There is no denying the passion or intelligence of this work, which is meant to be an encouragement to explore the films for ourselves rather than a dry history lesson. On that level, "Viaggio" fully succeeds.

Fateless is both haunting and poetic. It also is visually stunning.

An eye-opener that handles its themes in a refreshingly nonexploitative manner.

Gorgeously photographed by co-director Burke in the beautiful environs of East Sussex, England, this modest but subtly powerful piece of minimalist cinema exerts a haunting spell.

A terrific cinematic essay that will have a very, very long shelf life.

Almost unbearably moving at times, Julie Betuccelli's simple but sublime debut feature presents a portrait of maternal love and female fortitude that will reduce the stoniest of viewers to tears.

Moving historical drama brings a fascinating chapter of art history to life.

Michael Apted's landmark films documenting the lives of a disparate group of Brits in seven-year intervals have always been fascinating from a sociological perspective. But the latest installment proves that they are undeniably brilliant cinematically as well.

An uncompromising portrait of how global capitalism can exploit an area's resources to the point of near annihilation.

Pungently atmospheric, brilliantly textured and featuring superb performances from every performer in parts big and small.

A heartwarming and moving adventure that does excellent justice to the classic character.

Particularly adept at chronicling the vague existential aimlessness of a segment of postcollege young adults, Bujalski manages to make his subjects seem simultaneously articulate and socially dunderheaded.

Uses dark humor, incisive characterizations and social commentary to infuse its familiar detective tale with a distinctive flair.

This deeply humanistic, profoundly touching work representing independent cinema at its finest should be seen by far wider audiences.

Compelling.

The results are always visually arresting, while the narrative, even by Maddin standards, is completely out in the ozone.

While political and social context is kept to a minimum, the darkly poetic images they capture speak volumes about what the miners go through.

The leisurely narrative is barely able to sustain the film's full-length running time, and some of the obviously staged sequences involving the family of shepherds are annoyingly hokey. Nonetheless, "Weeping Camel" has an undeniable appeal.

A fascinating account of its subject's self-torture over his inability to stop one of the 20th century's greatest tragedies.

There is no denying the emotional impact of the story, which is powerfully conveyed in this important, deeply moving documentary.

If ultimately the highly talky Saraband comes across as a minor entry in the canon, it nonetheless marks a dignified farewell for one of cinema's greatest directors.

Schickel's documentary, narrated by Sydney Pollack, breaks no new ground stylistically, but it is a well-organized, informative and inevitably entertaining portrait of the man who revolutionized screen comedy and who arguably became the first mass-market, commercialized media figure.

The two main characters are both so funny, human and touching that Sunset Story ultimately possesses an emotional quality missing from many similarly themed efforts.

Comprising seven individual films with a cumulative running time of more than 8 1/2 hours, Have You Heard From Johannesburg (the title comes from a Gil Scott-Heron song) naturally will find a more receptive home on television and home video, but New York's Film Forum, presenting it in three parts, is to be commended for giving the series its world theatrical premiere.

The film, which received its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, no doubt will become a mainstay of university film courses.

Although overlong and diffuse, Oasis, written and directed by Lee Chang-dong, boasts many powerful moments.

The resulting journey of self-discovery is not exactly profound in its revelations, but as usual with McElwee's efforts the proceedings are enlivened by his droll, witty narration, delivered in a sonorous tone.

In this enjoyable if trivial battle between von Trier's psychodrama theatricality and Leth's cool formalism, it's ultimately the viewer who comes out the winner.