WORLD CINEMA CLASSIC BOX SET in Glasgow
GOOD CONDITION an idyllic life on the land. However, his scheming neighbours, Le Papet (Yves Montand) and Ugoli (Daniel Auteil), covet his farm's little-known water source, and the resulting feud escalates towards tragedy. 'The Chorus' () is a French drama inspired by the film 'La Cage aux Rossignols'. Successful orchestra conductor Pierre Morhange (Jacques Perrin) returns home when his mother dies. He recollects his childhood inspirations through the pages of a diary kept by his old music teacher Cl?ment Mathieu (G?rard Jugnot). Back in the late '40s, little Pierre (Jean-Baptiste Maunier) is the badly behaved son of single mother Violette (Marie Bunel). He attends a dreary boarding school presided over by strict headmaster Rachin (Fran?ois Berl?and). New teacher Mathieu brightens up the place and organises a choir, leading to the discovery of Pierre's musical talents. 'The Story of the Weeping Camel' () is a documentary intercut with tender narrative drama set in the Gobi desert in Mongolia. When a camel gives birth to a rare white camel colt, the difficult and protracted delivery leads to problems: the mother rejects her baby and refuses him her milk or bodily warmth. This turn of events spells disaster for the nomadic family to whom the camels belong, and they send their two sons off to the nearest town (some 30 miles away, on camels across the desert) to find a musician who can perform the ancient 'Hoos' ceremony that will reconcile the mother with her son. The film won the European Film Award for Best Documentary. In 'Kagemusha' (), when a warlord who makes use of lookalikes of himself in battle is killed one of these doubles takes over his role. He is coached by underlings to perform properly but eventually he is exposed by a concubine. Unable to relinquish his role completely, the lookalike goes into battle one last time, and is killed. Finally 'Talk To Her' () is Pedro Almodovar's tale of dance, bullfighters, love and comas. Benigno (Javier Camara) is a housebound nurse who falls in love with a young dancer, Alicia (Leonor Watling), he sees rehearsing through his window. Marco (Dario Grandinetti) is a journalist who falls in love with a bullfighter, Lydia (Rosario Flores), after being assigned to interview her. When Alicia and Lydia are involved in separate accidents which send them both into a comas, Benigno and Marco meet at the hospital and unpredictable consequences promptly ensue.