Foreign Films
French & Spanish DVDs
Spanish Films
BUTTERFLY (La LENGUADEL La MARIPOSA) (020443)
DVD, SA, FILMAROBICS, INC.
BUTTERFLY is a heartwarming tale about a young boy growing up in a small Spanish town. Moncho is timid and fearful as he starts school for the first time. But with the nurturing guidance of his kind and devoted teacher, Don Fregorio, a world of possibilities begins to open up for young Moncho. As the school year comes to a close, however, civil war begins sweeping across the country, forcing the boy's family and community to choose between the fight for freedom and the treat of persecution! Spanish with English subtitles. Includes Teacher Guide.
GRINGUITO (020697)
DVD, JS, 97 min., FILMAROBICS, INC.
Gringuito is the story of a young child that is uprooted from his New York home and forced to move back to Chile with his parents. He has always lived in New York and feels totally out of place the day his parents settle in to their new apartment in Santiago, Chile. Ivan, the Gringuito, considers his parents return very disappointing and feels that his mother's pregnancy will also take attention away from him and cause him to lose his "exclusivity". Spanish with English subtitles.
CASI CASI (020698)
DVD, JS, 93 min., FILMAROBICS, INC.
Emilio is a typical teenager with typical teenage problems. He's got a crush on Jacklynne, the most popular girl in school, and has decided to run for Student Council President to win her affection. There's only one problem: she's decided to run against him! As the campaign mounts and tensions rise, Emilio devises a risky plan to win Jacklynne's heart, a plan that could easily backfire if his diabolical principal finds out about it. Spanish with English subtitles. Includes Teacher Guide.
LANDRON QUE ROBA A LANDRON (020700)
DVD, JS, 100 min., FILMAROBICS, INC.
They came. They saw. They took it all. The rule among criminals is don't steal from your own kind. But extreme situations call for extreme measures. And so it goes that a bunch of thieves decide to rob one of the best in the business. The challenge is immense and the rewards great...if they can pull it off. Spanish with English subtitles.
UNDER THE SAME MOON (LA MISMA LUNA) (020845)
DVD, JS, 110 min., FILMAROBICS, INC., 2007
Under the Same Moon tells the parallel stories of nine-year-old Carlitos and his mother, Rosario. In the hopes of providing a better life for her son, Rosario works illegally in the U.S. while her mother cares for her son Carlitos back in Mexico. Both Rosario and Carlitos embark on their own journeys in a desperate attempt to reunite. Along the way, mother and son face challenges and obstacles but never lose hope that they will one day be together again. This heartwarming family story deals with the issue of illegal immigration. Includes Teacher Guide.
Verónico Cruz (La Deuda interna) (020847)
DVD, JS, 106 min., FILMAROBICS, INC.
In Verónico Cruz, a teacher arrives to work in a desolate area of northern Argentina where he meets a young man brought up in near isolation. He tries to help this young man open up and see the world. By the same token, the teacher learns more than what he bargained for as they travel to the city to learn more about the disappearance of the young man’s father. We see the hardships of the poor and abandoned and the enduring, unforgiving legacies of ignorance and subjugation with the Falkland War as the political backdrop. Includes Teacher Guide.
SELENA (021722)
DVD, JS, 128 min., FILMAROBICS, INC.
Vibrant Selena is the story of the Grammy Award-winning South Texas singer whose life tragically ended just as she was taking Tejano where it had never gone--into mainstream America. Pulsating with Selena's voice on the soundtrack and made with the participation of her family, the film brims with authenticity. Includes Teacher Guide.
The Motorcycle Diaries (022612)
digital video disc, S, 127 min., FILMAROBICS, INC., 2004
Motorcycle Diaries is based on the true life story of Che Guevara. The film traces the youthful origins of this revolutionary spirit by following both him and his friend Alberto as they hop on a beat-upmotorcycle. They take a breathtaking and exciting road trip across Latin America. Integrate language, culture and history in the study of this film. 2004, 128 minutes, MPAA rating: R (for language), Spanish and French language track, English and French subtitles. A track without subtitles is not an option. Teachers Guide included.
Machuca (022611)
digital video disc, IJS, 115 min., FILMAROBICS, INC., 2004
Gonzalo Infante and Pedro Machuca are eleven year old boys living in Santiago, Chile in 1973. One lives in a comfortable neighborhood and the other in a shanty town populated by squatters’ huts a short distance away. The two cross paths when a private religious school starts a program to integrate children of low-income families. The two become great friends while the conflicts on the streets leads Chile to the bloody overthrow of Allende’s regime by the military coup of General Augusto Pinochet on September 11, 1973. 2004, 121 minutes, MPAA rating NR (some language), in Spanish with English subtitles. Teachers Guide included.
Julio and His Angel (Julio y su ángel) (022616)
digital video disc, iJS, 99 min., FILMAROBICS, INC., 2006
Julio and His Angel is the tender story of a young orphan who is in search of his guardian angel. On her deathbed, Julio’s mother promises him that there will be a guardian angel watching over him.Julio is sent to an orphanage where he, along with the other children, is forced to work in a tortilla factory. Julio escapes and joins a street gang in town. One evening, Julio sees an old man whose name happens to be Angel. Julio is sure that this grumpy old man is hisguardian “angel.” During their time together, Angel teaches Juliothe values of life, work, family and friendship. The Day of the Dead celebration plays a prominent role in this film. 1996, 98 minutes, MPAA rating: NR (would be PG if it were rated) DVD in Spanish with English subtitles or in Spanish with no subtitles. Teachers Guide included.
Viva Cuba (022610)
digital video disc, PIJS, 80 min., FILMAROBICS, INC., 2007
In this sweet family film from Cuba, the friendship of two children is threatened by their feuding parentsone family supports Castro, the other Christ and capitalism. When Malús mother decides to leave for the United States, Jorgita, her secret best friend, and Malu embark on an adventure across Cubato reach Malús father before he gives permission to take his daughter out of Cuba. 2005, 80 minutes, MPAA rating: NR (would be rated PG if rated), in Spanish with English subtitles. Teachers Guide included.
French Films
AU REVOIR LES ENFANTS (020701)
DVD, JS, 101 min., FILMAROBICS, INC.
This film tells a heartbreaking story of friendship and devastating loss between two boys living in Nazi-occupied France. At a provincial Catholic boarding school, the precocious youths enjoy true camaraderie - until a secret is revealed. Based on events from writer-director Louis Malle's own childhood, the film is a subtle, precisely observed tale of courage, cowardice and tragic awakening. French with English subtitles. Includes Teacher Guide.
KIRIKOU AND THE SORCERESS (020765)
DVD, IJS, FILMAROBICS, INC.
This animated film exquisitely recounts the tale of tiny Kinikou, born in an African village on which Karaba the Sorceress has placed a terrible curse. Kirikou sets out on a quest to free his village of the curse and find out the secret of why Karaba is so wicked. A blend of African folktales, Kirikou has both humor and flair. Kirikou depicts a precocious newborn infant who battles ignorance, and so-called evil, with endearing perseverance. This film speaks to the child within us all who yearns to express and defend the best in others and ourselves. French and English subtitles. Includes Teacher Guide.
MY BEST FRIEND (MON MEILLEUR AMI) (020846)
DVD, JS, 95 min., FILMAROBICS, INC.
Catherine bets her business partner François, an arrogant, self-centered antiques dealer, that if François can produce a best friend, she will let him keep a valuable Greek vase recently acquired. If not, it's hers. This proves to be not so easy for François. He meets Bruno, a trivia-spouting cabbie who has an easy way with people. He convinces Bruno to teach him how to make friends. Includes Teacher Guide.
RATATOUILLE (020848)
DVD, PIJS, 111 min., FILMAROBICS, INC.
Rémy, the rat, has a dream: to cook. Following in his grandfather's footsteps, he ends up in Paris in an expensive French restaurant. There he meets Linguini, a boy with no culinary talents. The two pair up with Rémy working by pulling Linguini's hair from beneath his chef's cap and Linguini making creations that thrill the customers. They have to avoid the insane head chef and let's not forget Linguini's love interest. Things get more and more complicated as the film progresses. Includes Teacher Guide.
MOLIERE (020849)
DVD, JS, 121 min., FILMAROBICS, INC.
At the age of 22, following imprisonment for debt, the French actor Molière disappeared without a trace for several months. What happened during that odd disappearance? This is where the plot is set in motion. This comedic state of affairs involves hidden identities, secret love affairs and one seriously suspicious and beautiful wife Elmire. Through all these travails, Molière will have his eyes opened, his world broadened and his artistic skills sharpened, starting him down the path to becoming a legend. Includes Teacher Guide.
BIENVENUE CHEZ LES CH'TIS (WELCOME TO THE STICKS) (021037)
DVD, JS, 106 min., FILMAROBICS, INC.
Julie and Philippe live a comfortable life in Salon-de-Provence, a charming town in the South of France. Julie has been feeling depressed for a while. To please her, her husband Philippe Abrams, a post office administrator, tries to obtain a transfer to a seaside town on the French Riviera. However, instead of getting transferred to the seaside, he is banished to the distant unheard of town of Bergues, in the Far North of France. Leaving his child and wife behind to spare them the cold and misery he is expecting, the crucified man leaves for his frightening destination, a dreadfully cold place inhabited by hard-drinking, unemployed rednecks, speaking an incomprehensible dialect called Ch'ti. Ultimately, everything collides for a very funny ending. French with French and English subtitles.
LA GRANDE SEDUCTION (SEDUCING DR. LEWIS) (021038)
DVD, JS, 109 min., FILMAROBICS, INC.
La Grande séduction is the story of a ragtag fishing community on a tiny, impoverished island who must persuade a young Montreal-based doctor to live in their town in order to get a much-needed factory. The entire village works to convince Dr. Lewis, a big-city, cosmopolitan doctor, that this isolated village is the ideal place to live. From pretending to love cricket to preparing a "Festival de Beef Stroganoff" (his favorite dish), the villagers will do anything they can to keep Dr. Lewis. Will they succeed and will Dr. Lewis stay? French with optional English and French subtitles. Includes Teacher Guide.
LA BELLE ET LA BETE DE JEAN COCTEAU (BEAUTY AND THE BEAST) (021039)
DVD, JS, 93 min., FILMAROBICS, INC.
Breathtaking imagery draws viewers into the enchanted realm of the magnificent beast and the gentle beauty who discovers the sensitive soul hidden beneath his monstrous exterior. Cocteau invites us to suspend disbelief as we enter an amazing world where a splendid white horse has magical powers, candelabra have human arms, and tears turn to diamonds. This film is Cocteau's personal statement on the power of love. French with optional English subtitles. Includes Teacher Guide.
THE CLASS (La Classe) (021155)
DVD, IJ, 130 min., FILMAROBICS ,INC.
At a tough inner-city middle school in Paris, a dedicated teacher named Mr. Marin (Francois Begaudeau) begins the new term. Taking on a class comprised of a melting pot of modern-day French society, he pushes and prods his pupils while striving to gain their respect. And as each side challenges the other over issues both academic and personal, Mr. Marin and his students are about to get an education they'll never forget. French with English subtitles. Includes Teacher Guide.
LE DINER DE CONS (THE DINNER GAME) (021302)
DVD, JS, 72 min., FILMAROBICS, INC.
Pierre and his snobbish friends have a standing date for dinner. Every week, they compete to see who can bring the biggest "idiot" to the party. Pierre is sure he's found a winner in the unsuspecting François, a ministry accountant whose hobby is making matchstick models of famous monuments. But when circumstances trap Pierre in his apartment with François, the tables are turned and everyone gets their just desserts. French with English subtitles.
LES CHORISTES (THE CHORUS) (021303)
DVD, JS, 97 min., FILMAROBICS, INC.
Les choristes is set in 1948. A professor of music, Clément Mathieu, becomes the supervisor at a boarding school for the rehabilitation of minors. What he discovers is disconcerting. The current situation is repressive. Through the power of song, Mathieu tries to transform the students. French with English subtitles. Includes Teacher Guide.
LOOK AT ME (COMME UNE IMAGE) (021797)
DVD, JS, 110 min., FILMAROBICS, INC.
Lolita’s father is a writer whose fame has made him so self-centered he has no clue the effect his egotistical behavior has on everyone around him, especially his daughter. Now that she has grown up, Lolita becomes even more determined to make her father notice her. There are people who she thinks will help her, but she always winds up competing against them for her father’s attention. And when she meets a guy who likes her for herself, Lolita finds she may actually be more like her father than she would ever have imagined. DVD in French with English and Spanish subtitles. Includes Teacher Guide.
LA BOUM (THE PARTY) (021798)
DVD, JS, FILMAROBICS, INC.
Starring Sophie Marceau, La Boum tells the story of Vic, a 14-year-old girl who experiences all the joy and confusion growing up. Vic has difficulty adjusting to the changes brought about by a move to a new home. To make matters worse, her parents are experiencing marital difficulties. Includes Teacher Guide.
Little Nicolas (Le petit Nicolas) (022614)
digital video disc, PI, 87 min., FILMAROBICS, INC., 2010
Le Petit Nicolas lives a peaceful existence. He has parents who love him, friends with whom he has fun, and he doesnt want any of that to change. One day, Nicolas overhears a conversation of his parents that leads him to believe that his mother is pregnant. He panics and imagines the worst. A little brother will take all the attention away from him and his parents will finish by abandoning him in the forest. 2009, 91 minutes, MPAA rating: NR (would be G if rated), in French with English subtitles. Teachers Guide Included.
Amelie (022615)
digital video disc, S, 122 min., FILMAROBICS, INC., 2001
Amélie is a young woman who waits on tables in a tiny café in Paris. Her life changes course when she discovers an old box of childhood treasures hidden beneath her apartment floorboards, anonymously returns it to its rightful owner, and watches from a distance as his life is transformed by the magical discovery. And thus begins her quest: a series of inventive plans to straighten out other people’s lives for the better (if they’ve earned it). She always hides behind a veil of mystery and anonymity, which works for her until she meets an intriguing young man, Nino. Now the question is: will she have the courage to do for herself what she has done for others? 2001, 122 minutes, MPAA rating: R, DVD in French with English subtitles. Teachers Guide included.
The Hedgehog (Le Herisson) (022613)
digital video disc, IJS, 100 min., FILMAROBICS, INC., 2009
Paloma is a serious, but deeply bored 11-year old, who has decided to kill herself on her twelfth birthday. She documents her life and immediate circle by taking videos and draws often hilarious observations on the world around her. But as her appointment with death approaches, Paloma finally meets some kindred spirits in her building's grumpy concierge and a new neighbor who is Japanese, both of whom inspire Paloma to question her rather pessimistic outlook on life. 2009, 100 minutes, MPAA: NR (would be G or PG if rated), in French with optional English subtitles. Teachers Guide included.
CONTACT US!
The MultiMedia library is open 7:30am-3:30pm Monday-Friday. Please call or email us if you have any problems or requests!
Email: abehan@wswheboces.org
Website: http://www.wswheboces.org/SSS.cfm?subpage=152bpage=152
Location: 27 Gick Road, Saratoga Springs, NY, United States
Phone: (518) 518 - 3730