The Asian continent has produced some of the greatest filmmakers in the history of cinema - Akira Kurosawa, Wong Kar Wai and Yasujiro Ozu are just a few of them. The must-see Asian movies list covers movies from 1964 to 2009 and includes movies from China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, and Thailand, in a variety of scopes and genres. You may not have seen the films yet, but they will definitely pique your curiosity.
1. Survive Style 5+ (2004, Japan)
What are a hypnotist, an office worker, an English murderer, a husband whose wife is not dead - despite his best efforts - and an idiotic advertiser doing? Nothing at first glance, but this lively, funny and surreal film by Geno Sekiguchi is a truly impressive debut, tying together the stories of all the actors.
2. Revenge - Adauchi (1964, Japan)
Samurai films usually capture famous swordplay and epic battles. Revenge is the antithesis of this style of samurai film, but not to its detriment. Director Tadashi Iwai is known for films that serve as a commentary on society - and Revenge is no exception.
3. Chocolate (2008, Thailand)
A shameless love letter to martial arts movies is JeeJa Yanin's first movie. Zen, an autistic girl, grows up watching martial arts movies and soon shows the "uncanny" ability to imitate martial arts from movies. When her mother falls ill and needs chemotherapy, Zen decides to pay off her debts. Some of the most beautiful ones await us homage scenes to martial artists in movies - Bruce Lee and Muay Thai.
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4. Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl (1998, Hong Kong/USA/Taiwan)
Joan Chen's masterpiece is a film that one must take the time to see, no matter how depressing the themes in the film actually are. The film is a touching story about a girl who was sent away from her family in her teenage years and the hardships that this act brings.
5. Castaway on the Moon (2009, South Korea)
Castaway on the Moon is a quiet reflection on the simpler pleasures in life. A failed suicide attempt leads the young man to settle on a small island under the Han River. The film explores themes of rebirth, separation from the world around us and the reasons that brought us there, and finally, how love is found where we least expect it.
6. A Banquet (2006, China)
The movie The Banquet has several scenes that are worth watching. The costume design is magnificent. The story may be a bit over the top, but the choreography of the action sequences makes it worth putting up with the film. A very loose interpretation of Shakespeare's Hamlet oozes style at every possible moment.
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