foreign films

When it comes to African films, most are familiar with Nollywood but not much else. But there’s a surprising new film wave popping up in the most unlikely location: the Wakaliga slum of Uganda. Appropriately given the name Wakaliwood by fans, these low budget action films are inspired by old school kung-fu flicks and harness a cheeky DIY spirit. Vice explores the new craze in their latest video, interviewing director Nabwana I.G.G who edits all his films from a beat-up Dell computer. With next to no budget, the film crew has to be creative. All the props for the films are hand-built by a guy who glues motorcycle handles to fake bazooka guns, and all the stunts are done by the actors who are all self-trained in kung-fu. And if this short doc has piqued your interest, you can currently download Who Killed Captain Alex (billed as Uganda’s “first action film”) for free off Wakaliwood’s official site. Jesus kung-fu!

Korean director Chan-Wook Park (Oldboy, Stoker) is known for a lot of things, most notably his pertinence for outrageously violent or outrageously morbid films. But one aspect of his work that’s often overlooked is his dark humor. Park is the king of injecting odd moments of humor in highly emotional scenes, cutting the tension with outlandishness in a way that only Park can. His 1999 short film Judgement is the perfect example of this.

Created before his critically-acclaimed vengeance trilogy, the film has all of Park’s trademark quirks. The film takes place in a morgue shortly after an earthquake has ravished Korea and left hundreds dead. A dead disfigured girl lies on a table while two families fight over whose daughter it is. As the film unfolds, it’s revealed that everyone in the room has an ulterior motive. But the biggest twist is the ending, which I won’t give away. It’s just too weird and perfect not to recommend.

Park has also directed other short films, like short documentary Nepal about a poor Nepalese woman living in Korea, and 2014′s A Rose Reborn about an American CEO who goes through a series of challenges. Find some time today and watch them all.