1. The Piano

Ada McGrath, a mute young women (Holly Hunter) from Scotland is married to a man from New Zealand she's never seen before. When she arrives with her illegitimate daughter (Anna Paquin) in New Zealand she finds that her husband Stewart (Sam Neill) does not show much understanding for her. Most of all, he does not realize that the piano which she brought with her is more than just an instrument - it's the substitute for her lost voice. While there emerges a growing gap between Ada and her husband, their neighbor Baines (Harvey Keitel) realizes what the piano means to her. He buys the piano and gives her the possibility to play it. With time there emerges a complex sexual relation between Ada, Baines and Stewart which unavoidably must result in a catastrophe.

Unexpectedly even for the director Jane Campion this movie became a bestseller and won three Oscars (which went to Holly, Anna, and Jane, who, in my opinion, all deserved it). The movie is not simple, partly psychologically complex, and not without violence - but I would rank it a masterpiece

2. Jane Eyre

This is loosely based on the classic novel by Charlotte Bronte. Jane Eyre (Anna Paquin as young Jane Eyre), a young orphan, grows up at her aunt, who does not love her. Jane is given to an orphan asylum where her life is being dictated by rigid rules. One of her hardest experiences is to see her best friend Helen (Leanne Rowe, excellent as well in that little part) die. After living there for eight years as a pupil and two more as a teacher adult Jane Eyre (now played by Charlotte Gainsbourg) gets a position as a private teacher. This is the first time she is not mistreated but taken on an equal basis. In addition, Mr. Rochester (William Hurt), the master of the house, seems to develop some interest in her. However, most time he is not at home, and there seems to be a secret about him and the house. Occasionally strange things happen and from time to time Jane hears some foolish laughing...

3. Fly away home (Amy und die Wildgänse)

Amy's (Anna Paquin) mother dies in a car crash in New Zealand. Her father (Jeff Daniels) takes her to his home in Canada. There she finds some geese eggs and takes them home. Finally they hatch, but as the parents of these geese went away because of some building measures, Amy is their only mother. She gives them food and treats them well, but in fall they have to migrate and someone has to show them the way South. After some discussion her father has an idea: He has some experience flying home-made sail planes. Perhaps an ultralight plane might serve well for guiding them on their way. However, the geese do not follow him but Amy, thus obviously she has to get another plane and learn to fly...

4. The Member of the Wedding

This  movie is somewhat different from Anna's previous projects. It was made for the US cable network and supposedly there will be no chance to see it, for instance, in German theaters or TV. Again, it is based on a classic novel, this time by Carson McCullers. The plot centers around Frankie (Anna Paquin), a twelve year old girl growing up without a mother and with her father not being able to comprehend too much of her problems. The only person trying to understand her is the colored cook Bernice Sadie Brown (Alfre Woodard). While Frankie does not really know what she wants and expects for her life, she definitely knows what she does not want: To stay in that kitchen in that small town with that boring life. Thus, as her brother marries, it is her final decision to go with him and his wife to find a better life. Unfortunately, the two newly-married do not find it a good idea to take Frankie with them...

5. Amistad

Anna Paquin had a cameo in Spielberg's slave epos "Amistad" as Queen Isabella II of Spain. The movie describes the events following a mutiny on the slave ship "Amistad" on its way to the US in 1839. While the movie starts with the mutiny itself most of it is centered around the lawsuit following it. Although largely forgotten even in the States (at least until this movie), this mutiny and the events following it finally led to the Civil war and marked the beginning of the end of slavery in the USA.

Isabella II of Spain - being just 12 years old! - represented by Anna Paquin claims the slaves being her property which she wants to be given back. The part itself only consists of three tiny (only a few seconds long) but important snapshots.
 

6. A Walk on the Moon

Recall that exceptional year 1969? The first man walking on the moon, Vietnam war, and the Woodstock Festival?This movie is set in the Catskills, close to the place of that festival, and in just that year. It talks about a young Jewish woman, Pearl Kantrowitz (Diane Lane), who after getting a child at the age of seventeen is caught in a circle of loveless marriage, boring normality, and hopelessness. Each summer the same garden colony, the same neighbors, same salesmen... However, during that summer 1969, there's all different. Around Woodstock festival a new salesman, "The blouse man" (Viggo Mortensen), happens to enter the colony, being able to show her that life should not yet have been over. Her own newly found feelings are paralleled by that of her daughter Alison (Anna Paquin) making her own first experience with love.
   

7. Castle in the sky

Also in 1997, Anna spoke a part in the English dubbed version of a Japanese animation movie called "Castle in the Sky", to be distributed by Disney. This one (original title: Laputa) belongs to a series of English re-dubbed originally Japanese movies by acclaimed Japanese animation director Hayo Miyazaki. Until now, the film was only shown once on a children's film festival in New York in February 2000, as Disney seems to have a very special distribution policy on these films.

This is kind of a fairy tale on Sheeta, a girl, which used to live in a flying castle, falling from heaven. The music as well as the pictures seem to be stunning. Viewers who have seen the performance in New York reported Anna having done a very good work in dubbing Sheeta's voice.