International Film Clips 2000 A.D. Directed by Gordon Chan (Hong Kong, 2000, 104 min.) In this new action thriller, a video-game geek is drawn into a complex international conspiracy while trying to unravel the mystery behind the assassination of his brother, a computer tycoon. (Cantonese with subtitles) Black Cat White Cat Directed by Emir Kusturica (Yugoslavia, 1999, 135 min.) East European Gypsy culture provides the backdrop for this humorous tale of a small time hustler from the Danube who attempts to repay his failed business debts by arranging a marriage between his 17-year-old son and the sister of a wealthy and successful gangster. (Serbo-Croat with subtitles) Blackmail Directed by Alfred Hitchcock (UK, 1929, 75 min.) This film features Anny Ondra, an early Hitchcock blonde, as well as a grand chase through historic London sites and the Egyptian wing of the British Museum. (English) Bread and Roses (Pan y Rosas) Directed by Ken Loach (UK/Germany/Spain/Switzerland/France, 2000, 110 min.) British director Loach transplants his leftist ideals to Los Angeles, covering the plight of non-unionized janitors. (Spanish and English with subtitles) Brother Directed by Takeshi Kitano (Japan/UK/US/France, 2000, 114 min.) In this stylistically violent gangster drama, "Beat" Takeshi ventures outside Japan for the first time, hitting the streets of L.A. (English, Japanese, Spanish, and Italian with subtitles) Burnt by the Sun Directed by Nikita Mikhalkov (Russia, 1994, 152 min.) This is a harrowing film, as Stalinist realities invade an idyllic country existence during the 1930s purge trials. The film won the Academy Award for best foreign language film in 1994, and shared the Grand Jury Prize for best film at Cannes. A brilliant film and a stunning performance by Nadia Mikhalkov, the directorís 6-year-old daughter. (Russian with subtitles) The Circle (Dayereh) Directed by Jafar Panahi (Iran/Italy, 2000, 87 min.) This is a brutally honest account of the lives of women in modern Tehran. The formal structure elegantly conveys the plight of women throughout Iranian society. (Farsi with subtitles) The Closet (Le Placard) Directed by Francis VÈber (France, 2000, 84 min.) In this outrageous farce, Daniel Auteil plays a staid accountant who pretends to come out of the closet to save his job. (French with subtitles) Divided We Fall (Musime Si Pom·hat) Directed by Jan Hrebejk (Czech Republic, 2000, 117 min.) During WWII, a Czech man shelters his Jewish neighbor from the Germans, putting himself at risk with his friend who is a Nazi collaborator. (Czech with subtitles) Everybodyís Famous! (Ledereen Beroemd!) Directed by Dominique Deruddere (Belgium/Netherlands/France, 2000, 99 min.) The Belgian Oscar nominee is a comedy of errors about a blue-collar worker who seeks pop stardom for his daughter at all costs. (Flemish with subtitles) The FiancÈs Directed by Ermanno Olmi (Italy, 1962, 76 min.) A young Milanese couple, engaged for many years, must deal with physical and emotional separation when the man finds work in Sicily. (Italian with subtitles) Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within Directed by Hironobu Sakaguchi (Japan/US, 2001) This photorealistic computer animated feature is set in 2065. A female scientist is the only hope to save the human race from an alien invasion. (English) The Golden Bowl Directed by James Ivory (France/UK/US, 2000, 134 min.) In this quietly engaging Henry James adaptation, social intrigue is abundant behind the scenes in the lives of American expatriates in London. (English) Himalaya (HimalayaólíEnfance díUn Chef) Directed by Eric Valli (France/Switzerland/UK/Nepal, 1999, 110 min.) A sort of Nepalese Western, this visually stunning Oscar nominee portrays the Tibetan subculture of the Dolpo region in the northern Himalayas. (Tibetan and German with subtitles) Juliet in Love Directed by Wilson Yip (Hong Kong, 2000, 89 min.) In this new romantic drama, a young woman looks for escape from her personal tragedies through an unorthodox relationship with an unemployed man, who looks after the illegitimate child of a mob boss. (Cantonese with subtitles) Lonely Woman Seeks Lifetime Companion Directed by Viacheslav Kristofovich (Ukraine, 1987, 91 min.) Irina Kupchenko received the Best Actress Award at the Montreal International Festival for her portrayal of Klavdia Petronova in this "sad comedy." Klavdia is approaching an age where suitors are hard to come by, so she advertises in the paper for a companion. (Russian with subtitles) Lumumba Directed by Raoul Peck (France/Belgium/Haiti/Germany, 2000, 114 min.) This chilling political thriller is about the quick rise and fall of Patrice Lumumba, the first prime minister of the independent Congo. (French and Lingala with subtitles) The Luzhin Defence Directed by Marleen Gorris (UK/France, 2000, 106 min.) Eccentric chess grandmaster Alexander Luzhin finds love in the most unlikely of places when he meets Russian aristocrat Natalia Katkova. (English) The Marquis of OÖ Directed by Eric Rohmer (France, 1976, 103 min.) At the time of the Napoleonic Wars, a virtuous and widowed Italian noblewoman, saved by a Russian count from a savage rape, finds herself unaccountably with child. She proclaims her innocence but is cast off without mercy by her family. (French with subtitles) Non-Stop New York Directed by Robert Stevenson (UK, 1937, 69 min.) A fast-paced, tongue-in-cheek Hitchcock-like yarn about a woman who can provide an alibi for an innocent man accused of murderóbut no one believes her. (English) The Outside Man Directed by Jacques Deray (France/USA, 1972, 104 min.) After assassinating a Mafia boss in Los Angeles, a Frenchman himself becomes the target of a mysterious killer. (English) The Passerby (Passante du Sans-Souci) Directed by Jacques Rouffio (France/Germany, 1982, 115 min.) Romy Schneiderís last film before her death at age 43. In it, she plays dual roles: Lina, the wife of Max Baumstein, a noble leader of an organization similar to Amnesty International and Elsa, the wife of Michel, a German Jew. The story is told in flashbacks and illustrates the events of the holocaust and its influence on a characterís life decades later. (French with subtitles) The Princess and the Warrior (Der Krieger und die Kaiserin) Directed by Tom Tykwer (Germany, 2000, 134 min.) "Run Lola Run" star Franka Potente is involved in a freak accident and believes she is saved by the man of her dreams. (German with subtitles) Providence Directed by Alain Resnais (France/Switzerland, 1977, 104 min.) The late Sir John Gielgud called this movie the "most exciting" film of his career. He stars in this tour de force as a dying novelist staving off mortality with the creation of one last work. After a surreal and sometimes comic night of fevered imaginings, morning arrives with a moving revelation. (English) The Road Home (Wo de Fu Qin Mu Qin) Directed by Zhang Yimou (China, 1999, 89 min.) A man returning home to his village in northern China for his fatherís funeral recalls the simple love story of his parentsí courtship. (Mandarin with subtitles) Rouge Directed by Stanley Kwan (Hong Kong, 1987, 99 min.) Widely considered one of the best Hong Kong films, this unusual ghost story follows a reincarnated courtesan who searches for her rich, opium-smoking lover who failed to fulfill his end of a mutual suicide pact in the 1930s. (Cantonese with subtitles) The Scandal Exposed (La Fausse Suivante) Directed by BenoÓt Jacquot (France, 1999, 90 min.) A young rich heiress decides to disguise herself as a chevalier in order to meet her future husband before marrying him. Fooled by the disguise, he reveals to her that he wants to end the relationship with his mistress because he has a better offer. He then asks the chevalier to seduce his mistress. (French with subtitles) Sexy Beast Directed by Jonathan Glazer (UK/Spain, 2000, 88 min.) In this seriocomic gangster thriller, the shady Don (Ben Kingsley) pays an unwelcome visit to Gal, a retired crook now living in Spain. (English) The Taste of Others (Le Go?t des Autres) Directed by AgnËs Jaoul (France, 1999, 112 min.) This Rohmer-like comedy about personal tastes among a disparate group of people was Franceís Oscar nomination. (French with subtitles) Under the Sand (Sous le Sable) Directed by FranÁois Ozon (France, 2000, 96 min.) Marieís husband disappears during a swim. Left with grief and denial, her unanswered questions are studiously explored. (French and English with subtitles) With a Friend Like Harry (Harry, un Ami Qui Vous Veut du Bien) Directed by Dominik Moll (France, 2000, 112 min.) In this gripping Hitchcockian thriller, old friend Harry turns out to be exceedingly helpful, to the point of discomfort. (French with subtitles) Without a Trace (Sin Dejar Huella) Directed by MarÌa Novaro (Mexico/Spain, 2000, 120 min.) The fugitives-on-the-road adventure follows Aurelia, a single mother dodging her drug-trading husband, and Ana, a Mexican artifact dealer and possible smuggler. (Spanish with subtitles)