The long-suffering women of a remote Moroccan village, exhausted by the dangerous and back-breaking work of collecting water daily from the mountains, stage a sex strike in protest against their husbands' refusal to build a pipeline. A moving and visually stunning parable of the Arab spring.

Following a playground fight between two boys, in which one gets hurt, their two sets of parents get together to discuss how to deal with it. But the initially cordial meeting quickly turns into an emotional brawl. A brilliantly acted black comedy of bad manners, in turns extremely funny and painfully realistic

When her surly teenage grandson is implicated in a schoolgirl's suicide, life becomes even more confusing for Mija, who has Alzheimer's. Her decision to enrol in a poetry class brings relaxation and a new view of her world, in this original, beautiful and wonderfully acted South Korean film.

An ageing raging loner seeks refuge in a charity shop where he meets a woman using her volunteering as the shop's manager and her Christian faith to escape from her abusive husband. Their relationship develops unexpectedly and offers hope of a way out. A powerful and shocking film

The last days of an elderly goatherd in a remote Calabrian village provide the context for an extraordinary, intriguing and touching film documentary, drama and contemplation of man's place in the natural world. Preceded by a brief filmed interview with the director.

A winner at the Berlin Film Festival, this riveting and fiercely intelligent film is a fascinating insight into life in contemporary Iran. It explores social, ethical and religious dilemmas in a gripping marital drama full of surprise developments and suppressed volatility

Twins brought up in Canada gradually discover the devastating facts about the events in Lebanon that shaped the life of their recently dead mother, and their lives too. Family tragedy and civil war are intertwined in a gripping and brilliantly acted drama as the truth is gradually revealed.

A powerful updating of one of Shakespeare's most challenging plays, performed with real vigour. Coriolanus is a general whose arrogance makes him inflexible and contemptuous of the people's demands. A gripping drama with a strong supporting cast including Vanessa Redgrave as his mother.

The Atacama desert in Chile, 10,000 feet above sea level and the driest place on earth, has ideal conditions for astronomy - but also for preserving bodies, including Pinochet's political prisoners. Astronomers scan the heavens while women search for their loved ones, in this beautiful but painful film.

A delightful light-hearted Woody Allen film, in which the chief character is a young American novelist visiting Paris with his fiancée, in search of inspiration. On a midnight stroll through the city, he finds himself transported back in time and meets his literary idols of the past.

The making of a film about Columbus provides the framework for a powerful and intriguing study of the exploitation of the weak by the strong: of native Americans by Europeans; of the natural environment by foreign companies; and of cheap local labour by the film's own director.

Released from prison on parole, hard man Bill finds his sons abandoned. If he stays with them, he risks getting mixed up with his old gang. If he leaves, his younger son may well be sucked into his criminal world. High quality performances and a focus on family dynamics make for a warm-hearted and gritty drama.

This bittersweet comedy was a success at the Toronto Film Festival and Cannes. It is set in an isolated Lebanese village, inhabited by both Christians and Muslims. As the country is engulfed by civil war, the women plot together to protect the peace of their community by keeping the news of war from their men

An intimate documentary recording the astonishing career of the charismatic and controversial Brazilian racing driver, Ayrton Senna - fascinating and thrilling, even for non-racing fans. As in a classic Greek tragedy, the hero surmounts every challenge before being destroyed by fate.

When a Canadian primary school teacher kills herself, an inexperienced Algerian immigrant takes over and has to cope with the children's confusion and guilt, culture clashes among staff and pupils and his own uncertainty. A charming warm film which well deserved its Oscar nomination.

A lavish and rewarding historical epic set in 18th century Denmark, based on an extraordinary true story. Teenage Caroline is to be married to the cruel and unstable King Christian VII, but falls in love with his advisor. Together they work to introduce much needed reforms.

A wickedly dark comedy thriller, set in Ireland, about the pursuit of a drug-smuggling gang by an unlikely pair of investigators - a cynical local police sergeant and an uptight FBI agent - played brilliantly by Brendan Gleeson and Don Cheadle. Violent, foul-mouthed and riotously funny.

The shy owner of a chocolate factory and his equally inhibited new employee embark on a tentative and nerve-wracking courtship. A good old-fashioned romantic comedy - toe-curling yet hilarious - and as sweet, soft-centred and delicious as a Turkish Delight.