meet the remarkable Dr. Sima Samar, a woman who defied the Taliban’s brutal edicts and became briefly Deputy Prime Minister in the new government.

CAC’s Comments: This film clearly shows how women are treated in the Afghanistan and in the Middle East as a whole. By watching this film, the viewer will learn about Dr. Sima Samar who is a very strong, brave and courageous woman. With constant assassination attempts aimed at her, she manages to fight for the women of Afghanistan and prevails by making headway one step at a time.

Kandahar (2001) English, Arabic, & Farsi with English Subtitles

Winner of a Jury Prize at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival, Kandahar is an epic tale of hope and courage, inspired by the true story of a woman’s attempt to enter Afghanistan. Nafas, an Afghan-born Canadian journalist, returns to her homeland in a desperate attempt to reach her sister. Clothed in a traditional head-to-toe burka, and posing as a subservient wife, Nafas’ odyssey takes her across a dramatic desert landscape, where she encounters overwhelmed Red Cross workers, hordes of land-mine victims and finally a wedding procession that brings her within eyeshot of Kandahar.

CAC’s Comments: This film allows the audience to not only follow Nafas on her voyage but be a part of her emotional journey through Afghanistan. This film demonstrates a perfect example of a traditional Middle Eastern wedding march which is still common and quite popular today. Linguistically, you will hear everything from basic grammar all the way to advanced Arabic and Farsi spoken throughout this film. We recommend this film to those desiring a better understanding of the Middle East and their customs.

Motherland Afghanistan (2006) English & Dari with English Subtitles

One in Seven Afghan women die in childbirth. An Afghan doctor struggles to make a difference.
Dr. Mojadidi, a specialist in women’s health, decides to return to his war-ravaged homeland to help rebuild and modernize the hospitals and clinics which serve the women of Afghanistan. Motherland Afghanistan is an inspiring portrait of dedication and fortitude in some of the most harsh and unforgiving physical, political and cultural terrains on Earth.

CAC’s Comments: In Afghanistan, if you wanted to have surgery you must pre-purchase your own suture material and gauze at a pharmacy before going to the hospital. Not much is provided for you and the same goes for medicines. After International donations and non-profit funding, certain Afghan hospitals have had the opportunity to modernize their standards and health codes.



French Films

Cross My Heart (1992) French with English Subtitles

Not since Stand By Me has a film captured all the innocence, pain and fun of growing up. When Antoine and Jerome follow their best friend Martin home from school one day, they discover why he has been acting so strangely – his mother had been dead for three days and he’s been keeping it a secret for fear of being sent to an orphanage. That calls for a pact – to preserve Martin’s home life at all costs. They’ll learn to cook, sign his report cards, even sell the furniture in order to keep him out of the clutches of meddlesome adults. Filled with comic escapades and bittersweet adventures, Cross My Heart brings back the magic and mystery of childhood.

CAC’s Comments: This film is by far the best French film that exists today. It is a tragic-comedy about family life and the joys of childhood. The acting is outstanding and the main characters become your friends while you understand what it really means to cross your heart.

La Dilettante (1998) French, no Subtitles

Pierrette Dumortier, femme de caractère et sans défense contre l’ennui, décide un beau jour de tout quitter, amant, relations, et fortune pour retourner à Paris. Elle s’installe dans le studio de son fils, plus surprise que ravi, quelque part en banlieue. Comment cette femme indépendante va-t-elle s’y prendre pour trouver une nouvelle vie, entre une passion subite pour un prêtre médiatique et une liaison avec un antiquaire qui la mènera en prison ?

CAC’s Comments : This is a French film you want to watch, re-watch and watch again. The sheer authenticity of it makes it so appealing and unforgettable. The scenes, acting and music are all pieced to together perfectly and form one of the funniest French films to date.

Love, Etc. (1996) French with English Subtitles

Marie meets Benoit through a personal ad. Touched by his shyness and the photo of his best friend Pierre that he sends with his response – Marie meets, courts and marries Benoit. During the wedding Pierre realizes that he too is in love with Marie. What follows is a tragic, sometime outlandish tale of two people trying to behave properly as they wreck the happiness of the other person most dear to them.

CAC’s Comments: This tale is extremely comical while captivating its audience.



Hindi Films

Asoka (2001) Hindi with English Subtitles

Traces the life of Emperor Āsoka, the grandson of Chandragupta Maurya who ascended the throne of Magadha in the 3rd century B.C. To extend the borders of his kingdom, he wages one of the bloodiest wars in history with the neighboring kingdom of Kalinga, leaving it ravaged and devastated. Confronted by the aftermath of his conquest, Āsoka is overcome with remorse and renounces the path of war to dedicate his life to spreading the teachings of Buddhism.

CAC’s Comments: By far the best musical ever produced in Bollywood. It demonstrates the Hindi culture beautifully while flaunting India’s hidden secret of film producing.



Italian Films

Bread & Tulips/Pane e Tulipani (2002) Italian with English Subtitles

When a harried housewife is accidentally left behind while on vacation with her family, she decides to take a holiday of her own in Venice. She becomes charmed by the city and her newfound freedom. She decides to extend her stay, finding a job in a flower shop, renting a room from a wistful waiter and rediscovers her love for playing the accordion. But her solo journey does not sit well with her tyrannical husband, who hires an amateur detective to bring her back home.

CAC’s Comments: This film will make you laugh out loud, bring you to tears and fill you with joy all in one and a half hours. One of the best Italian films out there today.

The Bicycle Thief/Ladri di Biciclette (1948) Italian with English Subtitles

Story of an unemployed man and his son in war devastated Rome. The father finds a job pasting up posters, work requiring a bicycle to get around. The bicycle is stolen, and the man searches Rome to find it. Panic stricken at being unable to recover his bicycle and at the prospect of losing his job, the father is compelled to steal a bicycle, only to be caught and humiliated in front of his son.

CAC’s Comments: This film will 100% immerse you in the Italian language and culture. It is a heartwarming film and will touch the soul. A dear favorite of CAC Saint Louis.



Language Documentaries

Birth of a Language (60 Minutes)

In the 1980’s, to be deaf in Nicaragua was to be lost. Deaf children were “shut in” or sent to schools for the mentally retarded. But one group of deaf children overcame these obstacles in an astounding way. Scott Pelly reports on them, and the dedicated scientist who is studying them.

CAC’s Comments: This 15 minute documentary clip that was originally aired on 60 Minutes packs a punch and then some. This is probably one of the most inspirational documentaries that exists revolving around language acquisition and is highly moving.