"Jaime (1999)", a masterpiece of the Portuguese
cinema, is a must-see film for every fan of the coming-of-age genre. Jaime is a 13-year-old kid who lives in a suburban area in Oporto, Portugal, with his mother, her
boyfriend, and his two younger sisters. The years are difficult, and many children are forced to labor
by their parents in order to contribute to the family budget across the country. Although child labor is
prohibited in the country, most families are on the verge of bankruptcy and are forced to resort to
desperate tactics. Businesses are also prepared to take in and exploit children since they may demand as
much as adult workers while paying lower wages and paying no taxes to the government. Jaime lives with
his mother because his parents are divorced, but no one is pressuring him to work, unlike some of his
classmates. Despite this, he sneaks out each night to work at a nearby bakery and earn money in the
hopes of bettering his life and reuniting with his mother and father.
Language: Portuguese. Subtitles: English, German, French, Spanish, Japanese.
8/28/21
"Jaime (1999)" Portugal film with subs
8/24/21
"Unexpected Encounters (1995)" - Nesmluvená setkání
Film “Nesmluvená setkání (1995)” is made for television in the cold war era
and its budget is quite limited. A scientific expedition arrives on the uninhabited planet of the Ark to
verify that the environment of the recently discovered planet is suitable for human life. Strange things
will soon happen on the Ark. Members of the expedition gradually discover that the guide to the
mysterious phenomena is a little boy, a child of terrestrial astronauts, who once crashed here. The boy
was saved and raised by an advanced and elusive civilization, which is at home on the Ark and does not
wish to be exposed. A series of dramatic events revolve around the boy - the cosmic Mowgli.
Language: Czech. Subtitles: English, German, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Japanese, Italian, Russian.
Elvis! Elvis! (1976) Swedish film
“Elvis! Elvis!” (1976) tells the story of an eight-year-old kid who has a
variety of issues as a result of his alienated connection with his mother. Junior is obstinate and
fights back when his mother wishes for him to be someone other than who he is. Will these two be able to
find common ground before the credits roll? Childhood and growing up are generally believed to be
accurately and naturally depicted in Scandinavian films, particularly Swedish ones.
Language: Swedish. Subtitles: English, German, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Japanese.
8/22/21
Sojky v hlave 1984 - Flausen im Kopf
Surprisingly, a pleasant summer film about growing up and first innocent love. Two boys live in the countryside with their parents. Their father was a great football pro, but Mato is clumsy and a dreamer while his brother Vojto prefers to watch girls. To the amusement of all the girls in the village, Mato has to be a model for his cousin, who is a hairdresser's apprentice. When an early childhood sweetheart comes to nothing, he runs away. He soon finds out that things aren't so bad at home. Language – Slovak. Subtitles – English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian.
8/18/21
It's Not Me, I Swear! 2008 - C`est pas moi, je je jure!
Léon is ten years old, has a lot of issues, and has an overactive imagination. Of course, there are the bickering parents and the obnoxious neighbors who get to spend the summer at the beach. Then there's Léa, the irritable girl who is always correct about everything. When Léon's mother decides to leave everything behind and start a new life in Greece in the summer of 1968, he is willing to go to any length to alleviate the agony. Destroy your neighbors' house, become a professional liar, and, why not, fall in love with Léa? They will overcome the anguish of growing up when you feel abandoned if they work together. “C`est pas moi, je je jure! (2008)” was filmed in Canada with French dialogue, and it deserves to be seen by a much wider audience.
8/13/21
The Suburb Crocodiles 1977 - Die Vorstadtkrokodile - German film - English Portuguese subtitles
The 1977 film “Die Vorstadtkrokodile”
is based on the children's novel Vorstadtkrokodile by Max von der Gruen.
Who
wants to belong to the crocodiles and can sew a badge on the pants, must first pass a dangerous test of
courage. Like Hannes, who is supposed to climb onto the roof of an old brick building, which will soon
be demolished. As he slips, almost all the crocodiles made up of Olaf, Maria, Otto, Theo, Frank, Rudolf,
Peter, Will, and Erich put together, go away. Lucky that Kurt, who is sitting in a wheelchair because of
polio, can watch the events at the window and call the fire brigade without any harm. Kurt gets the
nickname racing driver and soon becomes the hero of the gang. As the shops of the city are repeatedly
hit by thieves, the band must respond...
Language: German. English and Portuguese subtitles are
available in video settings.
Was soll bloß aus dir warden (1984) German movie
“Was soll bloß aus dir warden (1984)” (English - What should become of you?) is a rare film about children in low society and people who have difficulty helping them. The main character, 12-year-old Boris, lives with an alcoholic mother and her angry boyfriend. He doesn't go to school while his older friends make him commit a crime. Fortunately, a young male teacher takes control of the situation. The class goes on a summer excursion where children live in summer camp and learn many essential things likewise their teachers. This young film does not end in tragedy. I have brought this television film to a better resolution and sharpness, more colorful, translated, and subtitled in four languages. English is my original translation; others were done by translating programs.
Torzók 2001 – Abandoned – Hungarian film
Torzók, also known as Abandoned is set in a 1960s Hungarian orphanage, thus almost everyone who watches it is unfamiliar with the subject and locale. Aron Soprani is a little boy who has been abandoned by his father and placed in a government-run orphanage. Aron finds no peace in his new home, which is run by harsh, abusive individuals. Slowly building bonds with the few allies he can find, including another youngster, Attila, and two orphanage staff, Aron and his circle rely on one another to survive the orphanage's and their country's awful conditions, both of which have been wrecked by communism's spread. The original language of “Abandoned 2001” is Hungarian with built English subtitles.
8/12/21
The Quarry 2010 short movie
The Boyfriend Game 2014 short movie
The DMZ 1965 – “Bimujang jidae” Korean movie
“The DMZ (1965)” is possibly the best 1960s film I've ever watched, telling the narrative of two children who try to be children in the center of a minefield while they explore the Korean border. After the signing of the Korean War armistice in the summer of 1953, a young boy and a little girl find themselves in no man's land. Because the two are merely children, they have no idea that they are in the "DMZ" or what the DMZ is; all they know is that they are alone and in danger. Skeletons and decomposing bodies, as well as abandoned tanks, overturned trucks, damaged railroads, and rusted equipment, are common sights. There are no other people around, and nature has begun to reclaim the land — wild dogs and foxes pose a threat, and little girl subsequently becomes separated from her brother after following a cute bunny into a woodland grove and being unable to find her way back.
8/10/21
Pelle der Eroberer 1986 - Pelle the Conqueror German movie
The German version of the film "Pelle der Eroberer (1986)" has
the same plot as the more widely known Swedish version.
Late 19th century, a boat filled with
Swedish immigrants’ docks on the Danish island of Bornholm. Among them are the father and his little
son Pelle, who moved to Denmark so that the father could find work. After some time after wandering,
the father succeeds to get work on a large farm, but the attitude towards hired workers leaves much
to be desired. However, no one working there wants to give up their dream of finding a better life
than the life they left behind in Sweden.
With English subtitles.
“My sweet orange tree” 1970 movie – “O Meu Pé de Laranja Lima” Brazilian movie
The Brazilian movie “O MEU PÉ DE LARANJA LIMA” (1970) is about Zezé - a poor six-year-old boy, intelligent, sensitive, and needy. He is a sad, toy-less child who, one day, in one of his backyard games, ends up making a lime orange tree his greatest confidant. Lacking an affection, he doesn't find it in his family – no one has much patience for him. The devilish little boy goes out on the streets to do a thousand mischief. He learns everything himself; he is the “discoverer of things”. When the family moves into a house where are lots of trees in the yard, each brother chooses one for himself – one gets the mango tree, another gets the tamarind tree, and so on. Zezé is left with a small lime orange tree. However, this tree is so friendly that they talk a lot and even play together. Zezé invents for himself a fantasy world in which the great confidant is Minguinho, the lime orange tree.
This film is the first adaptation of the great book “MEU PÉ DE LARANJA LIMA” about childhood, written by José Mauro de Vasconcelos and published in 1968, just two years before the movie was created. It seems that this movie is very true to the novel, which is generally positive. Children are really cute. The end is indeed moving.
Language – Portuguese, subtitles - English, Spanish, Russian.
8/1/21
Ya no puede caminar - Can't Walk Anymore (2001) short film
Language - Spanish, subtitles - English, Spanish, French