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4Some
Czech Republic, 2012, 78 min.
Directed by Jan Hrebejk (Divided We Fall, Kawasaki’s Rose), this light-hearted sex comedy takes two middle-aged couples who agree to a foursome, plops them down on a tropical island and chronicles the fallout with a sly wit and a sunny disposition.... more
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7 Boxes
Paraguay, 2012, 105 min.
17-year-old Victor is offered $100 to transport seven boxes across a crowded outdoor marketplace, but the contents are linked to a serious crime and a lot of money and soon he finds himself in an adrenaline-fuelled race to outrun cops and bad guys.... more
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80 Million
Poland, 2011, 102 min.
An exciting political thriller about the struggle against Communism in Poland 1981, full of suspense, humor and surprising twists and turns as five young union leaders empty the Solidarity bank account just days before the declaration of martial law.... more
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After Lucia
Mexico, 2012, 102 min.
Emotionally vulnerable after the death of her mother in a car crash, Alejandra makes a drunken mistake, allowing herself to be filmed making out. Ashamed, she tries to ensure her father doesn’t find out the extent of the vicious bullying she endures at school. Winner, Un Certain Regard, Cannes Film... more
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The Angels’ Share
United Kingdom, 2012, 101 min.
From acclaimed director Ken Loach comes a spirited crime caper that follows a gang of misfits who hatch a scheme to steal the world's most expensive whisky. A heart-warming ode to the importance of human friendship and forgiveness – and the “water of life”. Winner: Special Jury Prize, Cannes Film Fe... more
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Barbara
Germany, 2012, 105 min.
A suspenseful, enigmatic, rigorously controlled film from leading German filmmaker Christian Petzold, focussed on the arrival of an inscrutable, evidently sophisticated Berlin doctor (Nina Hoss) in a provincial hospital in Cold War East Germany. Winner, Best Director, Berlin Film Festival... more
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Beauty
Argentina, 2012, 83 min.
An intimate and poetic evocation of the experience of a young girl from an indigenous tribe in northern Argentina working as a maid in a middle class home. Seggariao’s subtle, haunting debut has been compared to the work of Terrence Malick.... more
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Beware of Mr. Baker
USA, 2012, 92 min.
If you loved this year’s doc breakout Searching for Sugar Man, then you will not want to miss Mr. Baker, a darker, but equally fascinating, journey into the soul of a musical genius, the legendary rock-n-roll/jazz drummer Ginger Baker.... more
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Beyond the Hills
Romania, 2012, 152 min.
Powerful, weighty drama about faith and love from the director of 4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days. Atheist Alina arrives to stay with her childhood friend in a monastery, to the dismay of the priest. Winner: Best Actress, Best Screenplay, Cannes Film Festival... more
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Blancanieves
Spain, 2012, 96 min.
In this spectacular silent movie-style adaptation of Snow White, the daughter of a famous bullfighter is mistreated by her wicked stepmother. When she runs away and joins a band of dwarfs, her natural bullfighting talent is discovered, but her stepmother plots to bring her down.... more
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Bound by Flesh
USA, 2012, 95 min.
Riveting documentary about Daisy and Violet Hilton, conjoined twins who enjoyed and endured a rollercoaster show-business career in the first half of the twentieth century – including a stage act with the young Bob Hope. They also appeared in Tod Browning’s legendary horror film Freaks.... more
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Breakaway
Philippines, 2012, 88 min.
This powerful drama is all about the love of a father for his young son and his heart-wrenching desperation when the child is lost to human traffickers in the backstreets of Manila.... more
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Caesar Must Die
Italy, 2012, 76 min.
Paolo and Vittorio Taviani’s (Night of the Shooting Stars) docudrama tantalizingly blurs the line between fiction and reality. Inmates in a Roman prison stage a performance of Julius Caesar to profound and startling effect. Winner: Golden Bear, Berlin Film Festival.... more
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Call Girl
Sweden, 2012, 140 min.
Inspired by the 1976 prostitution scandal that led straight to the heart of the Swedish government, Call Girl is a meaty, never sensationalistic political thriller reminiscent of American 70s classics like All the President’s Men. Discovery Prize-winner, Toronto Film Festival.... more
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Camion
Canada, 2012, 96 min.
Refreshingly honest and precisely observed, this Quebecois drama examines the lives of a trucker and his two estranged sons after the former is involved in a terrible crash. Winner: Best Director, Karlovy Vary Film Festival.... more
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A Caretaker’s Tale
Denmark, 2011, 85 min.
This provocative parable centers on the bitter custodian of a grim housing complex and the mute, naked woman with healing sexual powers he discovers in an empty apartment. Controversial and sometimes humorous; not for all tastes but certain to generate conversation. Be advised: Explicit material... more
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Checkmate
Dominican Republic, 2011, 90 min.
David Hernandez is the famous host of a successful variety show in the Dominican Republic. When a caller to his show reveals that he is holding his family hostage, David must stay on air and play the terrorist’s game or his family dies.... more
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Children of Sarajevo
Bosnia-Herzegovina, 2012, 90 min.
A broken family serves as a metaphor for a war-damaged society in this potent drama from the director of Snow. Special Jury Prize, Un Certain Regard, Cannes; Best Actress, Sarajevo Film Festival.... more
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Clandestine Childhood
Argentina, 2012, 110 min.
The 12-year-old son of political dissidents fighting the brutal military junta in 1970s Argentina, Juan goes to school under an assumed name and gets his first crush on a girl. But when his parents suddenly need to pack up and run his life is changed forever.... more
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The Cleaner
Peru, 2012, 95 min.
In the midst of a mysterious and deadly epidemic in Lima, Perù, a depressed and isolated man cleans up after the dying. When he takes in a frightened young boy who has lost his mother, he’s quietly transformed by the experience of caring for another human being.... more
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The Clown
Brazil, 2011, 88 min.
That dream of running away to join the circus? It works in reverse here. Benjamin is a loveable clown who quits the traveling circus run by his father in search of a fan (the electrical kind) and a permanent address. Best Film, Cinema Brazil Grand Prize.... more
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Crawl
France, 2012, 95 min.
Martin, a petty crook struggling to make ends meet, falls hopelessly for Gwen, a young woman with a passion for swimming, but circumstances quickly becomes complicated. Life in a windswept seaside town in Brittany is explored with compassion in this impressive, atmospheric debut feature.... more
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The Dandelions
France, 2012, 89 min.
Nine-year-old Rachel Gladstein is burdened by her overbearing yet extremely loving parents. When the rambunctious Valérie befriends Rachel at school, the Gladstein’s lives are turned upside-down. A carefree and humorous film with a charming cameo from Isabella Rossellini.... more
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Dormant Beauty
Italy, 2012, 115 min.
Isabelle Huppert and Toni Servillo (Il Divo) are superb in this caustic political critique and keenly observed social drama centering on the hot-button issue of euthanasia. Directed by Italian master Marco Bellocchio (Vincere; Good Morning, Night).... more
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Dreamers
France, 2012, 90 min.
The script comes first! Explore the poetic journey from ideas and words to images, through the insights of some of the best filmmakers on the planet, including Jacques Audiard, Guillermo Arriaga, James Gray, Emir Kusturica and John Boorman.... more
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Eagles
Israel, 2012, 104 min.
Two senior war vets teach Israel’s young generation a lesson. “Part Notebook, part Death Wish, Eagles seems a surefire crowd-pleaser. Providing a large-caliber allegory for contemporary discontent, the provocative content and director Sabo's dry sensibility should spell art-house gold.... more
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Eat Sleep Die
Sweden, 2012, 104 min.
Nermina Lukac shines as a young Muslim who struggles to maintain her self respect when she’s laid off from work in this starkly impressive first feature from Sweden.... more
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Either Way
Iceland, 2011, 85 min.
Two highway maintenance men in 1980s Iceland find themselves at a literal and figurative crossroads in this beguiling character-driven dramedy that uses the harshly beautiful landscape as a principal character. Best Film, Torino Film Festival.... more
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Electrick Children
USA, 2012, 96 min.
A Mormon teenager (Julia Garner) discovers a forbidden cassette of rock music on her 15th birthday. She’s never heard anything like it – but is it enough to have caused an immaculate conception, as she believes? “Irresistibly fizzy as a sachet of Pop Rocks.” Variety... more
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Elephants
France, 2012, 86 min.
A funeral triggers a shift within a group of close friends. Intimacies unravel; new bonds are forged; everyday life unfolding in this affecting, quiet and poetic drama, the first feature by French artist Emmanuel Saada.... more
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The End
Spain, 2012, 90 min.
A group of friends reunites at a cabin – all except one, the victim of a practical joke years before. Suddenly all electronics and machinery stop dead; they seek help but one by one they disappear. From the writers of The Orphanage and Cell 211.... more
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The End of Time
Canada, 2012, 114 min.
A meditative, free-associative but entirely engrossing contemplation of the nature of time by the innovative non-fiction filmmaker Peter Mettler. Detroit, Big Island, India and CERN are just some of his philosophical pit-stops. Go with the (lava) flow.... more
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English Vinglish
India, 2012, 133 min.
An Indian wife and mother rediscovers her self-worth when she secretly enrolls in an accelerated English class during a stay in New York. This sweet, funny audience-pleaser proves a winning comeback vehicle for Indian megastar Sridevi after a lengthy hiatus.... more
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Far Out Isn't Far Enough: The Tomi Ungerer Story
USA, 2012, 99 min.
A thoroughly engrossing documentary about “the most famous children’s book author you have never heard of”, whose subversive and brilliant work has won him legions of fans… and more than a few enemies.... more
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The Fifth Season
Belgium, 2012, 93 min.
An apocalyptic story of a rural Belgian village stuck in perpetual winter. Teenagers Alice and Thomas struggle to make sense of this new world as ancient mysticism blends with modern fears.... more
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Fill the Void
Israel, 2012, 90 min.
An 18-year-old in Tel Aviv’s Hassidic community must choose between her heart’s desire and familial duty in a drama that makes the conventions of the marriage plot feel brand new. Winner, 7 Israeli Academy Awards, including Best Film, Best Director and Actress.... more
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Filmistaan
India, 2012, 117 min.
In this engagingly optimistic comedy, Sunny, an irrepressible Indian wannabe-actor, is mistaken for an American and kidnapped by Pakistani terrorists. Discovering his captors share his love for Bollywood movies, Sunny finds that cinema is his best escape route.... more
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First Comes Love
USA, 2012, 108 min.
Filmmaker Nina Davenport chronicles her decision to become a single mother at 41 and unexpected developments she confronts in the act of conceiving and carrying the child (including speedbumps in her relationship with the sperm donor, her gay best friend), in this funny, moving and revealing explor... more
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Flying Blind
United Kingdom, 2012, 93 min.
In this smart, slow-burn mystery, lauded stage actor Helen McCrory commands the screen as a confident, 40-ish aerospace engineer working on secret government projects whose passionate affair with a young Muslim student may not be as innocent as first thought.... more
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The Foster Boy
Switzerland, 2011, 108 min.
As harrowing as it is beautiful, this poignant drama is Switzerland’s biggest domestic box-office hit. It tells the story of an orphan boy named Max who is contracted to work on a local farm where he is exploited and abused.... more
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The Fruit Hunters
Canada, 2012, 95 min.
Environmental docs come in all shapes and sizes, but you won’t have seen any as appetizing as this sensual, seductive tribute to nature’s sweetest bounty. Join Bill Pullman and the fruit detectives in their quest for a wider world of taste sensation.... more
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Ginger & Rosa
United Kingdom, 2012, 89 min.
Growing up in Great Britain in the sixties, best friends Ginger (Elle Fanning) and Rosa (Alice Englert) are on the cutting edge of the sexual revolution. But the new freedoms come with a heavy price in this salutary tale from writer-director Sally Potter.... more
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The Girl
USA, 2012, 94 min.
Abbie Cornish gives a superb performance, at once contained and emotionally raw, as a troubled young working class Texan woman who loses custody of her child and sees an opportunity to make quick cash transporting Mexicans across the border.... more
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Goltzius and the Pelican Company
United Kingdom, 2012, 127 min.
Peter Greenaway’s stunningly visual, sexually provocative 16th-century tale focuses on a Dutch engraver who runs afoul of the authorities when his reenactments of lustful scenes from the Old Testament go beyond the pale in their carnality. F. Murray Abraham co-stars. Warning:sexually explicit scenes... more
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Here and There
Spain, 2012, 110 min.
A family man returns home to his village in Mexico after years as a migrant worker in the United States. But his dreams are tested when his pregnant wife falls ill. Winner: Critics Week Grand Prize, Cannes Film Festival.... more
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A Hijacking
Denmark, 2012, 110 min.
A fictional but sweatily plausible account of a Danish cargo ship ambushed by volatile Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean, which alternates between tensions onboard and in the Copenhagen negotiation chamber. Best Film, Thessaloniki; Best Actor, Abu Dhabi; Audience Award, AFI.... more
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I Belong
Norway, 2012, 117 min.
A Norwegian tragicomedy about how people who mean well end up hurting one another, and how acting on integrity and feelings is seen as troublesome in a rationalist society. Best Nordic Film, Haugesund Film Festival.... more
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I Do
USA, 2012, 91 min.
Jack has dedicated himself to raising his niece since the tragic death of his brother seven years earlier – so when his work visa runs out, a “green card” marriage seems like an easy option. Until he falls in love with another man… Winner: Audience Award, Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival... more
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Imagine
Poland, 2012, 105 min.
A spatial orientation instructor arrives at a Lisbon school to help blind children and young adults become more confident and self-reliant. However, his unusual teaching methods are not without risk. An engrossing and original drama. Audience Award, Best Director, Warsaw Film Festival.... more
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In the Shadow
Czech Republic, 2012, 106 min.
Inspired by the darkest days of Cold War Prague when the Soviets were tightening their grip on Czechoslovakia, this suspenseful crime drama follows an honest cop whose jewelry heist investigation is taken over by State Security.... more
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