Originally posted by Chris Knipp
the only towns that really get most of the openings are NYC and LA, not San Francisco.
Absolutely, but I think that larger cities like SFA that attract new immigrants provide more opportunities to sample foreign fare than smaller cities with less fluid migration patterns, like Pitt. For instance, I've attended screenings here in which I am practically the only non-jew, or non portuguese-speaker in the room, or part of a hetero minority. I'll tell you another advantage, you can walk into a store and buy any Chinese film released in the past 5 years, maybe Miseenscene cannot.

As for "lasting classics," that's not really something you can be clear about till later. But The Pianist and Catch Me If You Can will stick around a while in my opinion, and Y Tu Mama Tambien is a classic.
I concluded the 2002 classics have subtitles. Otherwise, Bloody Sunday and The Pianist have the best chance in my opinion. I kinda feel bad that the best known holocaust film to date has an Aryan for a hero. Maybe I prefer the film with a Jew for a survivor.
Y Tu Mama Tambien is so graceful, seemingly effortless, light yet rich, both a sex farce and a neo-realist road flick. Like a horny Jules et Jim con chile.