193. Kwaidan (1964)

Country: Japan
Directed by Masaki Kobayashi

Four Japanese ghost folk stories narrated by one of the greatest Japanese directors of all time is just an ideal condition for anyone who likes this particular genre. 'Kwaidan' will not let you disappointed: it's made with great attention, with importance given to every detail, with elegance and a masterfull visual style with exceptional usage of colors, with powerfull use of the music and sound. A haunting film, that is better to watch in a big screen to maximize its effect , 'Kwaidan' may is not the best work of Kobayashi, may it look a bit old fashioned with the today's standards but still is a great work reflecting the genious of its director

192. Little girl of Hanoi (1973)

Country: Vietnam
Directed by Hai Ninh

Made during the Vietnam war to encourage the north Vietnamese people who were fighting against the American imberialism, 'Little girl of Hanoi' stands out not only because it documents a crucial historical period- a lot of the footage of the film is real scenes , for example, from bombarded Hanoi - but also because is very beautiful visualy, very universal in its anti-war thesis, very optimistic and humanistic although it deals with inhuman deppressing conditions. The director explains: “On December 27 [1972] when I was standing in a deep crater on Kham Thien, a well-known street in Hanoi, I saw a dead pregnant woman holding her six-year-old daughter in her arms. My desperation reached its peak here. I felt I was falling into a deep abyss. But then there was a miracle. The girl was saved and brought up by neighbors who had suffered similar fates. This gave me a faith in man and made me believe that violence and crime could not destroy the compassion and charity of Hanoians. It was this that inspired me to make The little girl of Hanoi in 1974. I wanted to bid farewell to all those unknown people who laid down their lives, to convey my pain as an insider, as one who had witnessed those events. My work is a wreath offered at their funeral, a joss stick that I have lighted for their souls.”

You can watch the full movie, without English subtitles here: https://youtu.be/xclOnreuBIw

191. Meghe Dhaka Tara (1960)

Country: India
Directed by Ritwik Ghatak

I never liked much the melodramas and the stories of people who sacrifice themselves for their loved ones, a very common pattern of movie plot in most cinematographies of countries with strong family ties and relations. However, this film of Ritwik Ghatak elevates this story in a much higher lever. The film is so beautiful, so bittersweet emotional, so captivative, so fine on details that you end up spellbound from the experience of watching it. It is not a perfect film without weak sides but once more is obviously a work of a genious, a definition of how cinema should be

190. Karamay (2010)

Country: China
Directed by Xu Xin

This 6 hours running time momumental documentary is a masterpiece of the kind and deserves a lot of  praise and admiration. Although its theme is about a fire 'accident' in some provincial Chinese city that took more than 300 lives , mostly of children,  through the witnesses of their parents who remained behind we get precious informations and eye opening comments for the whole social structure and order in China, the oppressive bureaucratic nature of the goverment, the school system and the propaganded values that are incorporated to it. In any case the common individual appear too small and deffendless when is trying to stand against an ultra powerful state. Have in mind that 'Karamay 'is among the most heartbreaking films of all time

You can watch the full film here: https://youtu.be/nkO0oobweGA and https://youtu.be/JYRRw_5G8Eg

189. Only yesterday (1991)

Country: Japan
Directed by Isao Takahata

In 'Only yesterday' nothing over dramatic happens, the main character is just a simple girl with a normal  ,without much ups and downs, life, a sort of ordinary childhood and dreams that are nor ambitious or complicated. Maybe, because she is nothing of exaordinary but she is common and real with exaordinary way , we feel that we can identify ourselves with her so much and the film comes to be so touching,  having a very strong emotional impact to almost everyone who watches it. A beautiful, nostalgic, gentle animation, a great of work of art where every detail has importance, 'Only yesterday' is one of the finest works of studio Ghibli

You can watch the full movie here: https://youtu.be/OqsdbvLy0yo

188. The apple (1998)

Country: Iran
Directed by Samira Makhbalmaf

I don't know if I could call such a simple made film a masterpiece or its 17 year old director a genious but ' The apple' is certainly one of my most favorite movies of Iranian cinema and I felt very greatful that I watched it.
This semi-documentary, where a story is recreated with the same people who lived it in the reality, has a dim, shocking theme that most of directors would choose to depict as a tragedy but Makhbalmaf instead makes a hymn to the life , to the beauty of existence and a testament of faith for the human kind. One of the rare films that give a big smile to your face anytime.

You can watch the full movie with Spanish subtitles here: https://youtu.be/oEu7yQuvpfU

187. Alone (2007)

Country: Thailand
Directed by Banjong Pisanthanakun and Parkpoom Wongpoom

'Alone' is not that famous and not much appreciated as the previous movie of the director's duo 'Shutter'  but , in my opinion, is more interesting and imaginative than it. The atmosphere is solid, the flow just right, the terror convincing, the plot twist surprising. Moreover, the film gives you a really weird, dark, disturbing feeling: during you watch it you feel that something is freakish, abnormal, displaced and painfull