Great stories have a way of helping us imagine life in another person’s shoes. That’s why with World Refugee Day just around the corner, we’ve curated a list of movies that capture the refugee experience with authenticity, clarity, and humanity. From romantic dramas to animated musicals and horror films, these movies tell the stories of ordinary people living through extraordinary circumstances.

Whether you’re a seasoned refugee advocate looking for more resources or a newcomer to the conversation, we promise that these films will enlighten and move you!

Ready to dive in? Let’s go!

Movies about families overcoming the odds

1. The Good Lie (2014)

A feel-good movie starring Reese Witherspoon may be an unusual choice to kick off this list, but it’s the heartfelt performance of the South Sudanese actors that steals the show. It’s a story about a group of children who escape after their village is burned down during the Second Sudanese Civil War. Orphaned and homeless, they find shelter in a refugee camp. When the opportunity for a new life in America appears, the tightly-knit family is torn apart, and must find their way back to each other.

The Good Lie is available for streaming on HBO Max, Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Prime.

2. The Swimmers (2022)

Life is turned upside down for sisters Yusra and Sarah Mardini when war breaks out in their home city, Damascus. Along with thousands of other Syrian refugees, Yursa and Sarah attempt to cross the Mediterranean Sea to reach Greece, desperately towing their inflatable dinghy to shore when the engine fails. The film is based on real events and culminates with Yusra Mardini participating in the 2016 Rio Olympics as part of the first-ever Refugee Olympic Team.

The Swimmers is available for streaming on Netflix.

3. The Midnight Traveler (2019)

When the Taliban puts a bounty on filmmaker Hassan Fazili’s head, he is forced to take the road trip of a lifetime with his wife and two daughters. Shot on three mobile phones, this film documents the family’s journey in real time across multiple countries and continents, as they search for a new home. The unfiltered footage truthfully captures the suffering of asylum seekers while celebrating the tenacious love of a family.

The Midnight Traveler is available for rent or purchase on Amazon Prime.

4. Under the Same Moon (2007)

In a desperate bid to reunite with his mother who works illegally in the US, a 9-year-old boy braves dangerous crossings, immigration police, and opportunists who prey on vulnerable migrants. Will he make it to Los Angeles, and will he find his mother? While none of the characters in this film are officially recognized as refugees, their experiences are reminiscent of thousands of asylum seekers who cross the US-Mexico border every year, in search of family reunification or a better life.

Under the Same Moon is available for rent or purchase on iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, Google Play, and Vudu.

Movies about healing from trauma

5. Encanto (2021)

If you’re looking for a movie that is appropriate for all ages, Disney’s Encanto is your best choice. At first glance, the fictional Madrigal family seems like a normal family—albeit, with magical powers. But trouble brews below the surface as Mirabel, the black sheep of the family, discovers secrets that could destroy their beloved home. While displacement isn’t front and center of the movie’s plot, it’s a huge part of the family’s history, told in poignant flashbacks that will pull on your heartstrings.

8 ways Encanto got the Refugee Experience right

Encanto is available for streaming on Disney Plus.

6. War/Dance (2007)

If you only choose to watch one movie from this list, make it War/Dance. The award-winning docudrama is a compelling case study of the power of music and dance to heal the wounds of war. It follows the students of Patongo Primary School as they prepare for a prestigious music competition. Knowing that other children see them as ex-child soldiers and war orphans, the students seize the chance to redeem their tribe’s legacy, proving that every person is more than their past.

War/Dance is not publicly available for streaming but can be purchased as a DVD through Amazon.

7. His House (2020)

What better way to explore the ghosts of the past than with a horror movie? His House takes this idea one step further by placing characters of African descent front and center. These are not wealthy Europeans being haunted in a mansion; they are a refugee family in government housing, running from their trauma. As one character explains, she is not scared of ghosts after everything she has seen and experienced in real life.

Within this subversion of the horror genre is a universal theme we can all relate to: How do you live with the consequences of choices you regret?

His House is available for streaming on Netflix.

Movies about unlikely friendships

8. And Breathe Normally (2018)

Border guards, asylum officers, immigration judges. These people wield immense power over the lives and fortunes of those they encounter every day. Yet what if that power dynamic were to be flipped? And Breathe Normally asks that very question, and then answers it with a quiet, unassuming story of two women who first meet at the plexiglass of an immigration booth. One is a criminal and the other is a law-abiding citizen—that much is clear. Or is it?

And Breathe Normally is available to stream on Netflix.

9. Fear (2020)

Another hidden gem, Fear (Strah in Bulgarian) is an honest, sometimes comical look at how the seeds for hatred and compassion can exist in the same human heart. Svetlana is a widow living in a Bulgarian border town where refugees and asylum seekers frequently pass through en route to Germany. One day, Svetlana’s life is turned upside down when she meets a refugee from Mali. As their unlikely friendship transforms into romance, they begin to face the wrath of Svetlana’s once-harmless neighbors.

*During the 2015 European refugee crisis, the forested Bulgaria-Turkey border was a popular border crossing into the EU. Bulgaria was at the time the poorest country in the EU.

Fear (Strah) is available on Apple TV and Vudu.

Movies about stolen identities

10. Flee (2021)

One aspect of the refugee experience that is seldom discussed is how frequently refugees are compelled to take on identities that are not theirs. The silence on this topic is understandable: Identity fraud is a serious offense that could impact a refugee’s claim to asylum and resettlement. Yet the emotional and psychological impact of living a double life is just as consequential. This Oscar-nominated animated documentary explores one such story from the perspective of Amin Nawabi, an Afghan teenager who is forced to lie so he can find sanctuary in Europe.

Flee is available for streaming on Hulu.

11. Transit (2018)

Despite its setting in modern-day Paris, many of the scenes from Transit are starkly reminiscent of refugee experiences globally. Whether it’s the impossibility of having the right documentation, the casual dehumanization of police raids and overcrowded consulars, or the yearning for the normalcy of ambling through a shopping mall, Transit is a cinematic tribute to the lives of millions on the run from their own government.

Transit is available for streaming on Netflix.

Movies about living in limbo

12. Salam Neighbor (2015)

What is it like to live in the world’s second-largest refugee camp? Two American filmmakers find out when they move into Za’atari Refugee Camp in Jordan. For most of the 80,000 refugees living in Za’atari, there is little hope for resettlement or return to Syria. Yet their resilience and determination underscores the endurance of the human spirit even in the face of an uncertain future.

Salam Neighbor is available to watch on Amazon Prime, YouTube, Vimeo on Demand, iTunes, or Google Play.

13. Wandering, A Rohingya Story (2020)

Beautifully shot and meticulously crafted, Wandering is an immersive experience into the world of Kutupalong camp, the largest refugee camp in the world by population. Although the scars of genocide persist, life goes on for the 600,000 Rohingya refugees who have fled Myanmar and now call Bangladesh home. The film stays away from political posturing and focuses instead on amplifying the voices of the Rohingya people, dubbed the most oppressed people on earth.

Wandering, A Rohingya Story is available on Apple TV+ and Vimeo on demand.

14. Born in Syria (2016)

Follow 7 Syrian children as they make their way across Europe in search of a new home. Their journeys, told with unflinching childlike honesty, portray the horrors of war and the absurdities of bureaucracy. Although all 7 children eventually gain asylum and begin integrating into their host communities, the film spends time examining what it’s like to live in legal limbo. As 13-year-old Marwan says, “I thought the worst would be the sea-crossing, but having nowhere to go is worse.”

Born in Syria is available to stream on Netflix.

Movies about unlikely heroes

15. Schindler’s List (1993)

Steven Spielberg’s historical drama on the life of Oskar Schindler is dark and chilling, but it lives on in modern cinema history as a masterpiece. From 1939 to 1945, Oskar Schindler, a German businessman and Nazi sympathizer rescued 1100 Jews from certain death by pretending to hire them as laborers at his factory. Chilling in its accurate depiction of the Holocaust, the film is also a reminder that the greatest heroes are sometimes the most unexpected.

Schindler’s List is available on Peacock TV, Prime Video, Apple TV, Redbox.

16. Hotel Rwanda (2004)

In this true tale of courage and sacrifice, Paul Rusesabagina, played by Don Cheadle, risks his life to save Tutsi refugees from the Hutu militia by allowing them to stay at the 4-star hotel he manages. Based on historical events during the Rwandan Genocide, the film bagged multiple awards and Academy Award nominations for Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Original Screenplay.

Hotel Rwanda can be streamed on HBO Max.

17. 4.1 Miles (2016)

4.1 Miles is a “day in the life” of a coast guard captain who finds himself saving thousands of migrants and refugees as they attempt to cross the Aegean Sea. Deriving its name from the distance between Turkey and Lesbos Island, the film allows you to feel as if you are there on the boat as the rescues unfold. Nominated for an Academy Award, the film serves as a tribute to the unsung heroes who selflessly risk their careers and reputation to help the less fortunate.

4.1 Miles is available to stream on Vimeo.

Conclusion

And there you have it—our top picks of movies about refugees and the refugee experience!

While no single movie can capture the full experience of every refugee, these films offer a window into a world that can seem so foreign and far away. And what better way to humanize refugees than through the lens of a well-told story?

We can all do our part to educate ourselves and spread awareness. But one of the simplest ways to do that is by watching a movie! Simply pick a movie off this list for your next movie night. Even better—host a movie night with like-minded (or not so like-minded) friends and dissect the movie over drinks or dessert.

You’ll thank us later for the lively conversation.

Special mentions:

Uprooted by UNHCR (2022)
The Real Mo Farah (2022)
Under the Heavens (2021)
A Season in France (2018)
Human Flow by Ai WeiWei (2016)
Dheepan (2015)
Most Shocking Second A Day by Save The Children (2014)
District 9 (2009)

Looking for more? Check out our Ultimate Guide To Films About Refugees (100+ Movies & Documentaries)

17 Insightful Movies About the Refugee Experience (And Where To Watch Them)