Let’s be honest with ourselves: most Western moviegoers don’t watch enough foreign films. And those of us who obsess over screenplays – we read even fewer. You can watch a foreign film with subtitles, but very few foreign screenplays come with translated English PDFs. That’s a shame – because some of the boldest, most inventive storytelling is happening outside the English-speaking world.For all of the Academy’s flaws, they have a long standing commitment to honoring foreign language film – in some shape or another – with the first Best International Feature Film (BIFF) being recognized in 1947, and formalized in 1956. In recent years, many non-English films have been successful in the Original and Adapted Screenplay category, too!The Academy Awards categorize BIFF eligibility as a ‘feature-length motion picture produced outside the United States with a predominantly non-English dialogue track.’ So the film could be from anywhere but the US. British, Australian – you’re good! It doesn’t matter if you’re from an English speaking country, so long as the primary dialogue track is non-English.To help broaden your cinematic horizons, I’ve curated a list of foreign-language screenplays – some award-winners, some personal favorites – all available in English. Happy reading!
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Memories of a Murder (2003) - Korea (Korean language)
Written and directed by Bong Joon-ho, Memories of Murder is widely considered among the most masterful crime thrillers of the 21st century. Based on Korea’s first known serial murders, the film blends procedural tension with unsettling ambiguity. Check out how Bong’s screenplay seamlessly shifts between bleak comedy, horror, and despair – without ever undermining the emotional stakes.
The character-driven script turns a familiar detective story into a haunting meditation on institutional failure and masculinity. Its ending, in particular, redefines genre expectations, eschewing closure for something far more chilling. International acclaim followed and the film’s influence on modern crime cinema is undeniable. Though it wasn’t nominated for an Oscar, it put Bong on the global radar, laying the groundwork for Parasite's historic win years later.
The translation is executed with a great deal of attention to detail, ensuring that your reading doesn’t miss out on cultural references, double entendre, and other linguistic minutia. The script will give you a more thorough understanding of the characters and dialogue than you could glean from the final film.
Parasite (2020 Best Picture and BIFF Winner) - Korea (Korean language)
While we’re on topic (and I promise this won’t just be Joon-ho scripts), Parasite made history as the first non-English-language film to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Bong Joon-ho also took home Oscars for Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Feature. Not bad going!
The screenplay earned universal praise for its sharp social satire, intricate structure, and wild tonal shifts – from comedy to suspense to tragedy, sometimes all in one scene. Screenwriters and critics alike admired its precision: every beat, reveal, and visual metaphor is tightly woven into a story about class, ambition, and deception. While American satire increasingly leans heavy-handed, Parasite stands out for being both accessible and layered. The script resonates globally while staying rooted in South Korean nuance. Bong’s screenplay is a masterclass in crafting socially aware stories without losing any of the thrill – and screenwriters will be studying it for years.
Rashomon (1951 BIFF Winner) - Japan (Japanese language)
While focusing on Asian cinema, let’s jump back to a classic: Rashomon (1950), directed by Akira Kurosawa and co-written with Shinobu Hashimoto. Kurosawa revolutionized narrative structure in cinema with a screenplay adapted from two short stories by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa. Japanese and Western audiences alike were stunned by its groundbreaking use of unreliable narrators and multiple conflicting perspectives. At the time, Western audiences had rarely (or never!) seen a film so openly question the nature of truth and memory.
The script contains action, dialogue, and continuity – giving the reader an extremely visual approach to the story right down to camera angles (MCU meaning Medium Close Up). The writing’s brilliance lies in its minimalism and philosophical depth – four characters, one crime, and four radically different accounts. Critics have long fawned over how the screenplay invites viewers to interrogate their own biases, making your participation an inherently subjective experience. Check it out to familiarize yourself with this touchstone of cinema, which has permeated the collective consciousness of writers and filmmakers for generations, exciting those seeking to explore ambiguity and moral relativism.
A Separation (2011 BIFF Winner) - Iran (Persian language)
Moving west and into the Middle East, let’s examine the Iranian drama A Separation. Written and directed by Asghar Farhadi, the film was a landmark for Iranian cinema, winning Best Foreign Feature and earning a nomination for Best Original Screenplay – a rare feat for a non-English film. Read this one for its gripping moral complexity and emotional realism. What seems like a simple domestic dispute unravels into a layered legal and ethical drama, exploring themes of class, gender, religion, and duty.
Farhadi’s script makes full use of its Tehran setting, drawing drama from cultural and religious norms. He masterfully avoids easy answers; every character is painfully human, their motivations understandable, their decisions flawed. Critics commended the writing for its restraint and empathy, with tension built through the slow, inevitable consequences of each character's choices. The dialogue feels natural yet charged, and the drama unfolds more like a thriller. A Separation remains a model for character-driven screenwriting with global emotional resonance.
The Seed of the Sacred Fig (2024 BIFF nomination) - Germany (Persian language)
Remaining in the Persian language, but shifting to a German production, next is The Seed of the Sacred Fig (2024). Written and directed by Mohammad Rasoulof, the film has earned widespread critical acclaim and award recognition, receiving a BIFF nomination.
The screenplay – while digestible – isn’t perfect, as it’s been manually translated from Persian to English, resulting in some formatting and language discrepancies. That shouldn’t matter though, read it for the intense moral and psychological tension, exploring paranoia, authoritarianism, and familial breakdown. Rasoulof integrates real protest footage into the film, turning the script into a powerful political allegory. The slow-burning and claustrophobic narrative structure immerses audiences in Iman’s paranoia, making this one of the most engaging screenplays on my list.
Life is Beautiful (1998 BIFF Winner) - Italy (Italian language)
Hanging around in Europe, let’s check out Life is Beautiful, a picture written by and starring Roberto Benigni. Beyond accolades including three Academy Awards, it is celebrated as one of the most beloved foreign-language films in cinema history. The nominated screenplay is often praised for its daring tonal balance: what begins as a charming romantic comedy then shifts into a Holocaust drama – without missing a beat of emotional coherence.
I draw attention to this screenplay for its humanism and wit, despite the dehumanising and dour events it depicts. The film’s second half, set in a concentration camp, uses the father's imagination and humor to shield his son from the horrors around them – a risky approach that I found particularly resonant. The screenplay’s blend of whimsy and tragedy became its hallmark, crafting an affirming narrative without denying historical pain. It's a testament to how screenwriting can turn sentimentality into something profound.
All Quiet on the Western Front (2022 BIFF Winner) - Germany (German language)
All Quiet on the Western Front has been adapted multiple times, perhaps most successfully by Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson, and Ian Stokell in their German language 2022 version of the war epic. The film received especially high praise, winning BIFF and being nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay. The script reimagines Erich Maria Remarque’s classic novel with a sharper political lens, emphasizing the brutal machinery of war and the dehumanizing effects of nationalism.
Critics lauded the screenplay for its unflinching realism and emotional restraint. Firmly anti-war, the film is void of any heroism or sentimentality, favoring depictions of the grim absurdity of violence. The addition of scenes showing armistice negotiations highlights the disconnect between soldiers and those in power – an innovation not found in the original book. The script's quiet moments are as devastating as its battle scenes, making it a powerful indictment of war through sparse dialogue and haunting atmosphere.
Portrait of a Lady on Fire - France (French language)
You cannot examine foreign film without considering the importance and influence of French cinema. I struggled to find a good example for this article, not for want of trying – but due to the lack of translated screenplays available. I have thus resorted to an unofficial (but painstakingly put together) translation by Mlleclaudine, Ladyonfire28, and Vittoria. Their translation attempts to reflect Sciamma’s original style of writing, favoring accuracy over clarity. Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019), written and directed by Céline Sciamma, is a triumph of screenwriting precision and emotional nuance. Set in 18th-century Brittany, you must check this one out this historical romance, which received universal acclaim for its poetic structure and intimacy. The film explores love, memory, and the female gaze without ever lapsing into melodrama. Every line and pause is carefully measured, building a slow-burning tension between painter and subject. The screenplay elegantly weaves themes of art, authorship, and forbidden desire.
Its quiet power, lyrical dialogue, and feminist thesis have made it a landmark in LGBT and arthouse cinema – and a masterclass in minimalist, emotionally charged writing. Make sure you take note of Sciamma’s restraint and the way it allows silence, gaze, and gesture to do as much storytelling as dialogue.
The Zone of Interest (2023 BIFF Winner) - Great Britain (Polish and German language)
The Zone of Interest, written and directed by celebrated English filmmaker Jonathan Glazer, is one of the most critically acclaimed films in recent years. The screenplay won BIFF and was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay – an exceptional feat for a film that eschews traditional narrative beats.
The restrained screenplay centers on the mundane domestic life of the Höss family living next door to Auschwitz concentration camp, and the bureaucracy of those running it. The horror exists offscreen – heard but not seen – which makes it even more psychologically unsettling. The script’s genius lies in this juxtaposition: ordinary bourgeois life coexisting with systematic atrocity. Quiet minimalism and eerie detachment forced viewers to confront complicity, denial, and moral numbness. Check this one out if you want a masterclass in suggestion and atmosphere!
I’m Still Here (2024 BIFF Winner) - Brazil (Portuguese language)
Over the pond, we’re checking in on Brazil. I’m Still Here, written by Murilo Hauser and Heitor Lorega, has won both critical and awards-season acclaim. The film won BIFF in 2024, marking the first-ever Brazilian-produced film to receive that honor. Critics have lauded the script’s contemplative, character-driven structure: it avoids spectacle while crafting profound emotional impact, exploring a family's resilience amid Brazil’s 1970s dictatorship.
What stands out to me is the screenplay’s commitment to subtle tension. Dialogue is minimal, but every scene – whether an ice-cream outing or a solitary moment of peace in the ocean – deepens the sense of fear, hope, and defiance. Meticulous pacing makes the audience feel every moment of everyday heroism. It’s a perfect example of depicting political history through intimate storytelling, giving voice to personal courage more than public spectacle.
City of God (2002) - Brazil (Portuguese language)
In a discussion about the best crime dramas of all time, City of God (2002) directed by Fernando Meirelles and co-written by Bráulio Mantovani, must be considered. Nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay, the film is based on Paulo Lins’ novel chronicling the rise of gang violence in Rio de Janeiro’s favelas.
I adore the way the screenplay capitalizes on its nonlinear structure and vivid characterisation. Despite juggling dozens of characters across decades, the script maintains astounding clarity. Mantovani’s adaptation distills a sprawling narrative into a sharply focused epic, balancing kinetic action with devastating realism. The dialogue crackles with authenticity, and the pacing never lets up, mirroring the chaotic energy of the environment it depicts.
Something I personally appreciate a great deal is the moral nuance – it neither sensationalizes nor totally condemns violence. Instead, it depicts systems that offer the young characters opportunities, but traps them at the same time, making it both a gripping and haunting social critique / crime drama.
CONCLUSION
At a time when storytelling is more global than ever, there’s so much to gain from looking beyond our own borders. Foreign film screenplays offer fresh perspectives, innovative structures, and emotional truths that often get overlooked in Western cinema. If you care about great writing, it’s time to start reading – and watching – more international work.
There are as many foreign screenplays out there as there are great ideas – a whole world of brilliant writing. Sure, finding the English versions can be difficult, but there’s transcripts, books, and video essays on foreign language features available for free through the power of the Internet.
Give these screenplays a go – you won’t regret it!
