Movies have always been battlegrounds of contested identity. In any story that’s concerned with society, national and cultural identity are crucial to creating context for the characters. Different films have wildly different imaginations of how cultural and national identities are shaped. That principle is what gives birth to propaganda films, which typically glorify the value of one’s national identity and treat it as a measure of morality — such as Sundance hitBirth of a NationandBradley Cooper’sAmerican Sniper.
Today, as globalizing forces have caused the greatest mass migration phenomenon in history, that principle has also given birth to the opposite spectrum of films: about displaced individuals, navigating a life with severed ties to their former national identities. The immigrant experience is a harrowing, exuberant process of change that defies easy characterization. It’s not merely hard, and it’s not merely joyful. Here are the best movies about the immigrant experience, those that manage to capture the true depth of this process.
Updated on July 29, 2025, by Samuel Cormier: If you’re looking for movies that reflect the immigrant experience then you’ll be happy to know this article has been updated with more content.
11Live and Become (2005)
Live and Becomeis a French drama about the spiritual journey of a Christian Ethiopian boy escaping famine in Israel.
What Makes It Great
The film is bold enough to describe not just the boy’s pain, but by the end, his peace and joy at having bridged such vastly different worlds. Despite taking on such large, societal issues,Live and Becomefeels like an introspective look into a life torn and then united by a cultural divide. Director Radu Mihaileanu takes a careful look at the intersection of race, politics, and religion through the protagonist’s struggle to survive.Streamon Tubi.
10Black Girl (1966)
Black Girldetails the hardship of a Black, Senegalese woman immigrating to France in the immediate aftermath of Senegal’s independence. Despite taking place after Senegal gained its independence, colonialism haunts this film in the way that Diouana, the main character, is mistreated in her role as a domestic servant.
Director Ousmane Sembène was a celebratedAfrican author and filmmakerand tells this story masterfully. It’s an unmitigated triumph and the first internationally recognized sub-Saharan African film.Stream on Max and the Criterion Channel.
9Ali: Fear Eats The Soul (1974)
InAli: Fear Eats The Soul, a migrant Moroccan worker falls in love with an elderly German woman in West Germany. Their relationship defies social norms, and the two must navigate what it means to love each other when their affection is derided and chastised by the rest of society.
Reiner Werner Fassbinder’s film has an incredible ability to disarm the audience with unconventional humor and navigate the nuances of this strange pairing. Fassbinder’s depiction of Ali and Emmi’s relationship is a reminder that love persists in shapes and forms that defy even the largest imagination, but that the human capacity to love knows no similar limits. The film also appeared in Martin Scorsese’s list of “39 Essential Foreign Films for a Young Filmmaker”.Stream on Max and the Criterion Channel.
8Un Cuento Chino (2011)
InUn Cuento Chino, a cynical, nihilisticArgentinian man, Roberto, has an extended encounter with a Chinese immigrant that encourages him to look past his biases and open his heart to the possibility of an enjoyable life. Roberto, an embittered veteran, comes to befriend Jun, a displaced Chinese immigrant whose lighthearted and cavalier attitude acts as an antidote to Roberto’s depressing outlook on life.
7What Makes It Great
Un Cuento Chinois a story of how bridging cultural differences is a route to an enlightened worldview. The wit and humor at the core of this story are what separate it from similar stories about cultural differences.Stream on Kanopy.
6A Wedding (2016)
A Weddingtells the tragic story of Zahira, a pregnant Belgian-Pakistani woman, who is torn between her need for freedom and her obligations to her traditional family. She must choose between staying with the Belgian man she truly loves or accepting the arranged marriage proposed by her family and not losing them forever.
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Based on thereal-life murder of Sadia Sheikh, director Stephen Streker took the codes of Greek Tragedy to tell the story of Zahira. The film does an amazing job of describing each character’s motive, no matter how morally unacceptable. Lina El Arabi plays her modern-day Antigone wonderfully and is supported by a talented cast of her friends and foes. The movie’s harrowing ending leaves the audience shocked and torn.Currently not available for streaming.
5Minari (2021)
WithMinari, Lee Isaac Chung directs this semi-autobiographical story about aSouth Korean immigrant familymoving to the United States. The Yi family, after a stay in California, moves to Arkansas to follow their father’s dream of building a farm to grow and sell Korean produce.
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Steven Yeun and Youn Yuh-Jung, in two of the lead roles, giveMinaria heart that becomes impossible to ignore through two incredible performances. Rural American values conflict with the family’s cultural roots, and the film handles this contrast sensitively and honestly. The experience of the film’s youths, their spirit, and their resilience makes for a meaningful exploration of the process of assimilation.Rent on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, or Vudu.
4Amreeka (2009)
Amreekais a film about a Palestinian-American familymoving from Palestineto suburban Chicago, where they encounter all the prejudice of post-9/11 America.
The children in the film face discrimination because of their identities, but the story navigates it all with a lightness that reflects the strength of their characters. They refuse to be seen as victims despite suffering from discrimination, and each of them demands to be understood as a complex, vibrant individual.Not available to stream.
3The Namesake (2006)
The Namesaketells the story of two Bengali immigrants making the transition from Kolkata to New York City and is based on a book of the same name by renowned Bengali author Jhumpa Lahiri.Mira Nair directs this adaptation, which accurately captures the unique, specific difficulty of raising a child who seeks to fit into an environment that is hostile to his cultural roots.
Rebellion against change gives way to a newfound respect for tradition and novelty, not just by the immigrant couple’s son, but also by Mira Nair’s direction in the way she characterizes the stasis achieved by this family.The Namesakeis honest in all the right ways, allowing these actors and their roles enough room to breathe. As a result, the characters move this story forward in an unceasing march toward harmony in a life where cultural identity is the site of conflict.Stream on Starz.
2Persepolis (2007)
Persepolis
Persepolisfollows Marji, a rebellious young Iranian girl trying hard to find sources of joy when religious oppression and oppression towards women is at an all-time high.
Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel about a young girl growing up during and after the Iranian revolution uses a gorgeous black-and-white style of animation that makes this story incredibly unique.A well-told coming-of-age narrativeusing themes about societal unrest and cultural identities makesPersepolisa complex story, and the result is a fascinating film about the persistence of a youthful spirit.Rent on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, or Vudu.
