Films About Immigration:
Immigration is a complex and often controversial topic that has been explored in various films throughout history. These films shed light on the experiences, challenges, and triumphs of immigrants, highlighting their struggles and contributions to society. Here are some films that tackle the theme of immigration:
“The Visitor”, 2007
Director: Tom McCarthy
This thought-provoking drama follows a lonely widower who forms an unexpected bond with a Syrian immigrant couple living in his New York City apartment. As their lives intertwine, they navigate issues of identity, belonging, and the complexities of the American immigration system.
Starring: Richard Jenkins, Haaz Sleiman, Danai Gurira, Hiam Abbass, Marian Seldes, Maggie Moore, Michael Cumpsty, Bill McHenry, Richard Kind, Tzahi Moskovitz, Amir Arison, Neal Lerner, Ramon Fernandez, Frank Pando, Waleed Zuaiter, Deborah Rush, Ashley Springer, Laith Nakli, Jacqueline Brogan, Walter Mudu, Yevgeniy Dekhtyar, Earl Baker Jr., Walter the Dog, Bandar Albuliwi, Jesus A. Del Rosario Jr., Brother Douglas, Hristo Hristov, Walerá P. Kanischtscheff, Mizan Kirby;
Production year: 2007;
Genre: drama;
MPAA rating: pg13;
Duration: 104 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,6;
More information about the film “The Visitor” on the website imdb.com
“Brooklyn”, 2015
Director: John Crowley
Set in the 1950s, this heartfelt film tells the story of a young Irish immigrant who leaves her small town to start a new life in Brooklyn, New York. As she navigates the challenges of homesickness, love, and cultural differences, she ultimately finds herself torn between two worlds.
Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Emory Cohen, Domhnall Gleeson, Jim Broadbent, Julie Walters, Brid Brennan, Jane Brennan, Fiona Glascott, Jessica Paré, Eileen O'Higgins, Jenn Murray, Emily Bett Rickards, Eve Macklin, Mary O'Driscoll, Maeve McGrath, Nora-Jane Noone, Michael Zegen, Paulino Nunes, Hugh Gormley, Emma Lowe, Barbara Drennan, Gillian McCarthy, Art Campion, Eva Birthistle, James Corscadden, Samantha Munroe, Jane Wheeler, Adrien Benn, Alain Goulem, Max Walker, Iarla O'Lionaird, Ellis Rockburn, Erika Rosenbaum, Ellen David, Christian de la Cortina, James DiGiacomo, Tadhg MacMahon, Hudson Leblanc, Paul Stewart, Niamh McCann, Denis Conway, Karen Ardiff, Gary Lydon, Áine Ní Mhuirí, Mella Carron, Karen Belfo, Chantal Parent, François Pruneau, Nikky Smedley;
Production year: 2015;
Genre: drama, melodrama;
MPAA rating: pg13;
Duration: 117 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,5;
More information about the film “Brooklyn” on the website imdb.com
“El Norte”, 1983
Director: Gregory Nava
This powerful drama follows the journey of two indigenous siblings from Guatemala who flee their war-torn country in search of a better life in the United States. As they face numerous obstacles and dangers along the way, the film provides a poignant depiction of the immigrant experience.
Starring: Ernesto Gómez Cruz, David Villalpando, Zaide Silvia Gutiérrez, Alicia del Lago, Mike Gomez, Jose Martin Ruano, Stella Quan, Heraclio Zepeda, Emilio Gomez Ozuna, Daniel Lemus Valenzuela, Rodrigo Puebla, Yosahandi Navarrete Quan, Rodolfo De Alexandre, Emilio Del Haro, Jorge Moreno, Palomo Garcia, Ismael Gamez, Silverio Lujan, Socorro Velazquez, John Martin, Ronald G. Joseph, Abel Franco, Rosario Cevellos, Trinidad Silva, Lupe Ontiveros, Young Chung, Gregory Enton, Tony Plana, Slavitza Yhuelo, Jules Hart, Enrique Castillo, Momo Yashima, Jomarie Ward, Loraine Shields, Larry Cedar, Sheryl Bernstein, Diane Cary, Eulalia Cardenas, Jules Segal, Perry Page, Mary Armantrout, George O'Hanlon Jr., Bo Kane, Pablo Velasquez, Sergi Dagliana, Giuseppe Furia, Pado Hende, Sean O'Kane, Antonio Prester, Sabina Vannucchi;
Production year: 1983;
Genre: drama;
MPAA rating: r;
Duration: 141 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,7;
More information about the film “El Norte” on the website imdb.com
“Dheepan”, 2015
Director: Jacques Audiard
Directed by Jacques Audiard, this Palme d'Or-winning film explores the lives of Tamil refugees from Sri Lanka who pose as a family in order to secure asylum in France. As they settle into their new lives in a housing project, they face the challenges of adapting to a foreign culture, while also dealing with the shadows of their past.
Starring: Jesuthasan Antonythasan, Kalieaswari Srinivasan, Claudine Vinasithamby, Vincent Rottiers, Faouzi Bensaïdi, Marc Zinga, Bass Dhem, Franck Falise, Joséphine de Meaux, Jean-Baptiste Pouilloux, Nathan Anthonypillai, Vasanth Selvam, Karthik Krishnnan, Rudhrah, Tassadit Mandi, Marie Trichet, Tarik Lamli, Joël Boudjelta, Moussa Belhamar, Akim Chir, Sandor Funtek, Aymen Saïdi, Sofiane Guerrab, Keasavan Paramasamy, Suthagar Shanmugalingam, Thurainesan Thurasingham, Jegan Sivarasa, Kopiraj Shanmuganathan, Kanagaratham Subakaran, Manickam Paramanathan, Sinnaruthai Manoharan, Eric Douré, Jana Bittnerová, Jean-Michel Correia, Alexandre Michel, Dana Abed, Manmathan Basky, Max Geller, Sandra Murugiah, Sal Yusuf;
Production year: 2015;
Genre: drama, crime;
MPAA rating: r;
Duration: 115 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,2;
More information about the film “Dheepan” on the website imdb.com
“A Better Life”, 2011
Director: Chris Weitz
This emotional drama revolves around a Mexican immigrant father who works tirelessly as a gardener in Los Angeles to provide a better future for his son. The film explores themes of sacrifice, identity, and the pursuit of the American Dream.
Starring: Demián Bichir, Eddie «Piolin» Sotelo, Joaquín Cosio, José Julián, Nancy Lenehan, Gabriel Chavarria, Bobby Soto, Chelsea Rendon, Trampas Thompson, Tim Griffin, Valorie Hubbard, Dolores Heredia, Isabella Rae Thomas, Carlos Linares, Robert Peters, Richard Cabral, Bella Balajadia, Giselle Nieto, Luis Colocio, Ray Moreno, Yelyna De Leon, Rolando Molina, Tadie Acosta, Joe Renteria, Isidro Vallin, Magi Avila, Henry Ambriz, Miguel Alejandro Gaxiola, Jorge Gaxiola, Robert Renderos, Charles Currier, Marlon Correa, Adrian Mojica, Todd Felix, Eddie Martinez, Jason Medwin, Tom Schanley, Abraham Chaidez, Ruben Avitia, Lian Castillo, Fredo Cervantes, Rico Deveraux, Maynor Lopez, Patricia Medrano, George Paez, Abraham Rubio, Tatiana Sarasty, Mary Scanlon;
Production year: 2011;
Genre: drama, melodrama;
MPAA rating: pg13;
Duration: 98 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,2;
“In This World”, 2002
Director: Michael Winterbottom
Directed by Michael Winterbottom, this docudrama follows the perilous journey of two Afghan cousins as they attempt to reach the United Kingdom from a refugee camp in Pakistan. Through their harrowing experiences, the film offers a glimpse into the harsh realities faced by many immigrants.
Starring: Jamal Udin Torabi, Enayatullah, Imran Paracha, Hiddayatullah, Jamau, Wakeel Khan, Lal Zarin, Ahsan Raza, Mirwais Torabi, Abdul Ahmad, Amanullah Torabi, Ramzan Ali, Chaman Ali, Rasheed, Allah Bauhsh, Hossain Baghaeian, Yaaghoob Nosraj Poor, Ghodrat Poor, Mehdi Poor, Ahmad Azami, Yusef Azami, Mr. Eghdame, Mr. Dehghame, Mr. Yusuf, Bayram Arjangi, Jaffa Eghbali, Kerem Atabeyoglu, Erham Sekizcan, Nabil Elouhabi, Paul Popplewell;
Production year: 2002;
Genre: drama;
MPAA rating: r;
Duration: 88 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,3;
More information about the film “In This World” on the website imdb.com
“Sin nombre”, 2009
Director: Cary Joji Fukunaga
This gripping thriller centers around the intertwined stories of a young Honduran girl fleeing gang violence and a Mexican gang member seeking redemption. As they embark on a dangerous journey through Mexico towards the United States, the film explores themes of survival, identity, and the human cost of immigration.
Starring: Paulina Gaitan, Edgar Flores, Kristian Ferrer, Tenoch Huerta, Héctor Jiménez, Marco Antonio Aguirre, Leonardo Alonso, Karla Cecilia Alvarado, Juan Pablo Arias Barrón, Rosalba Belén Barrón, Felipe Castro, Rosalba Quintana Cruz, Marcela Feregrino, Giovani Florido, Ariel Galvan, Diana Garcia, Gabriela Garibaldi, Ignacio Gonzalez, Noé Hernández, Lilibeth Flores, Jesús Lira, Catalina López, Hector Anzaldua, Benny Emmanuel, Fernando Manzano, Liliana Martinez, Mary Paz Mata, Emir Meza, Emilio Miranda, Jose Miguel Moctezuma, Esperanza Molina, Luis Fernando Peña, Iván Rafael, Gabino Rodríguez, David Serrano, Gerardo Taracena, Harold Torres, Andrés Valdéz, Max Valencia Zúñiga, Noé Velazquez, Tulio Villavicencio, Guillermo Villegas, Javier Rivera Flores, Luis Angel Paz Flores, José Rogelio Vázquez López, Luis Antonio Vázquez López, José Luis Montiel Luna, Marco Tolio Durand Martínez, Jesús Humberto Fuentes Perez, Luis Rodriguez Sanchez;
Production year: 2009;
Genre: thriller, drama, crime, adventure;
MPAA rating: r;
Duration: 96 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,5;
More information about the film “Sin nombre” on the website imdb.com
These films represent just a fraction of the many thought-provoking and impactful movies that delve into the topic of immigration. Each one offers a unique perspective on the challenges, triumphs, and complexities faced by immigrants as they navigate their new lives in foreign lands.
In conclusion, the selection of films about immigration offers a powerful and diverse portrayal of the human experience, shedding light on the struggles, triumphs, and complexities of individuals navigating new cultures and societies. From heart-wrenching dramas that capture the hardships faced by immigrants to inspiring stories of resilience and determination, these films not only entertain but also educate and provoke empathy. By exploring the themes of identity, belonging, and the pursuit of the American dream, these movies serve as a reminder of the universal nature of the immigrant experience and the importance of compassion and understanding in our ever-changing world.
