When engineer Zhao Shuxin loses his prized black cannon chess piece in a hotel room, he sends a telegram stating, “Missing black cannon, search in 301 for Zhao.” But the message is intercepted by Chinese authorities, setting in motion a bumbling investigation that only becomes more ridiculous with each passing day. Huang Jianxin’s rare (for its time) political comedy takes on China’s bureaucracy and authorities, using wit and satire to accomplish what most filmmakers wouldn’t dare to attempt.
Tag: 1980s
Shot in B&W, Gyula Gazdag’s film follows the surreal and often comic quests of young Andris, an orphan searching for a father who doesn’t exist, and Orban, a government clerk who’s had enough of oppressive bureaucracy.
Alien spirits from outer space land on earth and take over the bodies of the recently deceased–but their purpose isn’t what it would appear to be.
Dragon is a bloody dictator, who kills every opponent. People live hopelessly, until Lancelot comes to save the beautiful Elsa. Lancelot can only win, if all people become free from fear, that is feeding the Dragon’s power. Dragon’s multiple personalities, ranging from a “dragon” to a “samurai” to a “Nazi”, scare the hell out of all people, except Lancelot. Finally Dragon drops all his masks, to become the most dangerous of his incarnations – “himself”. And the battle begins.
Seven Women, Seven Sins represents a quintessential moment in film history. The women filmmakers invited to direct for the seven sins were amongst the world’s most renown: Helke Sander (Gluttony), Bette Gordon (Greed), Maxi Cohen (Anger), Chantal Akerman (Sloth), Valie Export (Lust), Laurence Gavron (Envy), and Ulrike Ottinger (Pride). Each filmmaker had the liberty of choosing a sin to interpret as they wished. The final film reflected this diversity, including traditional narrative fiction, experimental video, a musical, a radical documentary, and was delivered in multiple formats from 16, super 16, video and 35mm.
The last decade (1937-47) of the poet Hans Fallada’s life. He lives with his family in Carwitz. His craving for harmony collides with the circumstances of the times and his own inner turmoil. He writes already anything of note, drinks and takes pills. His wife Anna sees him through his times of darkest depression, tolerating his overt aggression and his affair with the house maid Anneliese. But once he begins a relationships with the manufacturer’s widow Ursula Losch, Anna finally calls for a divorce. His love for the pretty, young Ursula delivers him a new thirst for life, but only for a brief time.
Upon arriving at an all-male brothel where he is welcomed as a regular, controversial Irish scribe Oscar Wilde is treated to a surprise performance of his recently banned work of theater, “Salome.” As a group of prostitutes runs through a bizarre and bawdy version of the play — which retells the story of Herod, his daughter and the execution of John the Baptist — Wilde responds to the sexual advances of a handsome young man.