Mostafa Djadjam Movies

2005  
R  
Add Munich to QueueAdd Munich to top of Queue
Much as Steven Spielberg followed 1993's special-effects blockbuster Jurassic Park with a far more downbeat and personal project later the same year, Schindler's List, in 2005 after tearing up the box office with War of the Worlds the director closed out the year with a powerful and thoughtful drama about the human costs of international terrorism. The 1972 Olympics in Munich, Germany, were supposed to be a peaceful gathering of outstanding athletes from around the world, but on September 5, the games took a sinister turn when eight masked Palestinian terrorists invaded the Olympic village, killing two Israeli athletes and abducting nine others. The kidnappers demanded safe passage out of Germany in addition to the release of Arab prisoners in Israeli and German prisons, but when they arrived at the Munich airport they were met by German police and military forces, and in the melee that followed, all nine hostages were killed. In the wake of the killings, the Israeli government gave Mossad, the nation's intelligence agency, a special assignment -- to track down and eliminate the Palestinians responsible for the death of the Israeli athletes. A young and idealistic Mossad agent (Eric Bana) is assigned to the four-man unit created to wipe out the Olympic terrorists, but while he believes in serving his country, as their bloody work goes on he begins to buckle under the weight of his work and wonders if he can morally justify his nation's acts of revenge. Munich also stars Geoffrey Rush, Daniel Craig, Mathieu Kassovitz, and Ciarán Hinds. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Eric BanaDaniel Craig, (more)
1989  
 
Danuta Zarasik plays Isabelle Eberhardt in this biographical drama. At the turn of the 20th century, Isabelle fell in love with the African desert, donning men's clothing to travel and record her adventures in writing while her Moslem husband patiently waited at home. This visually stunning feature shows the overwhelming majesty and beauty of the forces of nature. Director Christine Laurent relies upon her expertise as a painter and designer to bring an added dimension of artistic beauty to the film. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Danuta ZarazikPhilippe Clevenot, (more)
1987  
 
This romantic drama about two strangers who meet and fall in love in Paris contains seriocomic touches that add considerably to the feature. Marie (Catherine Wilkening) is a young Jewish girl from Algeria who comes to Paris in hopes of being a model. She is sidetracked when she meets Ali (Karim Allaouri), a French-born Arab and ex-convict. Ali makes plans to meet up with an accomplice to get his share of the money from a robbery with hopes of traveling to Houston, Texas to become a "cosmonaut." ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Karim AllaouiCatherine Wilkening, (more)
1984  
R  
In this adolescent adventure-comedy, an angry nerd tires of being teased by cruel surfers who play a dirty trick upon him and spike his soda pop with enough female hormones to make him grow miniature breasts. Menlo Schwartzer gets his revenge by spiking their favorite drink, Buzz Cola, with a drink that turns them into zombies with a taste for garbage who will obey his every command. He makes about six of these zombie surfers and uses them to win a big competition. The title is supposed to be a joke. There is no Surf 1. Get it? ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Eddie DeezenLinda Kerridge, (more)
1982  
 
Add Les Trois Couronnes du Matelot to QueueAdd Les Trois Couronnes du Matelot to top of Queue
In this classically surreal fantasy, a sailor, known for telling tales, sees a student killing his teacher and decides to spin a few yarns for him. He tells the boy of his many adventures in exotic South American ports where he visited opium dens and stayed in cathouses. In such dark, dreamlike places, the sailor meets many strange, mystical characters. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Jean-Bernard GuillardPhilippe Deplanche, (more)
1981  
 
Avant-garde filmmaker Werner Schroeter created this cinematic view of the Nancy Experimental Theater Festival in France taking advantage of the emphasis on "experimental" and thereby mirroring the spirit of the festival in the composition of his film itself. Clips of the performers as they go through their paces (jumping into a fountain at dawn, imitating penguins, satirizing a musical revue, and generally being quite expressive) are intermixed with commentary by Schroeter and Mostefa Djadja, and interviews are held with characters as diverse as an ex-university professor who is now a street person but has a lot to say about the festival and life in general. This montage of performances, commentary, and interviews has a fitting counterpoint in the musical accompaniment of works by Mahler, Beethoven, Puccini, and other well-known composers. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Mostafa DjadjamWerner Schroeter, (more)

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