20 Foreign Language Films You Must See Before You Die

One of the biggest shames following on from the emergence of the multiplex was the lack of screens allocated for independent and foreign language cinema. Given the commercial nature of the huge complexes it's perhaps understandable that screenings would only be reserved for popular movies guaranteed to get bums on seats, but nevertheless there is something sad about the way in which the pursuit of money has led to foreign language movies being consigned to independent "art house" cinemas. While many people shy away from such movies from an unwillingness to read subtitles - not to mention the (mis)perception that foreign movies are heavy-going and inaccessible to a mainstream audience - non-English language cinema offers a huge diversity of genres and styles, from epic historical dramas through to laugh out loud comedies and intense, hyper-stylised action movies. If you can get past the subtitles there's something for everyone. Here are 20 foreign language movies every film fan should find the time to see - proof that language is no barrier to great films and representing cinema at its finest.

20. La Haine

Canal +Racial tensions, riots and police brutality converge in Mathieu Kassovitz's acclaimed drama La Haine. Starring Vincent Cassel in his breakout role as a fired-up Parisian youth desperate to kill a police man to secure his gangster credentials, few films are quite so energetic and politically charged. Shot in crisp black and white, La Haine is a visually arresting movie; Kassovitz deploys every camera trick under the sun to stunning effect without deflating the tension and attention to character that other stylised movies tend to diminish. A slick portrait of an urban subculture existing on a knife edge, La Haine packs an unforgettable punch - the denouement reveals the tragic banality of the racial tensions better than most socially aware movies out there.