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Welcome to our foreign films page, featuring foreign movies in video and DVD format in languages from a host of countries. Note: unless stated otherwise, all videocassettes are in VHS and NTSC format, and all DVDs are for players that support Region 1 encoding (United States and Canada) and are in NTSC format. Check our DVD Compatibility FAQ for more information about region encoding, television formats, and other specifications. If you can't find what you need, please email us.
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Temptress Moon Chen Kaige Chen Kaige's follow-up to Farewell My Concubine is a beautifully filmed work of grand pessimism - a historical drama with themes that are timeless and, for the filmmaker, clearly personal. The complex and rich story is set in China from 1911 through the 1920s, following a group of children corrupted by the wealth and decadent abuses of their family, who grow up to have dark, obsessive existences. Gong Li and Leslie Cheung star in this fascinating, epic melodrama, shot by ace cinematographer Christopher Doyle. Mandarin with English subtitles. China, 1996, 127 mins. DVD | $37.95
The Emperor and the Assassin Chen Kaige "Chen Kaige's The Emperor and the Assassin is a stunner - as big and messy as a war, as small and perfect as a diamond" (Stephen Hunter, Washington Post). Gong Li stars as the lover of the King of Qin (Li Xuejian), sent to enlist an assassin to assist the King's plan to unify the seven kingdoms of 3rd-century China. When she falls in love with the assassin (Zhang Fengyi), the dreams of a dynasty are threatened. A vibrant, seductive epic from the director of Farewell My Concubine and Temptress Moon. In Mandarin with English subtitles. The DVD is letterboxed, with Dolby Surround, director's commentary, theatrical trailers and more. China, 1999, 161 mins. DVD | $44.95
Killing Me Softly Chen Kaige This erotic thriller marks the English-language debut of director Chen Kaige (Farewell My Concubine). Heather Graham plays an American living in London who leaves her comfortable married life and embarks on a steamy, sexual relationship with a seductive stranger (Joseph Fiennes). When she learns that a serial killer is loose in London, she realizes there is a lot she doesn't know about her new lover. A questionably acted and directed film, but worthy for the two stars' bold love scenes. USA, 2002, 100 mins. DVD | $37.95
Life on a String Chen Kaige Set in a distant, mythological past, this visually impressive film tells the story of two blind musicians who wander the sun-scorched earth in search of enlightenment. The master believes that his sight will be restored after wearing out a 1,000th string on his banjo. "Imposingly beautiful...yields up images of haunting mystery" (Janet Maslin, New York Times). "A haunting parable...spectacularly vast" (J. Hoberman, Village Voice). In Mandarin with English subtitles. China, 1991, 110 mins. DVD | $44.95
The Promise Chen Kaige This Golden Globe nominee is in-line with spectacles like Hero and House of Flying Daggers, combining fantasy action and elegant CGI with a grandiose plot. Qingcheng (Cecilia Cheung), a beautiful princess, is secretly in love with a slave, Kunlun (Dong-Gun Jang)--the double of General Guangming, Qingcheng's actual partner. Or maybe not? The plot is a bit bewildering, but written and directed by Chen Kaige (Farewell My Concubine), you'll find that unraveling the storyline is almost as integral to the experience as the bold visuals. Also known as Wu ji. In Mandarin with English subtitles. China/Hong Kong/Japan/South Korea, 2005, 102 mins. DVD | $44.95
Together Chen Kaige Together is a coming-of-age tale woven together with the harmony and intensity of a complex musical orchestration. Xiaochun is a talented 13-year-old violinist who lives with his father in a small, provincial Chinese city. Shy and sensitive, music is his way of expressing his feelings. Xiaochun's sweet-natured father wants the best for him, so they move to immense, metropolitan Beijing so that Xiaochun can audition for a prestigious music school and take lessons that befit his talent. But Xiaochun's new world is unlike any he's known. He meets new and demanding teachers, discovers true friendship, falls in love for the first time, learns how painful love can be, and comes to understand the true meaning of music. In Mandarin with English subtitles. China, 2002, 117 mins. DVD | $37.95
