Over the past few months, I watched several incredible films that showcase social issues through captivating means, several of which I've listed below. Forgive me for the overly brief summaries that I wrote for each film. Please watch these films when you can.
BLISS (2007)
This film, based on a true incident, takes place in Anatolia and is about a young teenage girl who was raped and sentenced to death. This film will pique your interest about modern day "honor killings," a horrific phenomenon that continues today that must stop.
STONING OF SORAYA M. (2008)
Stoning of women is unfortunately a tragedy that continues to take place today. This film is based on a true story of a young woman in Iran who was stoned to death by men in her village for a crime she did not commit. The French-Iranian journalist Freidoune Sahebjam captured this story and published La Femme Lapidée in 1990, which became an international bestseller.
The Film's site: TheStoning.com
OSAMA (2003)
Under the Taliban's tight reign over Afghanistan, where women are unable to work and must be accompanied by a male in public at all times, a little girl feigns to be a boy in "Osama" in order to escort her mother and grandmother around the village to buy food and survive. This film sheds light on the violent oppression of women, and forced child marriages — among many other take-aways–that makes a compelling case for you to watch this film.
SOMETIMES IN APRIL (2005)
Without question, a film or book could never do justice to atrocities that take place against human life. This rings true with the genocide that took place in Rwanda in 1994, where over 800,000 people were killed in just 100 days. Do not forget the countless lives that were lost in massacres between the Hutus and Tutsis in the decades leading up to this genocide that was famously overlooked in the days that it was taking place. This HBO film weaves real footage of the killings through the film. I strongly recommend you to watch it.
NPR's interview with film Director Raoul Peck and Idris Elba, who portrays a Hutu soldier.