Identity, Belonging & Integration

Wadjda(2012)

A sweet and uplifting story about ten-year-old girl Wadjda who refuses to let the fact she's a girl stop her from doing the things she wants to do.

The first female directed Saudi Arabian film it confronts the restrictions placed on young women by religion and culture within certain communities around the world through the simple actions of a little girl determined to buy her own bike.

Boya Boya (Shine Shine)(2014)

Short documentary focusing on 12 year-old Syrian refugee Mohammed as he shines shoes to earn enough to feed his family.

Remarkable film following a young boy embrace his situation. Passionately singing songs of the Syrian Revolution he reveals the fierce loyalty so many refugees must have for a country they have been forced to flee while embracing life in a new city, undaunted by the people he meets.

Home(2014)

Colourful comedy adventure about a tribe of aliens in search of a new place to live.

A sweet yet astute short film from the BFI archive that reveals the innocence of children amongst troubling times.

Persepolis(2007)

Adapted from Marjane Satrapi's brilliantly funny autobiographical graphic novel about a rebellious young girl's experience of revolutionary Iran.

A witty and incisive animation that explores what it means to be a young girl growing up in a country whose laws suddenly become stricter. Sent to Europe for safety, without her parents it then delves into how a teenage girl must cope with new environments while holding on to who she is and where she has come from.

Bend It Like Beckham(2002)

Feel good British comedy following Jessminder and Jules whose shared passion for football brings them together in a local girls' team.

Jessminder’s story of rebelling against her traditional-minded Indian parents who disapprove of her joining a football team is a great platform to discussion issued of identity as shaped by sexuality, religion and family.

Circo(2010)

A sensitive portrait of the family behind a century-old travelling circus in rural Mexico. A fascinating insight into a landscape rarely seen.

Tracking the highs and lows of running a circus and a life on the road it reveals the pride the family have in their culture as well as the struggle they face when it comes to leaving the circus behind and integrating into society.

Leave To Remain(2013)

A unique drama based on the true stories of a group of teenagers seeking asylum in the UK.

Big City Stories(2011)

A fascinating compilation of over 100 years of black Londoners on film, including interviews, newsreels, and clips from TV shows and feature films.

As well as addressing the issue of racial tension, this collection also highlights the cultural and intellectual contribution of black Londoners to the vibrancy of the capital city.

Hamsa(2016)

Moving short documentary portrait of a Syrian refugee family who have been relocated to a small German village.

A positive example of integration and acceptance it reveals how the family have adapted to their new surroundings and how the village have worked to welcome them into their community.

La cour de Babel (School of Babel)(2014)

Insightful documentary following immigrant children in France as they learn to speak French in a special class in Paris.

From all over the world, with very different stories of why they came to Paris, the film offers an insight into the highs and lows of what it means to be an immigrant child in a new school.

Pressure(1976)

Widely considered to have kick-started black British cinema, this 1970s film focuses on a black school leaver well-qualified but unable to find a job.

Viceroy's House(2017)

Historical drama about India’s transition to independence, overseen by Lord Mountbatten, the final British viceroy.

Highlighting the tension the move to Independence created amongst India’s society of Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs the film explores what it means to belong to a country that is divided and has been ruled by another for so long.

A Better Life(2011)

Carlos, a Mexican gardener, is struggling to raise his 14 year-old son in a tough Los Angeles neighbourhood, whilst living in fear of deportation.

A United Kingdom(2016)

The true story of the controversial romance between a Botswanan king and a white British woman in the late 1940s.

With both suffering prejudice from white and black British, South African and Botswanan societies, the film highlights issues of tolerance, cultural diversity and unity with a powerful contemporary relevance.

Brooklyn(2015)

A young Irish immigrant starts an exciting new life in 1950s Brooklyn, but soon finds the past catching up with her.

Period drama set in the 1950s about a young Irish immigrant girl called Eilis who must go to New York to find a job. It sensitively explores the overwhelming tug of home for a young person alone in a new city and how the unique Irish network that existed in New York at the time helped her to overcome her homesickness.

Pride(2014)

Uplifting comedy about an unlikely moment in recent British history when, in 1984, gay rights activists offered to support the striking miners.

Poignant and funny exploration of what it means to be a marginalised group within society and how both can overcome prejudices amongst themselves to support each other.

Brick Lane(2007)

Vivid, tragi-comic tale about a young Bangladeshi woman who settles in London, trapped in a loveless arranged marriage and isolated in a new country.

Revealing drama about an Indian family newly arrived in London. As well as focussing on the different feelings the husband, wife and their two daughters have towards settling in their new home, the film also highlights the anti-muslim sentiment that increased after the 9/11 attacks and how this affects the family’s lives and the community around them.