ITALY: CALL ME BY YOUR NAME// Why are filmmakers so
obsessed with Italy? Is it the ancient monuments that somehow,
through war and weather, have managed to stay standing?
Is it the dark, cobbled streets that lead to crystal blue waters?
The sing-song language, full of emotion? The delectable food
that makes you want to cry because it’s so darn good? (Sorry,
projecting a bit there.) Whatever itis, it’s hard to go pastCall Me
By Your Nameas the quintessential ‘Italy’ film. Apart from giving
us a touching love story that will make you cry a thousand tears,
director Luca Guadagnino also inspires deep travel envy with his
lavish shots of bike paths winding through green hills; glittering,
secluded lakes; towering villas; and vast town squares complete
with wine-swilling locals. It’s less about the big tourist spots
and more about the feeling of being totally immersed in rural
Northern Italy. Ah,bellisima.
.... ...............
JAPAN: LOST IN TRANSLATION// If you’ve visited Japan,
you’ve probably been asked by someone, “Did you go to the
Lost in Translationbar?” Even for the most tourism-adverse
traveller, the thought of sinking a Suntory whisky in a dimly lit
bar, illuminated by the Tokyo city lights 52 floors below, is hard
to resist. Sofia Coppola’s film is about the hum of loneliness
you can feel in even the most bustling spaces, but she also
paints the picture of a warm city of insomniacs who flock to
tiny fluorescent restaurants and karaoke bars when the sun
goes down. The flick invites you to see what Charlotte (Scarlett
Johansson) sees on her solo trips around Tokyo, absorbing the
clash of old and new, busy nightclubs and calm temples, just
as she does. There’s a reasonLost in Translationhas inspired
hundreds of travel guides, ya know?
SOUTH AMERICA:THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES// Based on the
memoir of a then- 23-year-old Che Guevara,The Motorcycle Diaries
depicts a famous route through South America that many travellers
pursued long before the film’s release. Guevara and his friend Alberto
Granado’s 1952 expedition took eight months, with the pair riding
from Argentina through to Chile, then Peru, and on from Colombia to
Venezuela. Supposedly, the trip solidified Guevara’s politics, exposing
him to social inequality and economic disparity that was rife across
Latin America. The cinematography inThe Motorcycle Diaries is pretty
staggering, with visions of sparse deserts intercut with lush forests
and foggy mountains. But that’s not the only thing that makes the film
special. Like a young Guevara, who’s drawn by a sense of adventure
and exploration, the audience must negotiate beautiful sites like the
Amazon River, Machu Picchu and the Andes, as well as the extreme
poverty the travellers witness along the way.
...................FRANCE:AMÉLIE// Often in movies set in France, we see montages
of erudite monuments and traditional landmarks that paint an impressive
(and kind of intimidating) portrait of the country. ButAmélie shows a
less polished and more contemporary view of Parisian life, full to the
brim with quirkiness (and raspberries). In between her matchmaking
and general meddling – but like, in an adorable way – Amélie takes us
down the winding alleyways of Montmartre, past endless flower stalls
and markets overflowing with colourful fruit and veg, before stopping off
at cafés for cognac. We still lay eyes on icons like the Notre-Dame and
Sacré-Coeur, of course, but we’re offered a more personal look at an
extremely well-documented city. Sure, it might be a nice, sanitised view of
Paris, but it’s a very charming one, no doubt. Few would knock back the
chance to skip stones in Canal Saint-Martin, or crack the top of a crème
brûlée while church bells ring in the background.sinead stubbins takes us on a
cinematic tour of the globe.
around the
world in eight films
popcorn