Set in Germany in the rock 'n' roll era of the 1950s, "Lulu and Jimi" follows two lovers on the road, fleeing from the bigotry of their country's current society.

Likewise, in Spain's "Carmo, Hit the Road," a lonely, handicapped smuggler and a beautiful girl embark on a reckless ride through a South American landscape.

And in Great Britain's "Unmade Beds," two young foreigners fall in love in the vibrant, artistic underground of London's East End.

In the new Israeli film, "Zion and His Brother" — which is a gritty story of a single-parent working-class family — the sudden disappearance of a young boy drives a wedge between two teenage brothers whose loyalty to one another had always seemed unshakeable.

And in the British film, set in the '60s and called "An Education," a bright 18-year-old girl with her heart set on attending Oxford meets a handsome older man whose sophistication both enraptures and sidetracks not only the girl but her parents as well.

In Mexico's "Corazon del Tiempo" (Heart of Time), a young woman, during the Zapatista struggle, makes serious waves when she falls for a revolutionary fighter from the mountains.

In Italy's "One Day in a Life," a man who goes to the beach for a day of peace and quiet in the sunshine soon finds himself in the middle of the dramatic entanglements of nearby sunbathers.

In Chile's "Maid," a bitter and introverted servant wreaks havoc on the entire household.

And "Louise-Michel," from France, concerns what happens when the disgruntled female workers of a corruptly run and abruptly closed factory decide to pool heir meager compensation money to hire hit-men to knock off the corrupt executive who forced the closure.

All films have English subtitles and promise to open windows into these different cultures that you could never get from an expensive tour. I think it's safe to say that once you get hooked on foreign films your life will be much broader and richer for it.

In addition, this year's lineup of foreign documentaries looks equally rewarding.

Of special interest—especially to the millions of viewers who made "American Idol" the most watched show in America — is a film from Afghanistan called "Afghan Star."

After 30 years of Taliban rule, a show called "Pop Idol" has recently had Afghani viewers glued to their TV screens and voting for their favorite singers; and this new film documents four of the contestants as they risk their lives to entertain.