132 Best Immigrant Stories to Watch (Page 6)

The immigrant experience, while often portrayed as a struggle, shouldn’t be reduced to one. Immigrating is seeking a hopeful new start for the person taking the journey, and a more diverse and richer existence for the community welcoming them. The goal of this section is to portray the immigrant experience in all of its ups and downs, offering a collection of stories on popular streaming services to anyone seeking a better understanding of one of the most talked-about topics today.

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76. Lost and Found, 1996

	
At one of the world’s largest shipping hubs, packages (and sometimes people) can get easily lost. It can be disheartening to lose something important, but that’s why it’s important to remember to check the lost and found. Through the titular niche industry, writer-director Lee Chi-Ngai crafts a existential love story that intertwines the lost souls of Hong Kong with a mournful melancholy marked with each repetition of Dance Me to the End of Love. It’s beautiful and depressing, and yet somehow Lee manages to tie all of the pieces together eloquently into something hopeful, despite the inevitable, if abrupt, ending.Genre: Drama, Romance
Actor: Alan Mak, Cheung Tat-Ming, Cheung Ying-Tsoi, Henry Fong, Henry Fong Ping, Hilary Tsui, James Yuen, Joe Ma, Jordan Chan, Josie Ho, Joyce Tang Lai-Ming, Kelly Chen, Maria Cordero, Michael Wong, Moses Chan, Steven Ma, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Teddy Chan
Director: Lee Chi-Ngai

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77. Filip, 2023

War makes animals of men, and Filip is no exception. The film portrays a lone Jewish survivor who walks the streets of Frankfurt as if he doesn’t have anything to lose. He’s able to get away with it, with his work at a luxury hotel, but he’s unable to escape his trauma. He relieves this through trysts with the local women, treating them cruelly, the same way they would treat his people. It’s a uniquely stunning take on the ugly side of war, with its country club glamor and Filip’s lust for life. But it’s also a grim character study of an unlikeable, yet understandable protagonist, whose moral ambiguity comes purely from his own survival.

Genre: Drama, History, War

Actor: Caroline Hartig, Eryk Kulm, Eryk Kulm jr, Gabriel Raab, Hanna Śleszyńska, Julian Świeżewski, Jürg Plüss, Karol Biskup, Kinga Jasik, Krzysztof Oleksyn, Maja Szopa, Mateusz Rzeźniczak, Maurycy Popiel, Monika Kwiatkowska, Nicolas Przygoda, Nicolo Pasetti, Robert Więckiewicz, Sandra Drzymalska, Victor Meutelet, Werner Biermeier, Zoë Straub

Director: Michał Kwieciński

Rating: R

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78. Faraway, 2023

Middle-aged romances aren't really a popular genre. After all, it tends to be predictable, problematic, and it can sometimes feel like seeing your parents have sex. Other films try to spice it up with a great looking location, pretty cinematography, and all the romance tropes, and Croatian-German film Faraway has plenty of that in store. However, it also happens to be a film where a middle-aged woman finds solace with her Croatian mom’s culture, after years of assimilating to the countries of her dad, and later, her husband. While not perfect, Faraway feels so charming and it has the rare sincerity missing from many middle-aged romcoms.

Genre: Comedy, Romance

Actor: Adnan Maral, Adriana Altaras, Artjom Gilz, Bahar Balci, Butz Ulrich Buse, Christian Schneller, Davor Tomić, Goran Bogdan, Mladen Vasary, Naomi Krauss, Paula Schramm, Vedat Erincin

Director: Vanessa Jopp

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79. Code Unknown, 2000

	
Any time someone does something, in public, one mostly thinks about how it affects them personally. We only have one life, after all, working from one timeline, one narrative, and one perspective that naturally forms when we go through it. Code Unknown plays with this idea. It’s as if writer-director Michael Haneke wanted to recreate sonder into film form, as a single littering incident instigates a series of vignettes, each shot in real time, that cuts only when shifting between the strangers who witnessed the incident. Each cut feels intentional, with the way certain scenes linger, while some are cut short before fully concluding, and contrast between the scenes that are shown, and therefore, the treatment given after the incident, is pointedly different, with some finding it inconsequential to their day, and others becoming burdened with subsequent harassment and mistreatment that could have been avoided. Haneke, of course, remains as cryptic in the way he’s best known for, but Code Unknown, nonetheless, reveals just how much empathy is needed and is lacking in real life.Genre: Drama
Actor: Aissa Maiga, Alexandre Hamidi, Andrée Tainsy, Arsinée Khanjian, Bruno Todeschini, Carlo Brandt, Costel Cașcaval, Didier Flamand, Féodor Atkine, Florence Loiret Caille, Ion Haiduc, Josef Bierbichler, Juliette Binoche, Maimouna Hélène Diarra, Malick Bowens, Marc Duret, Maurice Bénichou, Nathalie Richard, Sandu Mihai Gruia, Thierry Neuvic, Tsuyu Shimizu, Walid Afkir
Director: Michael Haneke

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80. Cassandro, 2023

As biopics go, Cassandro skews towards the conventional. It follows a template familiar to anyone who has seen a life-story movie about the underdog climbing up the ranks thanks to their unmatchable heart and talent. But it’s also a template that’s elevated by Bernal’s wonderful performance and Roger Ross Williams’ careful and naturalistic direction. Save for a few melodramatic moments, many parts of Cassandro feel fresh and authentic, not least of which is Saúl's heartwarming relationship with his mother Yocasta (Perla De La Rosa). It’s unapologetic joy is another element that sets it apart: instead of being punished for his flamboyance and cheer, Saúl is rewarded for it. This seems like a rare triumph in LGBTQ+ stories, and on that merit alone Cassandro deserves to be seen.

Genre: Drama

Actor: Bad Bunny, El Hijo del Santo, Gael García Bernal, Gigántico, Joaquín Cosío, Julieta Ortiz, Leonardo Alonso, Mark Vasconcellos, Perla de la Rosa, Raúl Castillo, Robert Salas, Roberta Colindrez, Yavor Vesselinov, Yolanda Abbud L.

Director: Roger Ross Williams

Rating: R

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81. Abang Adik, 2023

	
At the fringes of society, sometimes, all you have is your family. You would do all you can to feed, clothe, and protect them, and your fate hangs in the balance of what they do in return. Abang Adik is centered on two undocumented orphans in Malaysia, and because they only have each other, Abang does all he can legally and within his capabilities as a disabled man to scrounge up some money, but Adik tries to gain more secretly, resorting to scamming fellow illegal immigrants. Writer-director Jin Ong portrays their plight realistically, but more importantly, the drama works because Ong prioritizes crafting the compelling dynamic between them, making it much more heartbreaking when the loss of their one chance changes everything. Abang Adik may not be a perfect drama, but it’s a daring debut that’s needed.Genre: Crime, Drama
Actor: April Chan, Bront Palarae, Jack Tan, Kang-Ren Wu, Serene Lim
Director: Jin Ong

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82. The President, 2014

	
When the country rises in rebellion against your dictatorial rule, we imagine that could be quite difficult. After a series of failures and atrocities committed to keep power, no one in the world would empathize with the dictator in question. Doing exactly this, however, made for a striking movie in The President. Never naming an actual country, but based generally on real world revolutions, the film plucks a dictator and his grandson into the poverty that his regime has inflicted upon its people. It’s quite cathartic to see the two reap the karmic consequences of what the dictator has done, but it’s also thought-provoking, as the film straightforwardly demonstrates the way revolution eventually takes cyclical form, especially for the movements that allowed the very atrocities they sought to end. It’s not a film with an easy-to-match metaphor, though, given the production country and the director Mohsen Makhmalbaf’s home country, one could guess certain influences, but The President nonetheless is a striking portrait of a city violently changing hands.Genre: Drama
Actor: Dachi Orvelashvili, Ia Sukhitashvili, Lasha Ramishvili, Misha Gomiashvili, Zura Begalishvili
Director: Mohsen Makhmalbaf

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83. Música, 2024

	
We’ve already seen the coming-of-age conflict presented in Música in other films– namely, where parents, society, and loved ones expect things from a male protagonist, but he has a passion for his creative endeavors, only awakened by a gorgeous girl that recognizes his talent. It’s a cliché storyline, even for a musical, but we’ve never heard it this way before, the way Rudy Mancuso takes in the day-to-day noise of his Brazilian neighborhood in Newark and turns it into a musical soundscape paired with rhythmic dancing, theatrical set pieces, and a metanarrative portrayed by his puppets that he says is unfortunately real. There’s something special in the way Mancuso’s directorial debut unfolds, so visually and sonically creative, with a lot of heart that we’ve been missing.Genre: Comedy, Music, Romance
Actor: Andy Grotelueschen, Andy Muschietti, Bia Borin, Bianca Comparato, Camila Mendes, Camila Senna, Francesca Reale, Gregory Jones, J.B. Smoove, JB Smoove, José Báez, Maria Mancuso, Milly Guzman, Regina Schneider, Rudy Mancuso
Director: Rudy Mancuso
Rating: PG-13

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84. Midnight Traveler, 2019

Hassan Fazili and Nargis Fazili are two filmmakers who, faced with death threats, escape their home in Afghanistan and start a journey to Europe that millions of others have taken over the past few years. But unlike most others, the Fazilis filmed everything on their way.

The result is not only a portrayal of the dangers they go through but it's also about less obvious and possibly more common aspects of the refugee experience. It's about the wait in refugee centers (that can last many years), the anticipation and also what it means to do all of this with children. Because watch out for the little Fazilis, who travel with their parents, for they will steal your heart.

Genre: Documentary

Director: Hassan Fazili

Rating: Not Rated

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85. Hedwig and the Angry Inch, 2001

With the powerful duo of queer aesthetics and rock n roll, Hedwig and the Angry Inch questions the duality between genders, lovers, and everything in between. Like the 1998 stage musical, the film follows the titular Hedwig and her band as they navigate the music scene for fame and love. The adaptation gives justice to their performances, giving the vibe of 70s glam rock music videos. The film is not without its flaws. Hedwig’s relationship with the younger Tommy Gnosis remains controversial. However, while Hedwig may not be a perfect representation of the trans experience– after all, she only chooses gender reassignment purely to leave East Germany– this cult film still remains a landmark for queer representation.

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Music

Actor: Alan Mandell, Alberta Watson, Andrea Martin, Ben Mayer-Goodman, Ermes Blarasin, Gene Pyrz, John Cameron Mitchell, Karen Hines, Maggie Moore, Mary Krohnert, Maurice Dean Wint, Michael Aronov, Michael Pitt, Michael Stevens, Miriam Shor, Rob Campbell, Rosie O'Donnell, Sook-Yin Lee, Stephen Trask, Taylor Abrahamse, Thérèse DePrez

Director: John Cameron Mitchell

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86. Chico & Rita, 2010

	
The Cuban bolero, not to be confused with the Spanish dance, is a Latin ballad form that spread all throughout the Americas, and even the whole world, that mixed and mingled with and influenced jazz in the 1940s and 50s. Chico & Rita celebrates this music, as well as the nightlife that made these sounds possible, through a stirring star-crossed romance that recalls the typical inspiration behind these songs. There are moments that do falter– like the way Chico tries to woo Rita back– but the familiar, if slightly cliché, beats work in this animation through a unique, thick-lined art style, and of course, excellent music. It's no wonder it was the first Spanish full-length animated film nominated for an Oscar.Genre: Animation, Music, Romance
Actor: Eman Xor Oña, Jon Adams, Ken Forman, Limara Meneses, Mario Guerra, Ray Gillon, Renny Arozarena
Director: Fernando Trueba, Javier Mariscal, Tono Errando
Rating: NR

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87. Wolf, 2013

	
Look, Wolf has a familiar, even cliché, plot. The idea of having a lead wanting to shift their life around through kickboxing is the usual stuff of cheesy sports dramas that want more viewers to watch the matches, or to learn to play the sport. But rather than take this path, Wolf instead delves into the other reasons why people might want to join the sport in its story– the money, the physical venting of frustration, and making use of skills. It’s also why, for Majid, the passion proves to falter in the face of his character. His loyalty to others, his spite, and the unresolved anger he holds paints a literally black-and-white picture of what inevitably pushes him to the film’s end. Wolf is familiar, yes, but it takes this plot to a different place that Dutch cinema doesn’t usually visit.Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Actor: Bo Maerten, Cahit Ölmez, Chems Eddine Amar, Huub Smit, Marwan Kenzari, Mat Lucas, Mustafa Duygulu, Nasrdin Dchar, Raymond Thiry, Slimane Dazi, Steef Cuijpers, Werner Kolf
Director: Jim Taihuttu

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88. Pushing Hands, 1991

	
After a long life lived in a home one chose, it can be hard to uproot your entire life, especially in a country that seems diametrically opposed in manners and values. Before his American produced hits like Brokeback Mountain and Life of Pi, Ang Lee made his debut through Pushing Hands, a film entirely shot in America but produced from Taiwan, exploring from the Chinese perspective the generational conflict between Asian immigrants and the mainlander parents that they brought to have a good life. It’s humorous at certain moments, with the steady demeanor of Chu contrasted to everyone around him, but Pushing Hands stems from the understanding of someone who’s directly lived through it, unfolding into a thoughtful, sentimental drama that quickly established Lee’s directorial voice.Genre: Comedy, Drama
Actor: Chit-Man Chan, Deb Snyder, Fanny De Luz, Haan Lee, Lung Sihung, Sihung Lung, Wang Bozhao, Wang Hung-Chang, Wang Lai
Director: Ang Lee

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89. Pelle the Conqueror, 1987

	
When depicting a novel, book adaptations on film, especially earlier on in the medium, tend to be quite lengthy. The film version of Pelle the Conqueror does have this quality, and the storylines that aren’t directly connected to Pelle and Lasse do feel randomly stitched in. But, when this epic film focuses on Pelle and Lasse– their struggles immigrating to another country, dealing with harassment from the Danish majority, and the rare moments of joy once they finally figure things out– it shines. The legendary Max von Sydow and Pelle Hvenegaard (who was one of the many boys named after the title character) share a tender father-son dynamic that easily stirs one’s heart, and it’s all beautifully captured within Denmark’s lovely countryside. Pelle the Conqueror may only adapt the first of four volumes of the iconic Danish novel, but it does compassionately capture the struggles of the country’s impoverished immigrants.Genre: Drama
Actor: Astrid Villaume, Axel Strøbye, Bjorn Granath, Buster Larsen, Erik Paaske, John Wittig, Karen Wegener, Kristina Törnqvist, Lars Simonsen, Lena-Pia Bernhardsson, Max von Sydow, Nis Bank-Mikkelsen, Pelle Hvenegaard, Sofie Gråbøl, Thure Lindhardt, Troels Asmussen, Troels II Munk, Troels Munk
Director: Bille August

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90. Lilting, 2014

	
The people you love have different people, sometimes different worlds, in their lives that we don’t necessarily get to know about, though it depends on your loved ones. While most of the time, we would introduce the love of our lives to our families, sometimes, it’s not possible, especially if you’re not out to them yet. Hong Khaou's debut feature film is centered on that idea, and he handles this topic with the pace it needs, allowing Ben Whishaw and Cheng Pei-pei to carefully forge a gentle, genuine connection between two very different people bridged through Vann’s translations and their love for Kai.Genre: Drama
Actor: Andrew Leung, Ben Whishaw, Cheng Pei-pei, Leila Wong, Morven Christie, Naomi Yang, Peter Bowles
Director: Hong Khaou
Rating: NR

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