Basket.

I have come to the conclusion that German cinema is underrated, and that we should be getting more Deutsche films in local theatres.

To start off, German is an amazing language. It sounds so wonderfully vulgar because of all the harsh intonations, such that you sound like a goddamn peasant even if you're delivering a metaphysical thesis on the futility of existence. And of course, swear-words in German are the best-sounding swear-words in the world ("Merde"? What kind of pussy swear word is that? Nothing compared to a vehement "Scheisse!"). This practically ensures that the dialogue of any given German film cannot sound stilted and will always be a source of entertainment, especially if it comes on top of a good, thick accent.

Then there are the various gems that have come out of Germany over the years. There is Lola Rennt (Run Lola Run), with a quirky storyline and an even quirkier actors, not to mention a wonderfully fresh storytelling technique. "Was? Ein hundert tausend Deutschmarks? Scheisse, scheisse, scheisse!" It is an excellent take on the absurdity of daily life in general, and the odd scenarios one can sometimes unexpectedly find oneself in. And there is a happy ending to boot. There is Goodbye Lenin, which is a comic yet beautifully poignant take on German reunification - one of the most momentuous events of the 20th century. Young Alex runs to hide the collapse of Communism from his dying, fervently Communist mother - from paying young kids to dress up as Young Pioneers and perform the sonorous East German national anthem to recording fake state news broadcasts, he goes to astonishing lengths out of filial piety. It is both comic and touching, and the ending is truly moving. A superbly balanced film that can make you both laugh and cry.

But what I feel is German cinema's best offering in recent times is Der Untergang (Downfall), the starkly realistic look at the last hours of Adolf Hitler in the Fuhrerbunker. It got four stars in most local newspapers, but I still think it was underrated. It's that good. Bruno Ganz may not look much like Hitler, but he is amazing in the role - portraying extremely ably a man who knows but will not admit the desperation of his situation. A sick man, determined to "be on the stage when the curtain falls", determined to watch his Thousand Year Reich crumble into rubble. Nor is he the only member of the cast who shines; so does the actress protraying Eva Braun, who puts together a wild character who is a grotesque mix of fatalism and devotion. And the scene where Frau Goebbels poisons her children one by one remains one of the only movie scenes ever that has sent a chill up my spine. It's also just about the most historical film I've ever watched. Absolutely stunning. For more detail, you can read my painstaking review of June 2005.

And so I've been on the lookout for more German films. Unfortunately, I have not had much success, although I admit I haven't tried the Goethe-Institut. Perhaps I should.