TCM Imports: Timeless Favorites and Hidden Gems of World Cinema

TCM host Malone (Girls on Film: Lessons from a Life of Watching Women in Movies) presents a selection of 52 films made outside of the United States, organized by the best season in which to view them, based on the films’ plots or moods. In the introduction, Malone argues for the power of foreign films to help viewers in the United States better understand other countries and cultures. Her selections truly span the globe. Although multiple titles represent national film movements such as the French new wave and Italian neorealist era, Malone also takes pains to include significant titles from Argentina, Canada, and Senegal. Selections similarly span the history of filmmaking: 1927’s Metropolis makes the list, as does 2019’s Oscar winner Parasite. Malone highlights the work of women filmmakers such as Gillian Armstrong and Jane Campion and eschews the more famous titles of directors like Akira Kurosawa and Ingmar Bergman in favor of their lesser-known achievements. For each of her selections, Malone provides perceptive analyses of the film’s themes, cinematic impact, and stylistic elements, as well as an overview of the director’s career and inspirations.