2 Must-See Foreign Movies!

This past weekend, I watched a couple of extraordinary foreign movies that I'd like to highly recommend to anyone who is a serious fan of "Art House" cinema. What I liked most about these two amazing movies, Departures [Japan's winner of this year's Oscar for Best Foreign Movie], and Et après (Afterwards), the extraordinary French super natural thriller, is that both movies deal with the difficult and taboo topic of death and dying.

Departures

This Dark-comedy about death, tells the story of a recently unemployed young Cellist who responds to a Job Ad titled 'Departures', thinking it is related to a Travel Agency position, but it turns out to be, the very much despised and looked down upon profession even in 21st century Japan, job of preparing dead bodies for burial. He decides to take up the job despite his wife and everyone around him being dead set against it. Departures not only masterfully presents the centuries old, but almost extinct Japanese tradition of "Funeral rituals", but also forcefully condemn the ever-present discrimination and taboos still prevalent in modern Japanese society vis-a-vis the "Encoffiners" or those who traditionally prepare deceased bodies for burial.

Departures-Movie Trailer

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Et Après(Afterwards) This super natural, yet deeply touching and soul-wrenching French thriller, is about a workaholic and divorced lawyer who is suddenly approached by a mysterious doctor with the power to predict people's deaths. Played superbly by the great American actor John Malkovich, the "Messenger" informs him of his imminent death and tries to make the transition out of his hectic life a smooth one. A masterfully-photographed movie, Et Après (Afterwards) teaches us to not only cherish every second of our lives, but to also take a break from our busy and hectic schedules, to pause and seriously ponder upon the essential questions of life and relationships: When was the last time you actually told your partner how much you loved him/her? When was the last time you set aside your Black Berry, canceled an appointment, and sincerely believed that your life and enjoying the company of your loved ones are much more precious than material things? Et Après-Afterwards' main message, in my opinion, is: Find what you love in life, cherish it, and be grateful for what you have before it's too late.

Et après (Afterwards)-Movie Trailer