Eastern European Cinema
Again this category lumps a lot of countries together where the Alice collection is not large enough to warrant separate shelf-space for each country represented. Eastern European films are often categorised by a healthy black humour, an ability to look hardship in the eye and laugh - if somewhat bitterly at times. Included here are films from Poland, Austria, Yugoslavia, the Czech Republic and Hungary. To look for films from a specific country refer to the 'By Country' link on the left.
The Oak (1992)
8.2/10
Director: Lucian Pintilie
Starring: Maia Morgenstern, Razvan Vasilescu
A darkly humourous parable set in Romania 1988, just before the fall of dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. Young schoolteacher Nela (Maia Morgenstern) is abo... Read more
The Red and The White (1967)
7.8/10
Director: Miklos Jancso
Starring: Tibor Molnar, Andras Kozak, Josef Madaras
Brilliantly photographed drama in which director Miklos Jancso examines Hungarians fighting in the Red Army in 1918 during the bloody civil war in Rus... Read more
The Round Up (1966)
7.6/10
Director: Miklos Jancso
Starring: Andras Kozak
In Hungary, the national movement led by Kossuth has been crushed and the Austrian hegemony re-established, but partisans carry on with violent action... Read more
The Seventh Continent (1989)
7.8/10
Director: Michael Haneke
Starring: Dieter Berner, Udo Samel, Leni Tanzer, Birgit Doll
A provocative and chilling depiction of a family who have lost contact with one another. Anna and Georg live with their daughter Eva, and while every... Read more
The Teacher (Ucitelka) (2016)
7.3/10
Director: Jan Hrebejk
Starring: Zuzana Mauréry, Zuzana Konecná, Csongor Kassai
Since the arrival of the new teacher, Maria Drazdechova, to a Bratislava suburban school in the year of 1983, life has turned upside down for students... Read more
The Third Half (2012)
7.9/10
Director: Darko Mitrevski
Starring: Rade Serbedzija, Mitko Apostolovski, Katarina Ivanovska, Sasko Kocev, Richard Sa...
Set during the Second World War and inspired by true events, "The Third Half" is the story of the Macedonia Football Club. Owned by Dimitry, the team... Read more
The Turin Horse (2011)
7.8/10
Director: Bela Tarr
Starring: Janos Derzsi, Erika Bok, Mihaly Kormos, Ricsi
A film of long takes and few words, "The Turin Horse" is a mesmerising distillation of Tarr's cinema. It takes its cue from Nietzsche's famous encount... Read more
The White Ribbon (2009)
7.8/10
Director: Michael Haneke
Starring: Ursina Lardi, Ulrich Tukur, Leonie Benesch, Christian Friedel
Michael Haneke ('Funny Games', 'Code Unknown', etc) does not make films with easy answers. 'The White Ribbon' offers a view of a small pre-WWI German... Read more
Three Colours Trilogy ( Blue, White, Red ) (1993)
Director: Krzysztof Kieslowski
Starring: Juliette Binoche, Irene Jacob, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Zbigniew Zamachowski, Jul...
This boldly cinematic trio of stories about love and loss, from Krzysztof Kieslowski was a defining event of the art-house boom of the 1990s. The film... Read more
Three Colours Trilogy ( Blue, White, Red ) ( Blu-ray ) (2003)
Director: Krzysztof Kieslowski
Starring: Florence Pernel, Irene Jacob, Janusz Gajos, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Julie Delpy,...
This boldly cinematic trio of stories about love and loss, from Krzysztof Kieslowski was a defining event of the art-house boom of the 1990s. The film... Read more