249. Third Person Singular Number (2009)

Country: Bangladesh
Directed by Mostofa Sarwar Farooki

It seems that quite rarelly anything interesting comes out of the Bangladeshi movie industry, however this film stands out not only because of the interesting plot and the - not always solid - editing that balances between comedy and drama, art and commercialism, but mostly because with a brave feminist view addresses many issues that the oppressed women of the country face every day. A rebelious film, with a great political significant and a lot of masterfully done moments, Third Person Singular Number doesnt reach its full potential but still delivers something unique

You can watch the whole movie here: https://youtu.be/FM6UQy0t1Js

248. To Singapore, with love (2013)

Country: Singapore
Directed by Tan Pin Pin

A controversial documentary, banned in Singapore, where Singaporian communists, leftists and activists, political exiles for decades without the right to return, talk about their lives far from the motherland, their friends and relatives, giving at the same time an account of one of the darkest sides of Singapore's reality, the political oppression by the ruling party. The film is full of nostalgia and emotions from the people in exile but far from to be a personal based melodrama. What matters here is the presantation of a chapter of the country's history that shaped the lives of all these people for ever. Very well made

You can watch the full movie here: https://youtu.be/XyDUN11wPxM

247. Pyaasa (1957)

Country: India
Directed by Guru Dutt

Musical, commercial cinema, Bombay produced cinema ( that later it named as Bollywood) at its best. Pyaasa is a classic that more than 60 years later impresses with its intensity, its dignity as melodrama that doesnt try to exploit the tears, the sharp criticism to a society where the money talks loudly and the poor are suffering, its humanism and its related easily with the world as is today. With a fascinating plot and a style that keeps a great balance between an artistic and a simple, popular-like approach, Pyaasa can touch deeply any kind of audience. Such a beautiful film

246. I am 20 (1967)

Country: India
Director: S.N.S Sastry

A short documentary, created by the governtment-run producing house Films Division, where a few young people who were born exactly the day of the Independence of India get asked about their dreams, hopes and fears but mostly about their views on India. So "I am 20" is not in reality about them, is rather a film about a country who does its first steps as indepentent state and already fails badly. In just 19 minutes most of social issues of the country are exposed: the face of the country looks often ugly but these young fresh faces of the interviewed youngsters give hope. However we know already that, 50 years later, this hope got crushed. Rediscovering the film the Indian viewers of today , it said that they got shocked: the India of today faces exactly the same issues, not even one step of progress has be done

You can watch the film here: https://youtu.be/fA8h74ZW8Ok

245. In the mood for love (2000)

Country: Hong Kong
Director: Wong Kar-Wai

Once more Wong Kar-Wai makes a movie that gives you at times mixed feelings, as it seems a bit fake, pretentious, with images and heroes who look like they escaped from a fashion magazine. But then its all this amazing tension who can never find relieve, all this captivating scenes that, at first look, seem cold but they are full of depth and emotions, all these feelings that surprisingly come and we are related with. You love it or hate it, one of the most iconic love films of all time

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

244. The whale god (1962)

Country: Japan
Directed by Tokuzo Tanaka

Expecting a rather trashy production with a simplistic storyline involved a monster who kills and some sugary melodrama, somebody gets impressed by the high quality of a film that combines existentialism with fascinating action, raw violence with tender feelings, awe and terror for the dark side of life with relieve that a final realisation of harmony and cosmic unity gives: the end of the movie is nothing but death but its still highly optimistic. However its not much a surprise if you see the names of the participants in this film, from the composer, to photographer and to scenarist. An unknown and underrated moment of Japanese cinema

You can watch the full movie here: https://youtu.be/WjykZ6jTvxo

243. Children who draw (1956)

Country: Japan
Directed by Susumu Hani

An early original piece of Japanese new wave cinema, Children who draw is a sweet, cute documentary with children but somehow incorporates as well many of the obsessions of the modern cinema: phsycology and subconsious, abstract and imagination, reflection of the social conditions to the inner world and shaping of the human characters, realism, collective every day protagonists instead of the special individual. Susumu Hani does a great job portrayting the kids a d their art in a tender film that remains surprisingly fresh 60 years or so later

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