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World Cup Of Movies 2010: Groups C & D

World Cup season is of course underway, and here at Sound on Sight we have decided to choose one film to represent each country in the running for the ultimate prize in professional sports. As the tournament takes places each time a country is eliminated we will also eliminate the movie representing that team. At the end of the month we will review the films on an episode of the Sound On Sight podcast matched to the countries finishing first, second and in third place. Here is the list of competitors from groups C & D. Good luck to the teams of all our listeners.

Group C

Slovenian

Petelinji zajtrk (Rooster’s Breakfast ) (2007)

Directed by Marko Nabersnik

Slovenian director Marko Nabersnik’s offbeat seriocomedy Rooster’s Breakfast unfurls in 1998, with Djuro (Primoz Bezjak), a recently laid-off auto mechanic, journeying out to the country. Once there, he encounters and begins to spend time with Gajas (Vlado Novak) – a kind-hearted former member of the Tito government, who now spends his days reminiscing about the “golden era” of Yugoslavia and drinking with his friends.

USA

Citizen Kane (1941)

Directed by Orson Welles

Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane is widely considered to be the greatest film to ever come out of Hollywood. The USA has hopes of one day being the greatest football club in the world. They have the population, money and athletes to do it – but only time can tell.

England

A Clockwork Orange (1971)

Directed by Stanley Kubrick.

Along with Bonnie and Clyde (1967), The Wild Bunch (1969), Dirty Harry (1971) and Straw Dogs (1971), the film is considered a landmark in the relaxation of control on violence in the cinema. Disturbing and thought-provoking, A Clockwork Orange is a cold, dystopian nightmare with a very dark sense of humor.

Algeria

La Battaglia di Algeri (The Battle of Algiers) (1967)

Directed by Gillo Pontecorvo

Considered one of the most important pieces of political filmmaking, the film chronicles the Algerian people’s struggle to overthrow the French Colonial Government in the mid-1950s. The focus is thrown on the leaders of the Liberation Movement and the French general who is driven obsessively with catching them. Superb and unrivalled.

Group D

Germany

Der Himmel über Berlin (Wings of Desire) (1987)

Directed by Wim Wenders

One of the few truly great movies to come out of the ’80s. A film of sheer visual poetry and deep emotional resonance. The film was nominated for the Golden Palm and Win Wenders won for best director at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival.

Australia

Mad Max (1979)

Directed by George Miller

Decades after being brought to the screen, Mad Max hold up well. The reason is simple: George Miller understands how to make action sequences exciting. Staging the improbable car stunts and crashes to perfection, director George Miller succeeds completely in bringing the violent, post-apocalyptic world of Mad Max to visceral life.

Ghana

Heritage Africa (2002)

Directed by Kwaw P. Ansah

A successful black civil servant’s quest for increased power and status precipitates an identity crisis.

Serbia

Underground (1995)

Directed by Emir Kustarica

One of the great moviegoing experiences of recent years — a work of staggering genius. Emir Kusturica’s Underground is, among other things, the first movie about the collapse of the former Yugoslavia that you could recommend wholeheartedly. “pretentious,” “overly long” and “too full of itself” – Underground is all of those things and a lot more.

Groups A-B / Groups C-D / Groups E-F / Groups G-H

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