The VAS Communityfive films nominated for international feature at this year's Oscars wrangle with some tough ideas and issues. There's the brutality of war, the human cost of fascism, animal cruelty, neglectful parenting and the prison of masculinity. Yet all of these films find room to offer glimmers of hope — some more than others.

Subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus at plus.npr.org/happyhour

Amazon supports NPR and pays to distribute some of our content.