LxC’s Video Library
French Videos /Spanish Videos
/German Videos/
Russian Videos/
Chinese Videos
La fabuleuse aventure de Josette (17') is a modern-day Cinderella rock'n'roll
operetta, complete with magic slipper and guitar-toting Prince Charming;
Casting (11') is the comic story of a young actress who pulls out all
the stops in order to land a part in a manyonnaise commercial. (Agence du Court
Metrage, 1983/88 - 28 minutes total).
Pub Francophone:
revolutionnaire!
This program was taped during the first Francophone advertising convention in Montreal and shows the Francophone world striving to maintain a separate advertising tradition and resist the influence of American commercials. The techniques and styles of Francophone advertising are illustrated by an abundant selection of short and hilarious television commercials. The contrast with Anglophone advertising traditions is shown through Jacques Segela's analysis of several American advertising campaigns. Francophone ads from Africa and the Caribbean complete this entertaining and thought-provoking program. (26 minutes; L'Institut pour la Coopération Audiovisuelle, 1987).
Les ados
Les ados (14') is an engaging series of interviews with teenagers about the preoccupations of life as an adolescent in France; it is combined here with Je suis jeune, donc je vote (14'), about teenagers in Aix-en-Provence who have formed their own Conseil des Jeunes to gain a voice in city government. (28 minutes; CIRNEA, Communication Audiovisuelle/Airelles Vidéo 1990-1991).
L'histoire immédiate
* (transcript available)
Based on La Nouvelle France, an analysis by Emmanuel Todd of the mutations of French society within the past decade, this enlightening program takes the form of a train trip through New France. Visits to various cities confirm three major shifts in traditional values: the decline of the Catholic church, the gradual disappearance of the classe ouvrière, and the breaking up of the traditional family structure. A fourth theme is the presence of the large number of immigrants in France. Over an hour and a half in length, L'histoire immédiate can be divided into shorter segments, each complete within itself. The four sections are separated by queries to Marianne, the resident computer, who provides statistics such as: "Where are the most households with bathtubs?" (95 minutes; France 2, 1988).
* L'histoire immédiate - The Videoguide, written by Elizabeth Joiner and William Edmiston, provides information, teaching suggestions, and examples of activities. Sample questions for testing and the complete transcript are also included. (Iowa: Project for International Communication Studies, 1992)( 94 pages, PICS 1990).
Minibus / Maxifrench:
Entrepreneurs branchés
A series of interviews with various French business people, including a struggling fashion underwear business, a night-time painter of subway posters, and a successful California cartoonist: a Frenchman!
30 minutes (Mission Interuniversitaire de Coordination des Echanges Franco-Américains, 1986).
Sur l'éducation
des filles
Cute kids of all ages from elementary school through the teens explain their view of male/female differences in conduct. Some passages are absolutely compelling. Delightfully open, the younger kids bring to the fore numerous paradoxes and anomalies that older students are too self-conscious to mention. Parents and day-care workers provide, illustrate, and explain society's influence on the creation of gender differences. A wonderful way to introduce a subject that has long been a mainstay of successful discussions in conversation classes and elsewhere. (26 minutes; Centre National de Documentation Pedagogique, 1986).
Un monde, Une
économie
Un Monde, Une économie qui le meut - Le MMI (28')
Mexique-Comment stimuler la croissance?
(14')
Pologne - L' ouverture économique
(14')
Ghana - Réussir face a une situation précaire en Afrique subsaharienne
(14')
(70 minutes total; International Monetary Fund Publication Services, n/d)
Vidéo vérité
A new intermediate-level French video developed to accompany the text by the
same name from authors Elizabeth G. Joiner, Annie Duménil, and James T. Day,
published by Houghton Mifflin Co. Authentic footage from French television is
divided into nine convenient modules on a variety of topics such as immigration
and assimilation, gifts and giving, memory and remembrance, family and divorce,
inheritance. Segments selected from the Autrement dit programs as well
as from L'Histoire immédiate and Radio-Beur include:
* Les nouveaux enfants (2:42')
* La chaine du souvenir (7:05')
* Cadeau de famille (6:11')
* La valse des cadeaux (6:45')
* Le cadeau des ados (9:41)
* La promenade du souvenir (6:53)
* Radio-Beur (7:10')
* Cadeaux du coeur (3:45')
* Souvenirs perdus (7:41').
(60 minutes total; France2/Centre National de Documentation Pédagogique, 1985-88).
Gregorio (Award-winning Peruvian Video!)
Grupo Chaski's tale of modern urban immigration in Peru traces the story of an Andean boy whose family leaves their mountain village in search of a better life in the capital. The challenges of their new life tear at the family fabric as Gregorio and his parents struggle to find their places in the urban environment. The dialogue ranges from the clear crisp style of Gregorio's mother to the highly colloquial language of the adolescent street kids, and includes Grup Chaski's signature style of narration and reflection by the characters themselves. The short scenes in which the story line develops offer language teachers a broad selection of stimulating situations and settings for language development while the natural realism of the Peruvian setting provides a wealth of culutral exposure for the student. This video won the Premio del Jurado at the Festival del Cine del Tercer Mundo in Freiburg, Switzerland. (60 minutes; Grupo Chaski, 1984)
Encuentro de hombrecitos... (Award-winning Video!)
Encuentro de hombrecitos: In the Mercado Mayorista de Frutas, Lima's
pre-dawn flower market, two boys work hard all night to make a living. These
hombrecitos - little men - at nine and ten years old have a clear idea of the
meaning of work, of the extent of poverty in Peru and of their future.
Sobreviviente de oficio: A youthful example of tenacity, this Peruvian
cleans windshields on the street, entertaining his customers with hustle and
imagination. Underlying his performance one finds the fears and hopes of a survivor.
El taller más grande del mundo: Like hundreds of others who work informally
in the street, don Lucho has found a creative outlet during a time of economic
crisis. The sky is the ceiling of his auto repair shop.
In 1988 this collection won two special prizes: the Kukuli of the Consejo Nacional
de Medios de Comunicación Social and the Preferencia del Público of the III
Festival Nacional de Cortometrajes in Lima. (three 10-minute programs grouped
in a 30-minute tape; Grupo Chaski, 1987).
Habitat:
El mapa del medio ambiente español
The ecology series Habitat examines the deterioration of the environment
and the research on possible solutions to ecological problems.
Habitat: El mapa del medio ambiente español explores the need for environmental
laws, citing a number of problems including deforestation from forest fires,
loss of fertility in the soil due to a lack of green cover, scarcity of clean
water, and nuclear waste dumping in the Atlantic Ocean. (18 minutes; Radiotelevisión
Española, 1987).
Miss Universo
en el Perú
This thought-provoking documentary presents images and scenes from the 1982 Miss Universe pageant in Lima, contrasting the portrayal of women in publicity and on television with the current situation of women in Peru. In 1984 the video was awarded the Kukuli, the highly-valued prize of the Consejo Nacional de Medios de Comunicación Social of Peru.
Comments:
"Encontramos ... un claro enfrentamiento ... de una clase social contra
otra y
el evidente contraste que existe, no solamente aquí, en nuestra Patria, sino
en
todo el mundo, entre un sector pudiente de la sociedad y otro que se debate
en la miseria."
--El Comercio, 10 de Junio de 1984
(40 minutes; Grupo Chaski, 1982).
El hombre y su
medio: La selva
A third of Peru is covered by dense tropical rain forest, which contrasts dramatically with the desert region of the coast and the rugged mountains of the central part of the country. The geographic attributes have had a marked influence on the people who live there; and, in turn, the people have influenced the face of the land as well. The camera focuses on small farmers, on the gold industry in the Madre de Dios river basin, on the importance and impact of the oil industry, and finally, on the tourist industry, which has materialized around remoter, exotic Iquitos. This documentary is narrated in clear, standard Spanish and is characterized by many cognates, which will facilitate comprehension by low-intermediate language learners. (28 minutes).
Un mundo, una
economia
* El FMI: Artifice de la integracion (28')
* Mexico: Fomentando el desarrollo (14')
* Polonia: Apertura de la economia (14')
* Ghana: Tiempos dificiles en el Africa subsahariana (14')
(70 minutes total; International Monetary Fund Publication Services, n/d)
Sexo, Pudor y Lagrimas (Sex, Shame & Tears)
Bridget's Collection
Sexo, Pudor y Lágrimas (Mexico, 105 min., 1999) follows the amusing trials and tribulations of two young couples in an upscale Mexican neighborhood frustrated at their failure to live up to their professional and personal ambitions. After hedonist Ana and slouchy husband Carlos split up, and high-strung ex-model Andrea gets fed up with the constant infidelities of ad executive spouse Miguel, the men decide to take one apartment and the women another, with comic results. The story holds on with great acting, a superb dialogue, and a very modern soundtrack. Highly recommended, especially for its original script and its witty dialogue. The surprise hit of 1999, S.P.Y.L. (as it became known among Mexico's young hip crowd) is a hilarious and sometimes poignant romp through a world most of us only see through a telescopic lens, behind closed curtains or across a crowded city street. Featuring Mexican sex symbol Demian Bichir (Santitos, Todo el Poder). S.P.Y.L. became the most successful domestic film ever, in the history of Mexican cinema.
La Ley de Herodes
Bridget's Collection
(Mexico, 120min., 1999)
Political Satire
In 1949, during the presidency of president German Miguel, the corrupt mayor of San Pedro Saguaro is lynched and beheaded by the natives who inhabit the place. Its election time and the governor doesn't not want his position jepardized by a political scandal. He orders his secretary of government, the lawyer Lopez to name a new mayor for San Pedro. Lopez decides that the best candidate is Juan Vargas, an inoffensive and faithful member of the party that surely will not be as corrupt as its predecessor.
Unfortunately the movie's production marred by censorship scandal with political ends.
Todo el Poder
Bridget's Collection
(Mexico, 102 Min.,1999)
Urban Comedy
After being assaulted in inumerables occasions, the documentalista Gabriel decides to arrive until the bottom from the things investigating at a suspicious police that works under the orders of commander "Elvis" Quijano. Helped by Andrea, a versatile aspiring to actress without work, Gabriel disentangle a complicated network of corruption that goes beyond which he imagined at first.
A Toda Maquina
Bridget's Collection
Musical Comedy
A Classic of Mexican Film Julio Augurio, Pedro Infante . Two policemen who are close friends compete in everything they do - especially when it involves the fair sex.
A Place Called Chiapas
Bridget's Collection
(Canada 1998, 93 minutes)
On January 1, 1994, the Zapatista National Liberation Army, made up of impoverished Mayan Indians from the state of Chiapas, took over five towns and 500 ranches in southern Mexico. The Government deployed its troops, and at least 145 people died in the ensuing battle. Fighting for indigenous Mexicans to regain control over their lives and the land, the Zapatista Army, led by the charismatic, guerilla poet Subcommandante Marcos, started sending their message to the world via the Internet. The result was what The New York Times called "the world's first post- modern revolution." Filmmaker Nettie Wild travelled to the jungle canyons of southern Mexico to film the elusive and fragile life of the uprising. Her camera effectively and movingly captures the human dimensions behind this war of symbols.
* An einem Strang ziehen - Der IWF (28')
* Mexiko - Forderung des Wachstums (14')
* Polen - Offnung der Wirtschaft (14')
* Ghana - Not in den Landern sudlich der Sahara (14')
(70 minutes total; International Monetary Fund Publication Services, n/d)
In English and Chinese with English subtitles Running Length: 1:49
Wai-Tung (Winston Chao) has a problem. Living in New York with a well-paying job, a nice home, and a stable relationship (with Simon, played by Mitchell Lichtenstein), everything appears to be going his way. But his parents, unaware of his homosexual proclivities, are expecting a marriage and grandchildren, and Wai hasn't been able to get up the courage to tell them that he's gay. Meanwhile, Wei Wei (May Chin), a tenant in a building owned by Wai, has to find a way to obtain a green card or be deported. A solution to both problems is proposed: a marriage of convenience. Once agreed to by both parties, the arrangements are made, and everything seems to be working out well until Wai's parents arrive from China to plan the wedding banquet. Review by James Berardinelli
The Joy Luck Club
Running Length: 2:19
In English and Chinese with English subtitles
The Joy Luck Club, as stated in the movie's opening narrative, is a collection of four aging Chinese women bound together more by hope than joy or luck. The four women - Suyuan (Kieu Chinh), Lindo (Tsai Chin), Ying Ying (France Nuyen), and An Mei (Lisa Lu) - came to America many years ago to escape China's feudal society for the promise of the United States' democracy. Now, however, Suyuan has died and the three surviving members of the club invite her daughter June (Ming-Na Wen) to take her place. June belongs to the "new" generation, those of Chinese heritage who grew up speaking English and learning American customs. Also of roughly the same age are Waverly (Tamlyn Tomita), Lindo's daughter; Lena (Lauren Tom), Ying Ying's daughter; and Rose (Rosalind Chao), An Mei's daughter. The Joy Luck Club tells of the varied difficulties and tragedies involved in these mother/daughter relationships. Review by James Berardinelli.
CHINESE IN THE FRONTIER WEST: An American Story
"Leaving their villages in China, they journeyed far, with only each other and the power of memory.... remembering families an ocean apart...remembering how to make a home on the soil under their feet....With spirit and strategy they fought for their place in America." -Narrator
The second part of the ANCESTORS IN THE AMERICAS series unfolds with the arrival of Chinese on the West Coast during the Gold Rush, not as coolies laboring in the bleak outposts of the New World's plantations and mines, but as free men embarking for "Gold Mountain." Pushed by hard times at home, they arrived full of hope for wealth and for an auspicious return to their homeland.
Добро Пожаловать, или Посторонним Вход Воспрещен ( "Welcome, or No Strangers Allowed")
Running time: 71 min.
Genre: Comedy, 1964
An amusingly funny story that takes place at the summer camp.
Бег ("Escape") in 2 parts
Running time: 185 min.
Genre: Drama, 1970
It is a captivating story about the complex lives of the first Russian post-revolution immigrants. Based on
the literary works of Michail Bulgakov.
Двенадцать Стульев ("Twelve Chairs") in 2 parts
Running time: 153 min.
Genre: Comedy, 1971
Set in the 20s in Russia, this hilarious adventure story is about the two heroes' obsession with the treasures
hidden in one of the twelve chairs.
Зеркало ("The Mirror") in 2 parts
Running time: 102 min.
Genre: Drama, 1974
It is an autobiographical story about the director's childhood and family ties.
Сталкер ("Stalker") in 2 parts
Running time: 156 min.
Genre: Drama, 1979
Stalker is a person who is capable of making people's wishes come true. Thanks to him, the dream of one scientist to discover something and of one artist to find the inspiration become reality in this film.
Тема (The Subject Matter")
Running time: 94 min.
Genre: Drama
In search of inspiration and a new subject to write about, the famous writer from the city embarks on a journey
to a provincial town. Suddenly he realizes that people in this town live a very different life compared to the one he used to.
Accidentally witnessing a love drama, he understands what was missing both in his art and his life.
Мы из Джаза ("The Jazz People")
Running time: 84 min.
Genre: Musical/Comedy, 1983
This playful and exciting story begins in the 20s in Odessa where three young jazz musicians meet.
Because of their passion for the "bourgeois music," they have to endure many ordeals to prove that they are not the
agents of the "world imperialism." In spite of everything, they do not give up and do not betray their art. As a result,
their perseverance is rewarded.
AСCA ("ASSA")
Running time: 145 min.
Genre: Drama
A young heroine of this thriller is in love with the mafia's big shot. She realizes her mistake too late.
Так Жить Нельзя ("You Can't Live Like That")
Running time:
Genre: Documentary, 1993
What life are we forced to live in Russia? Why is the crime rate growing? What is around us?
The film tries to answer these questions.
