pick top ten films from your country

I was reading Kit Hui 's blog about the film list (100 must see movies from the 20th century) supplied by Leonard Maltin which she described as American centric.  The list is indeed American centric though there are some good films on it.

This made me think - if you could recommend 10 films, from your own country (be as centric as you like),  as essential viewing what would they be and why.......

I had a bit of trouble picking ten from NZ but here is my ten (in no particular order)

1 - Outrageous Fortune - Christmas Movie = as cheesy as the title is, this is a great movie based on a local drama.  It is an excellent look at working class NZ and the classic NZ camping summer holiday.

2 - Once Were Warriors - dated now but still a look at the NZ you don't see in the tourist ads (I was physically shaking when I left the movie theatre after watching this, the dvd doesn't have the same effect but it is still quite powerful).

3 - Scarfies - Dunedin student culture in all it's base glory, well written story imo.

4 - Heavenly Creatures - beautifully told by Peter Jackson (before he got all famous) story of two teenage girls who murdered one of their mothers in Christchurch in the 1950s (true story).

4 - Out of the Blue - true story of NZ's first mass shooting in Aramoana in 1990, beautifully told with collaboration with the survivors.  This movie has no music soundtrack, the only music is when the characters listen to the radio, this gives the movie quite a different feel from most modern movies.

5 - Meet the Feebles - sick and twisted and a must see (I only have two Peter Jackson movies on my list, I don't consider LOTR to be NZ movies, we were just the backdrop).

6 - Grasscutter - dated 80s movie about an Irish family expatriated to NZ to hide from the IRA, oldie but a goodie.

7 - Sione's Wedding - released in the States as Samoan Wedding, not sure how much of the humour in this is cultural but it was a big hit in NZ, it is a great peek into NZ Pacific Island culture.

8 - The Man With No Head - Martin Clune stars in this cute made for TV movie about an East Coast Iwi (Maori tribe) trying to claim back a carved wooden head that is in British museum, Martin Clune is the museum representative sent to NZ to stop the repatriation.

9 - Mauri - great plot twist and also a good look into Maori culture

10 - Eagle vs Shark - for NZ nerd/geek/loser humour; Jemain Clement is a lead, if you like Flight of the Conchords you may (but I promise nothing) like this, I did anyway.

So which ten would you pick from your country, and if you have time, why?

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