Although countries like the United States have prided themselves in being a melting pot where people all over the world can immigrate, become “American,” and then live the rest of their lives under this label, the movie and television world has often neglected the experiences of those who immigrated. While the entertainment industry still struggles with diversity and representation across the board, it wasn’t until the past decade that we began to get movies that were made by first and second generation individuals who had lived through the same experiences they were trying to depict on-screen.
Movies about thediasporaare slowly becoming a staple in the mainstream narratives about what movies can and cannot be, but the world cannot take this acceptance for granted. Not every diaspora movie takes place in a country like the United States, showing how immigration happens all over the world, and that many people are just trying to get by in other countries as well, whether they’re in the Middle East or Europe. There is immense beauty in the works of those from the diaspora, and when done well and getting the support they need, these kinds of movies can resonate across nationalities and ethnicities. Here are 10 movies that do just that.
10Pressure (1976)
Pressurecame out in the mid-70s, and is considered to be the firstBritish movie that’s Black-led. Its protagonist is Tony, who’s a second generation teenager from a Trinidadian family. His entire family except for him was. Born in the Caribbean, and that leads to conflicting attitudes about how they must interact with overt racism and a society where white superiority reigns supreme. Tony’s brother, unlike their older parents, is involved with the Black Power movement.
Why It’s Great
Not only was this the first Black-focused movie in the United Kingdom, but it hits straight to the heart of many issues experienced by Black Brits during the period. This is a movie that shows how Black people are unable to be heard in a society where they’re seen as a minority, and have to struggle to survive when it comes to unfair policies and discrimination enacted against them.
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9The Persian Version (2023)
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Released in 2023,The Persian Versiontackles mommy issues exacerbated by intergenerational trauma happening within one Iranian family. A young Iranian American filmmaker named Leila is estranged from her mother after bringing her girlfriend home for Thanksgiving, but when her father has a heart transplant, Leila has to reveal she’s pregnant, too. This rips a new layer of trauma and overcoming it for these two women, showing how sometimes we need to have open discussions.
Iranian American representation has been scarce in the American movie scene, and this movie captures the heart of being stuck in-between cultures. As Leila states at the beginning of the movie, she’s not American or Iranian enough for either culture, and that dictates how she interacts with both. This is something many children of immigrants are forced to navigate in their lives.
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8Past Lives (2023)
Past Lives
Celine Song’sPast Liveswas acclaimed when it came out, and there are many reasons as to why the movie has become so beloved (and even compared toCasablanca) since its release in early-2023. Greta Lee stars as Nora, who immigrates to Canada when she’s a young girl, leaving behind a boy she liked, Hae Sung, in South Korea. Years later, she’s married to an American man and living in New York City, but Hae Sung shows up, unearthing an entire past life.
Past Livesmight unfold like a classic indie movie at times with its shots, but there is an immense amount of poetry contained within the film. Whether it’s talking aboutinyeon, or past lives, the characters have many heartfelt discussions about what they left behind. And as seen with Nora, she feels like she’s stuck in-between two worlds and cultures when past lives interact with the present.
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7The Namesake (2006)
Based on the Jhumpa Lahiri novel of the same name,The Namesaketells the story of an Indian Bengali family as they move to the United States. As Ashoke and Ashima have children in the United States, and not in West Bengal, they struggle as their elder son, Gogol, grows up more American than Indian. He rebels against his parents and their traditional beliefs, straining their relationships over the course of the movie.
The Namesakedepicts a situation many immigrants have to deal with: their children growing up with completely different attitudes and beliefs than them due to being born in another culture. Although this is a movie about a Bengali family, this is a situation that can be seen across many different cultures and regions.
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6Minari (2020)
InMinari, a family of Korean immigrants, the Yi family, acquires a new plot of land in Arkansas to start a farm. The patriarch, Jacob, wants to grow Korean produce and send it off to vendors in Texas, but from the very beginning, it seems like life on this plot of land is going to be difficult. Not only are they one of the few Asian families in town, their son also has a heart condition that puts strain on them, especially when Monica’s mother comes from South Korea.
Minariis a devastating movie about the work ethic many immigrants are forced to have; moving to a completely different place, they have to make things work or submit to circumstances that are less than ideal. However, one of the more remarkable aspects is how the movie depicts the resilience of many diaspora communities.
5The Joy Luck Club (1993)
The Joy Luck Club, which is adapted from the book by Amy Tan, is a classicin Asian American cinemanow. The story focuses on four different women living in San Francisco. They are all immigrants from China and now play mahjong together, but during those sessions, they share each other’s stories. Through these stories, we come to learn about their lives and daughters in the United States.
The Joy Luck Clubwas only the second movie in Hollywood to feature an Asian cast telling an Asian American story, and it paved the path so many of the movies today can tell their stories. Through the lens of women playing mahjong, which seems so ordinary in hindsight, viewers can dig deeper into their lives and stories.
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A German movie that was released in 2004,Head-Onfeatures the experiences of Turkish immigrants living inside Germany. Cahit Tomruk is the main character, and he immigrated to Germany and was left a widower after his wife suddenly died. After he willingly gets into an accident, a young Turkish woman approaches him and asks him to marry her. While he eventually agrees, he realizes she’s trying to escape from her conservative family.
Head-Onshows how there’s a clash between the traditional and modern elements for many immigrants, especially coming from Islamic backgrounds. Turkish immigrants don’t gain much visibility in the mainstream media at this time, butHead-Ongives them a voice by showing the story of these two immigrants.
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3Mississippi Masala (1991)
Directed by Mira Nair,Mississippi Masalacame out in theaters in 1991 andstarred Denzel Washingtonand Sarita Choudhury. The film begins with the expulsion of South Asians from Uganda, and one family living there has to leave their home behind. They settle in England, then go to Mississippi, where they grapple with the trauma of leaving Uganda behind. Their daughter, Mina, falls in love with an African American man, but that creates a deep, bitter conflict between both of the communities they come from.
Mississippi Masalashows how a major trauma, such as being forced out of one’s country, can create prejudice and intergenerational trauma. The movie also depicts an interracial Indian and Black relationship, as well as the feeling that one doesn’t belong here or there now. This is highly relevant even today, decades after the movie came out.
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2Le Grand Voyage (2004)
Le Grand Voyagetakes place in France, but its main characters are of Moroccan descent. The main character is Réda, a teenager who agrees to drive his father to Mecca despite having his reservations about the whole affair. When they set out on their grand journey, the two overcome their differences and realize what makes them come from the same place.
Released in 2004,Le Grand Voyageshows the barriers between father and son in a way that’s impactful. While the son speaks French to his father, the father responds solely in Arabic, despite knowing French perfectly. While Réda grew up in France, he came to learn about what was left behind.
1The Farewell (2019)
The Farewell
Lulu Wang’sThe Farewellis a poignant picture of what it means to leave behind a life and family in another country. When Bili finds out her Nai Nai is dying, she comes to China despite her parents telling her she shouldn’t, as they want to keep the illness a secret from Nai Nai. As the family comes together knowing this, they have to grapple with the fact this might be the last time they’re together like this.
Bili, the main character ofThe Farewell, has a moment in the film where she grapples with the fact she grew up in China and was taken away from the culture and everything she knew tolive in New York. Now forced to confront the reality that her last links to China and her family are dying,The Farewellbecomes more than a physical farewell to her grandmother, but to the life and people she left behind.
