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Departures
Japan, 2008, 131 min.
A failed cellist connects with his inner undertaker, his rural hometown and his newly deceased father in this tonally eccentric, lushly scored, movingly funny drama. Crushed at the breakup of his Tokyo orchestra, Daigo retreats to his picturesque northern Japan hometown, with adoring wife in tow.... more
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The Friend
Switzerland, 2007, 89 min.
When talented young singer Larissa asks gawky Zurich student Emil to pretend to be her "friend" in front of her family, he readily agrees. But before Emil has the opportunity to play make-believe, Larissa's sister, Nora, informs him that his "girlfriend" has died. Best Film, Swiss Film Days.... more
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Terribly Happy
Denmark, 2008, 95 min.
A southern Danish village hides as many secrets as the nearby bog in this blackly comic thriller about the universal nature of compromise and corruption. Entertaining and full of surprising twists, it's a highly cinematic tale of a Copenhagen policeman working punishment-duty.... more
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The Tour
Serbia, 2008, 105 min.
In 1993, a naive Belgrade-based theater company embarks on an increasingly dangerous tour of the war-torn Krajina in this jet-black road movie. Tapping the sweet spot between comedy and tragedy, this treatise on war's chaos and humanity's foibles is accessible.... more
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White Night Wedding
Iceland, 2008, 96 min.
An irreverent uprooting and updating of Anton Chekhov's play, Ivanov. A middle-aged professor about to get married for the second time to a woman half his age — despite the opposition of his future parents-in-law — starts to get cold feet.... more
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