bureaucracy
78 movies and shows
Ikiru
Thu, 09 Oct 1952
Kanji Watanabe is a middle-aged man who has worked in the same monotonous bureaucratic position for decades. Learning he has cancer, he starts to look for the meaning of his life.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Thu, 28 Apr 2005
Mere seconds before the Earth is to be demolished by an alien construction crew, Arthur Dent is swept off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher penning a new edition of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy."
Brazil
Wed, 20 Feb 1985
Low-level bureaucrat Sam Lowry escapes the monotony of his day-to-day life through a recurring daydream of himself as a virtuous hero saving a beautiful damsel. Investigating a case that led to the wrongful arrest and eventual death of an innocent man instead of wanted terrorist Harry Tuttle, he meets the woman from his daydream, and in trying to help her gets caught in a web of mistaken identities, mindless bureaucracy and lies.
A Touch of Sin
Fri, 04 Oct 2013
Four independent stories set in modern China about random acts of violence.
Faith, Hope and Charity
Thu, 14 Feb 1974
Three episodes. Faith: a woman is attacked. Hope: a fakir is crucified. Charity: a woman faces bureaucracy.
Good Bye, Lenin!
Thu, 13 Feb 2003
Alex Kerner's mother was in a coma while the Berlin wall fell. When she wakes up he must try to keep her from learning what happened (as she was an avid communist supporter) to avoid shocking her which could lead to another heart attack.
The Swissmakers
Fri, 03 Nov 1978
This romantic drama follows two policemen whose job is to investigate the lives of foreigners who have applied for Swiss citizenship. Among the applicants they must screen are a French psychiatrist and his wife, and a ballet dancer. The married couple are quickly accepted, but the dancer's life offers some objections. However, since the younger policeman has fallen in love with her, there is a chance that she, too, will win Swiss citizenship.
Facing Mecca
Wed, 21 Jun 2017
Pensioner Roli comes to Fareed's assistance when the Syrian refugee is faced with the burial of his Muslim wife. Together they stumble into a bewildering forest of Swiss bureaucracy to which Roli finds beautifully simple answer.
Shin Godzilla
Fri, 29 Jul 2016
When a massive, gilled monster emerges from the deep and tears through the city, the government scrambles to save its citizens. A rag-tag team of volunteers cuts through a web of red tape to uncover the monster's weakness and its mysterious ties to a foreign superpower. But time is not on their side - the greatest catastrophe to ever befall the world is about to evolve right before their very eyes.
The Trial
Fri, 18 Jun 1993
Joseph K. awakes one morning, to find two strange men in his room, telling him he has been arrested. Joseph is not told what he is charged with, and despite being "arrested," is allowed to remain free and go to work. But despite the strange nature of his arrest, Joseph soon learns that his trial, however odd, is very real, and tries desperately to spare himself from the court's judgement.
Nacht der Gaukler
Thu, 07 Nov 1996
Klaus Koska is the only witness to an assassination - but after he reports his observations to the authorities, he is suddenly the hunted after instead.
Visions of Europe
Sat, 01 May 2004
Twenty-five films from twenty-five European countries by twenty-five European directors.
Moebius
Thu, 17 Oct 1996
Deep within Buenos Aires's labyrinthine subway system, a train mysteriously disappears along with its 30 passengers. The subway officials are greatly troubled and call in topographer Daniel Pratt to help them find it. Unfortunately, the tunnels are so vast and complex, that Pratt needs his mentor Hugo Mistein to help him. Unfortunately, he has vanished too.
The Stationmaster Is on Fire - The Movie, That Is!
Fri, 06 Sep 1991
The stationmaster is trying to prevent his station from being closed. The train isn't coming and he has to explain to the waiting trainpassengers why it's late, while other people is trying to get the station for their use; for example the italians, who want to make a pizzeria out of it.
Bittersweet
Tue, 25 May 2010
An Egyptian-American returns to his homeland after twenty years abroad, filled with nostalgia and high hopes. But as he reconnects with his roots, he finds himself caught between two worlds—and begins to experience the reality of a country he thought he knew.
L.627
Wed, 09 Sep 1992
In Paris, Lulu, a passionate policeman, works with the faith of a rookie, despite the sclerotic bureaucracy and the incompetence or negligence of some of his colleagues. In his new position as a narcotics inspector, he tries to keep his sanity as he witnesses the worst of the human condition.
The Castle
Sat, 06 Sep 1997
When land surveyor K arrives at a small village that houses a castle, local authorities refuse to allow him to enter. As he tries to convince the officials that they sent for him, they clamp down with increasingly complicated bureaucratic obstacles.
Terrestrial Verses
Thu, 05 Oct 2023
A satirical take on the mundane absurdities of life in modern-day Iran, these nine vignettes illuminate the lighter side of enduring under authoritarian rule. Whether choosing a name for a newborn, graduating from grade school, getting a driver’s license, applying for a job, or seeking approval for a film script, if you live in Iran, you best come fluent in Orwellian discourse.
Terrorism and Kebab
Thu, 11 Jun 1992
Ahmed heads to Tahrir compound to extract papers to move his son to another school. There he clashes with the administrative obstacles. He suddenly finds himself involved in carrying a weapon and taking hostages at the government building and becomes a terrorist in the process.
Operation Grandma
Fri, 01 Jan 1999
Mivtza Savta ("Operation Grandma") is a satirical Israeli comedy about three very different brothers trying to get around many obstacles to bury their grandmother on her kibbutz. The story takes place in Israel, in the fictional kibbutz "Asisim".