Additional Titles
To substitute or augment the above films, suggestions are grouped below under Identity, Fidelity, or Conformity. I plan to use these for an after-school international film club.
I have included the age appropriateness following each title, country, director, date, subtitled or English, and running time.
Identity
Snow White: The Fairest of Them All, Canada, Caroline Thompson, 2001, 93 minutes, English, Any grade
Starring Miranda Richardson, this Canadian production is truer to darker versions of the story. The seven dwarfs are colors of the rainbow and days of the week and the prince is turned into a bear. The theme remains the same; don't try to change who you are or eliminate those you believe are in your way. This could be fit into the Conformity section as well.
Central Station, Brazil, Walter Salles, 1998, 106 minutes, subtitled, Middle or High School
An older woman who writes letters at the train station for the illiterate suddenly finds herself accompanying a young boy on a quest to find his father after the sudden death of his mother. An interesting twist in this story of our young hero searching for his identity is that his chaperone learns something about herself as well.
Ponette, France, Jaques Doillon, 1996, 95 minutes, subtitled, Middle or High School
Amazing four-year-old Victoire Thivisol won a best actress award for her portrayal of a grieving child whose mother died in a car crash. Her journey through grief is poignantly told through her attempts to come to terms with her loss in the following months. Identity can be forged at a very young age and adaptation to loss does not differ much regardless of how old one is or where one lives.
The Color of Paradise, Iran, Majid Majidi, 2000, 90 minutes, subtitled, Any grade
A young blind boy is barely tolerated by his widowed father yet he finds beauty in life, ultimately teaching his father that beauty is everywhere and that one's corporeal limitations do not have to prevent him from reveling in life. This could also fit into the Fidelity section as the father learns that his son is an integral part of his world.
Yeelen (Brightness), Mali, Souleymane Cisse, 1987, 105 minutes, subtitled, Advanced High School (some nudity)
Young adult Nianankoro and his mother are pursued by his evil father Soma, who searches for them using a magic rod which leads them on their way. Nianankoro's mother cautions her son that Soma is a terror and must be avoided. She gives him a fetish and a magic eye and commands him find his father's twin and deliver the magic eye that will reveal the truth in a showdown. Cisse found real people rather than actors to tell the tale of the young man's self-discovery and realization of his destiny. The film ends with the viewer wondering whether Nianankoro's progeny will choose to be good like his father and great uncle or evil like his grandfather.
The Girl Who Sold the Sun, Senegal, Djibril Diop Mambety, 1999, 45 minutes, subtitled, Any grade
Young Sili, ever-cheerful, makes her way on crutches through the day selling the daily newspaper, Le Soleil, and both sharing and enjoying the earnings. Her spirit carries her through all situations and the viewer is certain that she will endure. Individuality carries its own responsibilities to society.
Times and Winds, Turkey, Reha Erdem, 2006, 111 minutes, subtitled, High School
On the hillsides of rural Turkey, three teenagers seem to drift laconically through days punctuated by the call of the imam at measured intervals. Each deals with a different difficulty, one being that the son of the imam hates his father and prays for his death. When unencumbered by other duties, the children seem to spend a lot of time dozing on the hillsides. This one is interesting for its look at puberty from a country not often viewed by Westerners.
Motel, USA, Michael Kang, 2005, 75 minutes, English, High School
Michael Kang delivers the angst of a chubby, thirteen-year-old Chinese American boy with thick glasses as he trudges through his days, bullied by schoolmates, made to work as a "maid" in his mother's cut-rate motel, and yearning for love. Our hero suffers all the longings and indignities of puberty until a fatherly drifter comes along who takes helps him deal with the anger and frustration of his situation. Young Ernest inspires both pity and humor as he is buffeted through this turbulent period of development. Preview the scene where the boy finds a girlie magazine before deciding to screen it in the classroom.
Gattaca, USA, Andrew Niccol, 1997, 106 minutes, English, Middle or High School
Can one change his or her identity? In the future, iris scans, fingerprinting accompanied by blood samples, and urine samples have all become standard identifiers. A genetically disadvantaged man hires a DNA broker to enable him to pursue his dream of becoming an astronaut. This coming-of-age story shows the ingenuity of the human spirit along with the compassion inherent in the human race. This film could also fit into the Fidelity section.
Fidelity
Keita: Heritage of the Griot, Burkina Faso, Dani Kouyate, 1994, 94 minutes, subtitled, Middle or High School
The paradigmatic griot film, Keita gives the viewer a look at modern-day life in Burkina Faso and embeds the story of the griot within this context. The young boy must learn his heritage and place in society from the griot who comes to instruct him. The film reminds Western viewers that individuality and society have different meanings in other parts of the world and that everyone has a valued role in this society.
Abouna, Chad, Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, 2004, 84 minutes, subtitled, Middle or High School
The breakdown of the family unit interrupts the flow of life for two brothers and their mother when their father leaves them. Haroun shows how family structure is crucial to the development and maturation of children. Identity is also an important theme in this film.
Not One Less, China, Zhang Yimou, 2000, 106 minutes, subtitled, Any grade
In rural China, a thirteen-year-old farm girl is recruited to teach first through fourth grades for one month to 28 children while their teacher is away. Before he leaves, the teacher promises the girl a bonus if when he returns there is "not one less" student. When a particularly troublesome boy leaves for the city hoping to find work, our heroine determines to take off after him to bring him back with no idea what she'll find.
Chocolat, France (Cameroon), Claire Denis,1988, 106 minutes, subtitled, High School
One graphic comparison to the lifestyle described by Doris Lessing is Claire Denis' 1988 Chocolat (not to be confused with the Juliette Binoche/Johnny Depp film). The title is a slang term for "to be had,"6 and that's what happens to several of the characters. Ten-year-old France is living in Cameroon in an outpost where her father serves as a government official. Her close relationship with their cook Protee is disrupted by her mother and Protee takes it out on France, betraying her trust and causing a burn that results in a permanent scar. The integrity of the community is torn and cannot be mended.
Kirikou and the Sorceress, France, Michel Ocelot, 2000, 74 minutes, subtitled, also in English, High School (animated nudity)
This animated tale shows that little can beat big much in the same way that David beat Goliath. Kirikou sets out to defeat the Sorceress, following the same type of storyline outlined by Vladimir Propp (see Bibliography). The village has suffered in its wait for a savior, and when Kirikou is born he declares himself to be that savior.
Nowhere in Africa, Germany, Caroline Link, 2001, 141 minutes, subtitled, Advanced High School -nudity and sexual situations
A Jewish family of three flees Germany and Hitler to escape the persecution of the Jews. Settling in Kenya, the daughter grows up beginning to adopt many native ways until her parents send her to boarding school where she excels in all her studies. The lesson is that one can assimilate the lifestyle of another culture and still remain faithful to one's roots.
The Secret of Roan Inish, Ireland, John Sayles, 102 minutes, English, Any grade
Sayles transplanted a little-known Scottish tale to Ireland to weave a legend about selkies, seals who can take human shape. Told from a young girl's perspective, the story takes the viewer on a journey of self-awareness, family mystery, legend, and rediscovery. What Fiona's youth enables her to accomplish is her belief that there are no hopeless causes, allowing for the reunification of the Coneely family with the island Roan Inish and the seals, and restoring the unity of man and nature.
Whale Rider, New Zealand, Niki Caro, 2003, 101 minutes, English, Any grade
When young Pai is denied the opportunity to become leader of her Maori people because she is female, she sets out to demonstrate her worthiness, showing how the integrity of the society can be kept intact with her as their leader.
Hyenas, Senegal, Djibril Diop Mambety, 1992, 113 minutes, subtitled, Advanced students in High School
This story of calculated revenge is a retelling of Frederic Durrenmatt's The Visit, a German play in which a rich woman returns to her impoverished village promising riches to all if they will just complete one small task: kill the man who wronged her and was responsible for her exile. Senegal provides the mystique of hyenas and other animals and the local beliefs that humans can assume the shape of an animal. Like the citizens in Harrison Bergeron's world, these people are willing to sacrifice the outcast, the one most unlike the majority, in order to preserve the way of life to which they have become accustomed.
Conformity
Noi, the Albino, Iceland, Dagur Kari, 2004, 93 minutes, subtitled, Middle or High School
In Dagur Kari's character study, our eponymous hero is an outcast at home, school, and in his bleak and tiny Icelandic community. If he had been eradicated like Harrison Bergeron, the rest of the citizens would have just gone on, plodding through their ho-hum existences, probably not missing him, but Fate freed him. In true situational irony, an earthquake kills everyone close to him, leveling his house but leaving him alive and unscathed to be unearthed by crews searching the devastation. Liberated from those bonds, Noi is free to explore life undefined by the expectations of those who knew him, making this one also a possibility for inclusion under Identity.
Mother India, India, Mehboob Khan, 1957 172 minutes, subtitled, Elementary or Middle School for clips, or High School
In India's classic 1957 drama, filmmaker Mehboob Khan chronicles the life of an ordinary woman. Her rebellious son Burji is depicted as a high-spirited and demanding child. These qualities spell his doom in adulthood when he defies society's mores and attempts to kidnap a bride. His threat to the integrity of the social structure forces his mother must do the unthinkable; she must kill her own son to maintain honor and balance within the community. This act demonstrates her commitment to her world, showing a stark contrast to the prized notion of individuality in the Western world.
Children of Heaven, Iran, Majid Majidi, 1999, 88 minutes, subtitled, Any grade
Life is beautiful at its simplest. A young boy accidentally loses his sister's shoes and makes a pact with her to share his shoes so they don't overburden their parents with the problem. The family lives in a small room in which they cook, eat, and sleep, with a community tap in the courtyard. The sister attends school in the mornings and her brother in the afternoons. He meets her at a point between their schools and home. When the boy learns of a foot race with third prize being a new pair of shoes, he can hardly wait.
Offside, Iran, Jafar Panahi, 2006, 92 minutes, subtitled, Middle or High School
At a crucial qualifying soccer match, several individual girls try to get into the stadium illegally, only to be spied out by guards and taken "offside" to a cordoned-off area to await transport to the police station. This humorous look at a society shows that while laws differ around the world, human nature is the same. The filming during the actual playoff game is a good joke on the viewer, showing real fans reveling in the real victory. It teaches and entertains while commemorating a national event and stressing the importance of the spiritual mores of the society. Dramatically, even Aristotle couldn't ask for anything more.
Turtles Can Fly, Iraq, Bahman Ghobadi, 2005, 98 minutes, subtitled, Advanced students in High School
An individual can be a strong leader and still hold the good of the whole above all. Fifteen-year-old "Satellite" is an electronics whiz who leads a group of orphans in a tent settlement on the border of Iraq and Turkey during Saddam Hussein's reign. His organizational and technical skills help them to survive amidst fear and uncertainty. This stunning film shows real children who bear the physical scars of a war-torn society. This can easily fit into either of the other categories as well.
No Regrets for Our Youth, Japan, Akira Kurosawa, 1946, 110 minutes, subtitled, High School
Four friends graduate from college in the 1930s and enter adulthood amidst the turbulence preceding the Second World War. Identity meets change and conflict with society in this thoughtful drama. One's identity is sacrificed to the good of the society and this conformity determines their destiny, making this film a candidate for all three categories.
Nobody Knows, Japan, Hirokazu Koreeda, 2005, 141 minutes, subtitled, Advanced High School
Society demands that certain rules and laws be upheld, but what nobody knows, nobody can act upon. Based on true events, this story shows the lives of four siblings who live in a Tokyo apartment without adult supervision. Their attempt to protect their mother by covering up her absence in order to maintain the family unit works for awhile-until one of them suffers an accident, upsetting the balance they had tried so hard to maintain.
The King of Masks, China, Tian-Ming Wu, 1996, 91 minutes, subtitled, Any grade
An aging street performer must pass on his craft to a male heir, and lacking one, buys and orphan. When he discovers that his new "grandson" is female he rejects her and she works to regain his affection and her place as the next generation's mask performer. Identity is a determining factor here as well as the old man's dedication to his craft and fidelity, so this one can also fit all three categories.
Viva Cuba, Cuba, Juan Carlos Cremata Malberti, 2005, 80 minutes, subtitled, Elementary or Middle
This is a real "kid" film in which the director has fun with his young actors. Cultural disparity is the problem and the two kids take matters into their own hands in an effort to teach the adults that socio-economic class shouldn't matter.
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