202. Tokyo godfathers (2003)

Country: Japan
Directed by Satoshi Kon

An anime comedy-drama film 'Tokyo godfathers' combines with interesting way humanism, cynicism, commercial representations, alternative representations, authentic emotions but also melodrama, presenting marginalized characters who try to survive in a very indifferent society full of rules and norms,  in an attractive story telling that is quite pleasant to watch. However, the real subject of the film is the one that dominates too many of Japanese movies film no matter the era that were produced: the relation of the individual with his family, the huge importance of the concept of family in Japanese culture

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