201. Son of the northeast (1982)

Country: Thailand
Directed by Vichit Kounavudhi

Nothing really special here but this documentary style fiction film has to be mentioned as it depicts with accuracy the hardships of the poor villagers of Isaan that even if the film is set at 30 's didnt change for many decades, but also their rich, playfull, almost paganistic culture. The movie combines dramatical and comical elements and somehow balances ethnography, social comentary and humanism

200. The herd (1979)

Country: Turkey
Directed by Zeki Okten

My favorite film among those that Zeki Okten shot under the directions of the jailed Yilmaz Guney, "the Herd" is a materpiece of the realistic political cinema that presents with a rare complexity a devastating in many levels picture of Turkish society , portraying the country as a feudal, undeveloped, corrupted place where injustice and extreme exploitation of the illiterate poor are a sad norm. Okten and Guney scream for a radical social change through powerful images of misery that haunt the viewer of the film long after he finishes watching the movie

- You can watch the full movie here: https://youtu.be/lsFW1WGBnwY

199. Jumping (1984)

Country: Japan
Directed by Osamu Tezuka

Every time I watch this short animation I feel that Tezuka had here a missed opportunity to make a real masterpiece. The drowing often looks inconsisted, the humour in the film doesn't really work, instead of something else what mostly is depicted are scared animals as Tezuka hardly inhales to the movie any social ,political or philosophical views . However, is no way 'Jumping' to left out of the list. Among the others  the flow of the picture with every jump is absolutelly fantastic and when you watch the film you feel that is you who flies jumping  higher and higher.

You can watch the film here: https://youtu.be/ubb6g5K4zeo

198. The warped ones (1960)

Country: Japan
Directed by Koreyoshi Kurahara

From the many Japanese movies of 50's and 60's having as subject a wild dangerous youth and unlawful characters with a reckless lifestyle, this is my favorite. Not only because it uses sex, crime and violence justified enough and not just as a way to attracts tickets. What a admire to the film mostly  is that presents its young marginalized characters as 'ugly' without any idealization but also it doesn't ends with conservative moral conclusions and depicts equally the hidden ugliness of the uper classes. Then the film is quite innovative: uses its music score with fantastic way, he manages at times to escalate a feeling of frenzy when at other moments gives you the feel of documentary, its directed with fresness and its quite imaginative. A rather unknown gem of Japanese cinema

You can watch the full movie here: https://youtu.be/-JXvrq0o1E8

197. The white-eye bird (1962)

Country: Vietnam
Directed by Nguyen Van Thong and Tran Vu

Is difficult to have an accurate idea about a film that you watched without English subtitles so without to be able to undedstand the dialogues. However, "The white-eye bird" is a classic film glorifying the struggle of Vietnamese people against colonialism with a beautiful black and white photography,  lyricism, a strikingly cute young girl as a heroine, and a nice melodramatic end (taking aside the rather annoying music). Sure, it looks old fashioned and childish at times but still I thought that it coudn't be ommited from this list

You can watch the full movie here: https://youtu.be/389uF5izSdY

196. 2LDK (2003)

Country: Japan
Directed by Yukihiko Tsutsumi

A bittersweet satire of the fierce world of show business where people do everything to get money and fame while the dreams of the most get crushed under the mersiless competition. The film combines succesfuly various genres, including comedy, drama, action and terror, has a lot of tension from its first minute and ends with a nice, compassioned way: the two young actors/models of the story are not the brainless girls of the stereotype but nothing more than victims

You can watch the full movie here: https://youtu.be/ERGBmCneUO8

195. The bus (1976)

Country: Turkey
Directed by Tunc Okan

Many years passed since I watched this film but still I remember its vivid effort to depict the strong cultural shock that many immigrants faced back then going to the West -something that in many cases still remains the same- but also its intention to deal with most of their other issues as xenophobia, discrimination, exploitation, failed expectations etc. One of the most direct and universally valid films about immigration, 'The bus' may have a lot of weak sides but is worth satching because it captures quite well the traumatic experience of migration from the immigrants point view

194. Loot (2012)

Country: Nepal
Directed by Nischal Basnet

A mixture of action movie and musical, inspared both from Hollywood and Bollywood, 'Loot' is a decent effort of modernizing the commercial Nepalese cinema: the dialogues are realistic, the acting not that bad, the plot thick with twists. Still the standards of the film remain low, especially comparing with the most films of this 1001 list, but we have to remember how low was its budget and mostly how is in general the quality of Nepalese cinema with almost non existent artistic tradition

You can watch the full movie here: https://youtu.be/oRjjJ5LkGPY

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

186. I saw the devil (2010)

Country: South Korea
Directed by Kim Jee-woon

Normally I should refuse to mention such a brutal , exploitative and sadistic film in this list as the depiction of violence seems to be the only reason of its existence. However, the sadism of the film works in many levels in a way that 'I saw the devil' ends up been almost an essay about the deepest and ugliest side of the human nature. Not only the main character-good guy comes to enjoy to torture getting revenge , but the viewers of the film too ,as the plot unrolls , they are craving as well for more tortures and more depiction of pain. To watch the film gives you a guilty pleasure: you end up been beast like the ones in the film. Needless to say that technically the film is flawless, but is questionable if this covers the feeling of emptiness that gives you

You can watch the full movie with spanish subtitles here: https://youtu.be/H2urkBmYXTs

185. Confessions of a dog (2005)

Country: Japan
Directed by Ken Takahashi

Even if the ending of the film is very simplistic and old fashioned no one can deny that generally 'Confessions of a dog' is an interesting movie , very pleasant to watch, with its 190 minutes of duration to pass in no time. The main theme of the film is police corruption,  in a system rotten to the core, that is exposed here from the basis to the top without hesitation: Japan with its surface of order and civilization seems to remain a place where the public is cheated, the law is not imposed to everybody, police is the dominant mafia group and money always talks

You can watch the full movie here: https://youtu.be/kOsrZe8M95Q

184. Chants of lotus (2007)

Country: Indonesia
Directed by Upi Avianto, Nia di Nata, Lasja Fauzia, Fatimah Dony

A very brave omnibus film, directed by four female directors, unique in the Indonesian film production of recent years, that presents various social issues from the women's perspective as women are always much more exposed , often marginalized and victimized in the country's patriarchic society. Is not a surptise that it cencored heavily by the "cultural" autorities. The film is bold and dark , exposing a dim reality without sugaring the pill. If some hope comes out of the film it comes from the strength of its women characters who, more or less, find the power to stand against their exploiters and fight

You can watch the full movie, without subtitles, here : https://youtu.be/rsItCOsp_4Q

183. Butterfly dress pledge (1974)

Country: Japan
Directed by Shuji Terayama

One of my favorite shorts of the director, this film, even if in some moments looks a bit pretendious, is incredibly powerful , with unforgetable images and a poetry that is directly connected with the subconscious. Terayama is the best on exposing the animal nature of human existence and the its contradiction with the civilization and the social norms: at the end the guilty pleasure of our desires became sad, grotesque and nightmarish. However, regarding the film you can have as many interpretation you want as it is an unclassified explosion of the director's imagination

You can find the movie here: https://youtu.be/cBVVnJJZWVo

182. Rashomon (1950)

Country: Japan
Directed by Akira Kurosawa

What you can write for a legendary film as Rashomon when already are written for it hundreds of thousands of articles! Personally I agree that is a masterpiece, I think that it deserves all this fame and I am impressed that 65 years later it remains powerful and fresh , capturing the attention of audiences with different backgrounds and preferences

181. Salween (1994)

Country: Thailand
Directed by Chatrichalerm Yukol

One of my favorite Yukol movies 'Salween' stands out combining really well action, melodrama, humanism, politics, lyricism. Moreover is directed with a realistic , convisting way although it has a strong epic tone. The best example of old school Thai action cinema that I watched so far

180. Children of the beehive (1948)

Country: Japan
Directed by Hiroshi Shimizu

Although I am not a fan of Hiroshi Shimizu I can't deny that he is a leading figure of Japanese cinema and various of his movies they could be easily a part of any list with the best Japanese movies of all time. The comment of Mizoguchi that he and Ozu worked hard to make great movies but Shimizu was a genious is enough to show how well respected the director is by the people who know about cinema. 'Children of the beehive' is one of his best films, where he depicts the the tragic conditions of living in the post war Japan , in a film filled with emotion, humanism and the usual optimism of the director

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

179. Crossroads (1928)

Country: Japan
Directed by Teinosuke Kinugasa

Althouth the plot is nothing much of interesting and it's often over melodramatic , this expressionistic avand guard film is quite important and, together with the 'Page of madness' of the same director, unique for the Asian cinema of the silent era. Very beautiful visually, having incorporated many modern and daring cinematic techniques, is a landmark of Japanese cinema even if today looks a bit tired and even comical on its dramatic exaggeration

You can watch the full movie here: https://youtu.be/te2dEhpwCHo

178. The eye (2002)

Country: Hong Kong
Directed by Pang brothers

A solid blending of supernatural, mysticism, visual and phsycological terror, 'The eye' is somehow in the borders of a standard commercial horror movie and of an alternative horror movie. Many years passed since I watched the film, so my review in general can't be that accurate but for sure it was something fresh at the time of its release and is among the films that were highly influencial for its genre the following years. Nothing too great but is a film that can't pass unoticed

177. Wonderfull town (2007)

Country: Thailand
Directed by Additya Assarat

A quiet , modest film with some tender inned beauty, Wonderfull town depicts a love that blooms slowly in a place that is still haunted by the tragic experience of tsunami. It's true that the director missed the opportunity for something much greater, as he touched subjects that finally hesitated to fully explore and is a bitter feeling when you sense that a decent movie could be a great one instead. Anyway the film has certaintly a quality and a originallity so it will not let you disappointed

You can watch the full movie here ( is watchable even without subtitles as is sort of quiet film) : https://youtu.be/BreiDk1tlWA

176. The big durian (2003)

Country: Malaysia
Directed by Ammir Muhhamad

In 'Big durian'Muhhamad , as he likes to do often, explores the complex political and social reality of his country, with humor, irony, criticism , but more than anything else, with deep love for the Malaysian people. Taking as excuse an incident of the country's history he writes a kind of visual essay about the racial politics that were implied by the state all these years in a country with apopulation who has impressive diversity. The Big durian works often as a documentary, as a fictional documentary, as a comedy, as a musical. This is the style that made Mohhamad an unique director in Malaysia and his movies always interesting

You can watch the full movie here: https://youtu.be/uT-kSfYuvEw

175. Memories of murder (2003)

Country: South Korea
Directed by Bong Joon-ho

Crime films usually are not my cup of tea but this one is so vivid, so realistic, so well and with imaginative way made that I include it without second thought to my list. 'Memories of murder' is a flawless film, exemplary for its genre , with a a plot that has complexity and depth, incorporating somehow lot of comments for the Korean society, the human nature, our fears and desires, our dark side. The kind of movie that when you watch it the time flies

174. The perfumed nightmare (1977)

Country: Philippines
Directed by Kidlat Tahimik

A simple childish story, narrated with innovative but still primitive ways but at the same time a genial blending of documentary, fictional autobiography and essay using magical realism with unique way, 'The perfumed nightmare' more than anything else is a loud voice against imperialism and capitalist commercialization and globalization. Tahimik defends strongly his people, his culture, his country as post colonial Philippines suffered heavily (stil they suffer) a cultural and economical occupation under the United States been far from be independed. A rare masterpiece of independed Filippino cinema, with a difficult to describe powerful beauty

173. Sisters of Gion (1936)

Country: Japan
Directed by Kenji Mizoguchi

Mizoguchi in his entire career explored almost systematically the position of women in Japanese society , presenting strong female characters but with lives that always were ruled by men. Sisters of Gion is is a great example of they way that the director was thinking about the subject having a semi-feminjsf approach but also probably his finest pre-war work, a beautiful and high quality film in any detail that it looks still modern after 80 years from the time that was shot

You can watch the full movie here: https://youtu.be/_ORqGVIK7-M

172. Spirited away (2001)

Country: Japan
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki

Spirited away is the highest grossing film in Japanese history but at the same time is one of the most critically aclaimed animation of all time : most critics consider that it's the best work of Miyazaki and studio Ghibli. Even if all this praise seems a bit exaggerative, is no doubt that we talk about a great film , very imaginative, having blended well elements from the Japanese folk tradition with outside traditions, visually beautiful, poetical, almost magical (although I would like it more artistical and less commercial at times). It's a nice fairy tale that can be seen and give pleasure to people of all ages

171. Bedevilled (2010)

Country: South Korea
Directed by Jang Cheol-soo

Althouth 'Bedevilled' somehow fails to meet at the end the expectations that itself created earlier,  still is an very interesting film to watch, the type that never makes you feel bored or indifferent for the fate of its characters. It's an intense and dark revenge film that gives you mainly phychological fear at the first half to explode in violence to the second. However, both violence and revenge are not only well legitimized but even more are welcomed: the amount of pleasure that the killing gives you is almost surprizing and this is an interesting side of the film. A promising debut film by Jang Cheol-soo

You can watch the full movie here: https://youtu.be/CqIg_uSA2lE

170. Today ( 2008)

Country : Sri Lanka
Directed by Malaka Dewapriya

'Today' can't be called exactly an Asian movie as is in any terms a German production, but it's included in this list as its director is a Sri Lankan experimental filmaker and visual artist, representative of a wave of young artists who try to modernize the old fashioned Senhalese cinema. In this 4 minutes film Dewapriya explores masterfully thems as the isolation of individual in a modern enviroment, the replacement of direct human communication by the one that is performed via the technology, the metathesis of happiness in some uncertain future

- You can watch the film here: https://youtu.be/qMR1FxHb3MA

169. 13 beloved (2006)

Country : Thailand
Directed by Chookiat Sakveerakul

Nothing very special here but still a quite decent example of the modern Thai cinema when tries to combine genres , in this case action, comedy and horror, in one. Moreover, as also happen often in Thai movies, you can get from the film some moral messages as criticizing the cynicism and marerialism of the Thai society where, nowadays, money tends to mean everything. 13 Beloved is well directed, has a catchy plot and is fun to watch it, forgiving that is an not very imaginative,  rather commercial, simplistic work

- You can watch the full movie here: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2dxioc_full-thai-movie-13-beloved-eng-sub_fun

168. After life (1999)

Country: Japan
Directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda

I have a great admiration for the movies of Kore-eda and I consider that he is among the handfull of the really great directors of the modern cinema era worldwide. 'After life' is one of his many films that built inside of me this positive opinion. It's a delicate movie of unique beauty, never melodramatic but full of humanism and emotions, a film about the real life of the ordinary people, the life of anyone of us, that makes you think about the real imprortant things of your existence and bring back intense memories. Finally, no matter the stage your are currently and your condition of living, you end up with a huge appreciation for youf life, for the beautiful moments you had, for the love you ever gave, took or ,even better, share. A real masterpiece.

167. Drunken angel (1948)

Country: Japan
Directed by Akira Kurosawa

Although this dark post war yakusa related film is not among the Kurosawa masterpieces , still is such a vivid, realistic, high quality, in every aspect and detail, work that is impossible to leave it out from this list. Drunken Angel was the secenth film of the director but probably the first one that he really showed what was capable to do (although the 1946 film 'no regrets for our youth" was a nice movie as well). Moreover was the first colaboration of Kurosawa with Toshiro Mifune that with the years became a legendary figure in most of director's great films

You can watch the full movie here: https://youtu.be/MNPII4kI4Oo

166. Peppermind candy (2000)

Country : South Korea
Direceted by Chang-dong Lee

A bitter film, that much bitter that becomes devastating, 'Peppermind candy' doen't just narrate backwards the life of a brutal and corrupted man tracking down when and how he lost his soul and innocense. The film narrates as well the troubled modern history of South Korea and how a model of violent and desperate Korean man was shapped by the entire autoritarian political system and the social structure. The film is working in many levels but moxt of all is a punch in the stomach : it hits you in the most sensitive part, as you can't avoid somehow to recognize yourself in the main character. A masterpiece of the modern Korean cinema.

- You can watch the full movie here : https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gucqjv3KWT8

165. The housemaid (1960)

Country: South Korea
Directed by Kim Ki-young

The housemaid is a legendary film that always is considered by the critics as one of the three best Korean films of all time. However, personally I find it very overrated, although I admit that it was for the era of its production impressivelly modern both on terms of form and content, so obviously is something very important . Kim ki-young creates a strange film of sexual obsession and morbidity, where the dream and reality are mixed , having as a result an absurd world of deformity. The housemaid is a disturbing, ugly ,  unpredictable film very difficult to be classified: in some turns looks like a terror movie, in others as a melodrama or a parody of melodrama, in others an ironic social alegory. In any case, is good to not miss it.

You can watch the full movie with Spanjsh subtitles here: https://youtu.be/oD8QDji3OBE

164. Maborosi (1995)

Country: Japan
Directed by Hirokazu Kore-Eda

The first fiction of the director,  who showed from the very beginning his huge talent, 'Maborosi' is a deeply existential movie where most of the action is off screen and the silence speaks volumes. In the film the human being is exposed naked and frail, struggling to find balance and peace as is haunted by anxiety, fears, guilt, memories and by the inavoidable death, the contradicted with the eternal and indifferent nature. The film , so beautiful visually and so intense even if for most of its duration seems that nothing is happening, is not emotional at all nor dramatic, however it finds its way to touch deeply anyone who watch it

You can watch the full movie without English subtitles here : http://www.veoh.com/m/watch.php?v=v6956337Kh5ysaqA?h1=Maboroshi+No+Hikari

163. Muddy river (1981)

Country: Japan
Directed by Kohei Oguri

One of the cases that the director remains largely unknown but the movie is considered by the critics as a masterpiece, often voted among the top 10 best Japanese movies ever made. Without doubt Muddy river deserves this honor: Oguri follows the best traditions of the great masters of Japanase cinema to create a sweet bitter film about childhood with a very strong social commentary that gjves you a mixture of many contradicted feelings. As the disillusioned people try hard to survive in the post war period ,hardness is there , poverty is there, but still hope, innocence, and humanity evolve from the ashes of society. The film is emotional, has an strong inner poetry and many memorable, breath taking moments. A must to watch !

162. Ju-on: The grudge (2002)

Country: Japan
Directed by Takashi Shimizu

I am not a big fan of J-horror as it's been established the last 20 years with specific commercial characteristics and international audience.  However, I like and appreciate , even if they are far from to be masterpieces, a hand full of movies from this period. Ju-on is one of them and if you watch it probably you will understand why: beyond of any analysis Ju-on is really scary to watch. It creates a creepy atmosphere of psychological fear that obliges the viewer to feel insecure, uncomfortable and scared even if he is not sure what is this that make him feel that way. The plot often is complicated , without much sense and absurd: this is make the movie more weird and scary because is not a typical predictable film and the viewer doesn't know what to expect next. Somehow, is an inner archaic fear the one that is evoked when you watch the Ju-on: The grudge film. Even if not much violence is depicted the film still seems brutal. It's for sure an interesting movie to watch

161. Hope (1970)

Country: Turkey
Directed by Yilmaz Guney

'Hope' is a very significant film for the revolutionary cinema movement in Turkey but also for Yilmaz Guney who after this movie radicalized his work,  turn it clearly in a political stream until the end of his life. However is interesting that 'Hope' is not a direct political film involving or incorporating a kind of communist propaganda. Instead the main character avoids any political participation,  hunting after his personal illusions. What Guney does is to tear one by one the false hopes of his hero as his financial and mental condition get gorsen,  been left at the end with nothing than despair. Then , without the movie to mention, is clear that the only path that is someone in his social position can follow is the path of the social struggle. Guney , to pass his message, uses a rather hard black and white photography,  a naturalism without much dramatization. However the end of the film is both tragic and surreal

You can watch the full movie (but without subtitles) here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9_3Y4RKUcU

160. Fight for us (1989)

Country: Philippines
Directed by Lino Brocka

Artistically 'Fight with 'Fight for us'  can't reach the quality of others, previous Brocka's works. However, is a significal film as is probably the most radical, political daring and direct film ever made in Phillipines on attacking the Filipino regime that , even after the fall of Ferdinand Marcos, continued to oppress the people with that much brutality as before. With very emphatic way, through the story of a priest who after years of dynamic opposition to the previous government decides to be a peaceful activist until realize that this is not enough so he returns to the method of armed resistance , Brocka says that nothing really changed to the country and the people have to fight hard until the real liberation

You can watch the full movie here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubJtywJcS6E

159. Dry summer (1964)

Country: Turkey
Directed by Metin Erksan

A classic black and white drama  narrating the fight for domination of the natural sources from conflicted groups of people, in this case of the water that for thousands of years was the most valuable asset for the agriculture societies. Then is the 'war' for the women that can be even more brutal than the previous one : the land and the girls, this seems to be the definition of prosperity . But mostly are the common patterns of the human behaviour that fascinate the viewer: the greed, the passion, the betrayal, Erksan uses a simple, easy to follow storyline that gets even more direct with the naturalistic way that is directed, to present all the above and he does it really well in a film that is considered as a masterpiece of Turkish cinema

 You can watch the full movie here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAtf1DBi7YQ

158. Nagarik (1952)

Country; India
Directed by Ritwik Ghatak

'Nagarik' is the first film of Ritwik Ghatak, where the director sets the themes and the ideology that  followed in all his career as a society conscious cinematographer. It's an astonishing film , surprisingly mature, that was clearly the first Indian independent art movie ever made. Ghatak there makes a very well done and artistic mixture between naturalism and impressionism without to follow any of the rules of commercial cinema of his days and 'Nagarik' could be a huge landmark in the history of Indian cinema as someone easily could divide it as pre-nagarik cinema and post-nagarik cinema: however the film sadly couldn't be influential on time as it released 25 years after its production. 'Nagarik' is also impressively radical on the political views that express : Ghatak not only makes a rather Marxist analysis explaining the poverty through the disillusionment of the leading characters, but  openly calls the people to stand against the injustice and to fight under the flags of the communist party

You can watch the full movie here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T03UYDTIgGA

157. Black snow (1965)

Country: Japan
Directed by Tetsuji Takechi

As I wrote also for ' Daydream' ,an other Tetsuji Takechi film, 'Black snow' artistically is not something very special either. However is an important film for the history of Japanese cinema: as combines . more or less as never before,  radical politics , violence and erotism in a provocative manner. In reality nudism and erotism are not the most important elements of the film that poses as pink but mostly declares an extreme anti-Americanism expressing the outrage of a large part of Japanese society, both right and left wing driven, for the American military and cultural occupation. Was not a surprise that the film banned and Takechi be prosecuted by the government officially on obscenity charges but in reality because the reaction of the American army and CIA. Takechi said on the matter: 'the censors are getting though about Black snow. I admit there are many nude scenes in the film but they are psychological nude scenes symbolizing the defencelessness of the Japanese people in the face of American invasion'

156. Graceland (2006)

Country: Thailand
Directed by Anocha Suwichakornpong

Obviously not a masterpiece here but this short film is anyway a nice example of the new independent Thai cinema that emerged the last 15 years , under the strong influence of Apichatpong Weerasethakul who paved the road for the others breaking the monopoly of the old fashioned movie industry. ''Graceland ' is a rather enigmatic film that doesn't give informations about its main characters and this make it more interesting and charming. Everything in the plot is ambiguous or in contrast : the glamorous lights of the city and the fancy clothes ( and dreams) of the hero exist together with the rural undeveloped landscape , the mud and the miserable small room that he is staying in at a poor neighborhood. His sexuality seems also to be messed up as it seems to work as a rent boy with women as costumers but in reality has a gay identity. As about the female character seems independant, matute, with high social status the same time that almost collapses from personal problems that are unknown to us

You can watch the movie here: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xrufnf_%E0%B8%AB%E0%B8%99-%E0%B8%87%E0%B8%AA-%E0%B8%99-graceland-%E0%B9%82%E0%B8%94%E0%B8%A2-%E0%B8%AD%E0%B9%82%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%8A%E0%B8%B2-%E0%B8%AA-%E0%B8%A7-%E0%B8%8A%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%9E%E0%B8%87%E0%B8%A9_shortfilms

155. Hard boiled (1992)

Country: Hong Kong
Directed by John Woo

If you like the John Woo's style with  heavy and choreographic shootouts, slow motions, mexican standoffs, numerous deaths with the blood to be spilled everywhere but also with humor and lyricism, then you will like Hard boiled, the last movie the director made in Hong Kong before- unfortunately- departs for the Hollywood. As I can remember 'Hard boiled' is a such impressive visually movie, with so intense and non stop natural action, that is difficult for one to find any other film , not only from Woo himself but from any other director, to be comparison. Is highly recommended for the fans of the action movies genre

154. Nobody knows (2004)

Country: Japan
Directed by Hirokazu Koreeda

Koreeda is one of the most important contemporary Japanese directors and in this movie is obvious why. The film is impressively realistic and minimal, with images and performances of the actors so natural that you forget the filming camera, with a plot that is unrolled with very balanced way and a drama that goes to its peak smoothly as the film not need over sentimentalism to be touching. With a few words,  is a such powerful movie that since you begin to watch it you get involved and worried about the fate of the children characters as you could do with living persons. The film avoids to make direct social comments or to give a depth to the story that narrates, adding to it some additional background: however watching these abandoned children to try hard to survive ,without anybody to knows but in reality without anybody to care to notice, avoidable leads to a loud conclusion that puts the blame on society

You can watch the full movie here: http://www.veoh.com/watch/v6604783PfgFyfKk?h1=Nobody+Knows+%28Dare+mo+shiranai%29

153. Dojoji temple (1976)

Country: Japan
Directed by Kihachiro Kawamoto

I never get bored to watch again and again this Kihachiro Kawamoto's haunted masterpiece made with his usual technique of stop motion puppet animation. This 18 minutes film narrates a story of woman passion with powerful way, playing with the sounds, the music, the strange, artificial motion. and of course the combination of puppets and drawing.  'Dojoji temple' is very beautiful visually but is the whole combination of things that make it so interesting . Kawamoto narrates a rather scary folk story using heavily elements from the most original Japanese arts: Kabuki, No and Bunraku. After a slow and a bit confusing start the film gets weird, wild and poetical : in a few words fascinating

You can watch the full movie here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xprfFZI9GjI

152. Grave of the fireflies (1988)

Country: Japan
Directed by Isao Takahata

One of the finest examples of the great animation films that studio Ghibli used to produce , this animated film is an experience difficult to be forgotten for anyone who watch it. It's probably among the most heartbreaking movies ever made, an anti-war drama with powerful realism, that gives you to drink the poison until the last drop without to let space for any hope, without to ease your difficult position as a viewer. War and its consequences is brutal and the film lets you know first hand about this. Not need to praise the film farther; just watch it. Even if the creators of the film never use cheap tricks to milk your tears is impossible to manage to not cry at the end