7 International Books & Movies/Shows I’ve Been Enjoying

May 9

To say that I miss travelling would be an understatement. I miss hopping around this amazing planet we’re blessed to call home and experiencing first hand the habitats and cultures that help to make it colourful. As I eagerly await being able to resume globetrotting, I’m making a list of the destinations I want to visit next. In the meantime though, I’m satiating my Sagittarian appetite for travel with an international array of books and movies. My taste in literature, movies and music has always reflected a global curiosity but that has been all the more true lately.

Continue reading to see a few of my recent favourite international books and movies.

Books

*When We Were Birds

I’m probably biased toward this book because the author Ayanna Lloyd Banwo is Trini and it’s set in Trinidad & Tobago. I don’t apologize for my bias because the writing is stunning. The story follows the lives of two protagonists on whose lives death leaves indelible marks and creates a connection. It took a while for the book to build momentum but once it did, I was blown away. It’s refreshing to see a writer unabashedly write in the dialect of my home and A.LB.’s celebration of Trinbagonian-ness didn’t stop with language. The places, although called by different names, were places familiar to me, from Fidelis, the cemetery around which many of the major moments occur, to the areas outside the capital city. All made me emotional with nostalgia. With each sentence, I could hear and envision the scenes like they were happening in real Trini life. When We Were Birds is both a ghost story and a love story but I would say that the author focuses more on the spiritual and less on the romantic aspect. As much as I enjoyed reading about the spiritual elements, I do wish she shared more about the relationship between the two main characters. After all, the description in the blurb gave me the impression that their love would be primary to the story. There were a few other things I wish were explored more and there were questions that remained unanswered. Nonetheless, Ayanna’s exquisite way of writing about death, her homage to Trinbagonian folklore and the satisfying ending compensated for the few things I wasn’t pscyched about. With this offering, I think Ayana Lloyd Banwo has joined the ranks of iconic Trinbagonian authors like Earl Lovelace, Sam Selvon and V.S.Naipaul. I can not wait to read what she writes next.

*Mexican Gothic

This book kept me on the edge of my seat, especially towards the end. It’s a book you might not want to read before falling asleep. It's a gothic horror story set in 1950’s Mexico. The heroine, Noemí, is a young socialite who arrives at a forbidding mansion in the Mexican countryside after receiving a cryptic message from her cousin. This cousin lives with her English husband and his aging father in said mansion. With each day that Noemí spends in the grand but decrepit house, the more she is convinced that it is hiding dangerous secrets. Noemí knows intuitively that she must rescue her cousin and flee but of course, this is easier said than done. Although I’m not an avid reader of gothic horror stories and thus, don’t really have a reference point to compare this novel to, I was spooked by it. The middle was a bit slow but it held my interest and the chilling ending made up for the earlier lapse. The suspense was intense enough to make me doubt whether Noemí would escape. Til the end I was biting my nails.

Although I’ve seen some criticisms about the inclusion of a white English family in a story set in Mexico, I actually liked how the author used the depiction of that family to show the not widely known history of English exploitation in Mexico’s silver mining communities. This book may not be the type of story some might expect when thinking about a Mexican novel or gothic horror story, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

*The Widows Of Malabar of Malabar Hill

I’m not afraid to say that I bought this book because of the cover art…Well, because of the cover art and the description. Set primarily in pre-Independence India and going back and forth in time, the story is told through the eyes of Perveen Mistry who hails from a prominent Parsi (Indians of Persian descent) family. Shortly after becoming Bombay’s first female attorney, Perveen is given the responsibility of representing three Muslim widows. In the midst of trying to serve the women’s interests and solve a crime committed in their home, Perveen battles the challenges of being an unmarried professional woman in colonial India. I enjoyed seeing how Perveen navigated both as a modern woman (in that time) as well as the differences and similarities between her and the Muslim women for whom she advocated. Perveen’s bright, ambitious and kind traits made it easy for me to connect with her. The details about Parsi culture and the Zoroastrian religion underscored how incredibly diverse India is. There were so many topics raised in the novel that are still relevant today.

One thing I didn’t care for was how the negative impact of British colonialism and the opposition to it were mostly glossed over. Nonetheless, I can’t wait to read the other two books in this series by Sujuata Massey.

Movies/Shows

*Anatomy Of A Scandal

Although, I’m not a fan of Bridgeton, I’m a sucker for British murder mysteries/crime dramas. That includes the corny ones. Anatomy of A Scandal is far from corny though. It’s on the more high-brow end of the spectrum as crime dramas go. It’s also full of courtroom suspense, political intrigue and sordid acts. It‘s a glimpse into the corridors of British power - depicting how men born into the highest rungs of privilege often get away with the most horrible deeds. In addition to appreciating the analysis of topics like consent and loyalty, I enjoyed the view of British courtroom dealings. I liked the twists and turns and that the ending was different than I expected it to be. A splendid bonus was the set styling of two of the main characters’ (Sienna Miller and Rupert Friend) home. I found myself drooling over the interior design - mentally bookmarking the details. In addition to all this, I relished feeling like I was back in London, a city I always enjoy visiting.

Streamed on Netflix

*The Smart Money Woman

My mum and I watched this Nigerian mini series when she visited in October and I’ve rewatched it a few times since. As the name implies, the show is about financial savvy among a group of women. One of the things I like most is that the show emphasizes how the friends grow in their knowledge about financial matters and that such growth entails messy mistakes. Each episode covers a specific topic, for eg, the question of whether a married woman should keep a separate bank account and the importance of creating wills. Although many black people and black women specifically are becoming more financially comfortable, taboos remain in many of our communities in discussing money matters. The show resonated with me so much because I felt I could relate to the women in several ways. I enjoyed seeing how each character had different challenges with money and how those challenges played out in their relationships. Furthermore, the show has inspired me to become more financially knowledgeable and responsible. I definitely would have liked to watch another season.

Streamed on Netflix

*Gangubai Kathiawadi

Those who know me well, know that I’ve been into Bollywood films since my childhood in Trinidad & Tobago. So it’s not surprising that Bollywood offerings appear twice on this list. I have been awaiting this particular movie with excitement since I caught wind of it on Instagram. The movie was inspired by the life of Ganga Harjivandas, a woman born into a wealthy family who dreamt of becoming an actress. After being tricked by a man she eloped with, Ganga was forced into a brothel. When I finally pulled up the film on Netflix, my eyes were glued to the screen. Alia Bhatt delivers a spellbinding performance (I mean her facial expressions alone make watching this movie a must!); the choreography is AMAZING and the main song Dholida has been stuck in my head. I’ve been repeatedly pulling up the dance scene and practising the moves. The heart warming film delves into disturbing topics but the brilliance behind the movie is that grim social issues like sex trafficking and the rights of sex workers is balanced with belly-rolling humour. The acting, story, music and choreography enthralled me. Gangubai Kathiawadi is now one of my new favourite Bollywood movies. I’m thinking of hosting a movie night to rewatch it over delicious Indian food and in the company of friends.

Streamed on Netflix

*Dybuuk

The other Bollywood pick on this list is a movie that I happened upon while searching Indian movies and boy was it a spooky treat! I’m not even usually keen on scary movies but I found the premise of this one interesting. Plus, it’s set in a place I’ve longed to visit - Mauritius. The way that elements of Jewish folklore occur within an Indian Mauritian community was fascinated me. In Jewish folklore, a dybbuk is the malevolent spirit that possesses a living person. I had never heard about dybbuks before. In the film, (which is a remake of a Malayalam one named Ezra), a recently married woman named Mahi buys an antique Jewish box. Once it’s brought into her home, she and her husband Samuel begin witnessing/experiencing paranormal activity. These strange encounters lead them on a quest to understand the mystery behind the antique box. I will say that hardcore viewers of horror films may not find the movie scary. The elements that appealed to me most were those attached to the history and folklore.

Streamed on Amazon Prime

I’ve enjoyed putting together this post so much that I might make it a new series here on the blog. Let me know in the comment section below if you’ve read or seen any of the selections above and if not, what other international books and movies you’ve been enjoying lately.