On September 16, 2022, Jina Amini, on a trip with her family, was arrested for improperly wearing her hijab. Due to violence by the police, she died in police custody. Her death sparked an ongoing revolution of Iranian citizens demanding the regime of the Islamic Republic be disbanded. For three months, the people of Iran have relied on those in the Diaspora to relay videos and messages to the world. The revolution in Iran has created a domino effect across the globe, with protests occurring in China, Cuba, and several other countries. Even though the events of the revolutions are still unfolding, historically speaking, those behind the revolutions become modern day saints.
Revolutionaries have been written about for centuries, discussed throughout academia, and memorialized by creators and writers in Hollywood for years. One of the most well-known musicals, Les Misérables, presumed to be about the French Revolution, is historical fiction. The renowned musical is actually about the effects of the French Revolution on France. Of course, the truth of Les Misérables shouldn’t deter you from films in this genre. Many directors choose to portray revolutions and the people who lead them in the most accurate way possible. Some events may be changed or exaggerated, but the spirit of the revolution remains. Here are nine historical movies about revolutions and the people who started them.
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9 Farha
TaleBox
In her debut film, Farha, director Darin Sallam centers Nakba of 1948. The Nakba is the Palestinian genocide that occurred in order for Israel to be established. Palestinians responded to this by fighting for their freedom, which is still occurring today. Farha details the uphill battle of marginalized people caught in the midst of a civil war. The events of Nakba occur before the Palestinian exodus of 1948. TIFF proclaims that Sallam’s debut film shatters any assumptions about the Nakba as told from the perspective of a teenager. Farha is one of the few films listed that was targeted by the Israeli government in a smear campaign online. It is currently streaming on Netflix.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
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8 The Silent Revolution
StudioCanal Germany
Based on the autobiography of Dietrick Gartska, The Silent Revolution details Germany on the cusp of revolution. After the Shoah and World War II ended, Germany was left divided, which became literal with the erection of the Berlin Wall, which was built to keep extremists sequestered. Between the end of WWII and the Berlin Wall’s construction, a revolution was occurring in Hungary against Soviet rule. When a group of teenagers discovers the genocide occurring in Hungary, they choose to revolt against their parents and teachers. Their revolt is to remain silent when questioned, an act of political defiance.
7 The Heritage of Love
Artbox
With flashbacks to the events of the Russian Revolution of 1917, The Heritage of Love centers on Andrey and Vera, who meet by fate in Paris. Their love story is more intertwined than they even realize. Andrey’s great-grandfather was part of Russia’s White Army. According to Britannica, the White Army was anti-Bolshevik, or against the party that supported Vladimir Lenin. The White Army had many prominent leaders like Lavr Kornilov, who was a political prisoner in his attempt to start a coup. The Russian Revolution was the people’s response to the government’s reactionary measures and corruption. Ultimately, the revolution led to civil war in Russia.
6 After the Battle
France 3 Cinéma
The impact of the Arab Spring remains almost 12 years on. According to National Geographic, the events at Tahir Square in Egypt and the subsequent events of the Arab Spring started in Tunisia with the suicide of street vendor, Mohamed Bouazizi. Tunisians revolted in response to the consistent harassment of Bouazizi by state police. Once the Tunisian revolution began, neighboring countries under corrupt governments followed suit. Eventually, the protests would reach Egypt where 18 days of protests broke out. After the Battle depicts a world where a progressive Egyptian, Reem, befriends Mahmoud, a former Egyptian police officer who was shunned by his village.
5 April Captains
Arte France Cinéma
In 1974, a coup overthrew the fascist Portuguese government. Fascism is a government led by a dictator that massacres citizens who oppose or speak out against it. The revolution earned the name Carnation Revolution because protestors placed carnation flowers in the barrels of armed guards. For 19 months, Portuguese citizens went on strike and took part in demonstrations that led to equal pay and rights for women. April Captains depicts the events of the coup, which was led by Captain Salgueiro Maia.
4 Uprising
Avnet/Kerner Productions
Before the Nazis sent marginalized and racialized groups off to concentration camps to be massacred, they first built ghettos, or neighborhoods specifically for Jewish people or people who were suspected to be Jewish. Uprising depicts the month-long revolt Anielewitz (Hank Azaria) led and was eventually killed in the hopes his people would be free from the Nazi’s reign.
3 The Battle of Algiers
Casbah Film
Director Gillo Pontecorvo chose to center their 1966 film The Battle of Algiers on the revolt of Algerians against French colonizers. Pontecorvo explained before the release of the film that while the film may feel like a documentary, everything in the film is done by actors, according to Roger Ebert. Algeria is in the north of Africa and its capital, Algiers, is on the Mediterranean coast. Algeria, like many other countries on the African continent, has a large Muslim population. The Algerian Revolution was led by Emir Abdelkader, a Muslim strategist in Algiers, fighting against French Algerians.
2 Persepolis
Based on the autobiographical bandes dessinées Persepolis, the author turned director Marjane Satrapi directed the black-and-white animated film of the same title. Before the 1979 Revolution, the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, had tried to build a futuristic Iran. Yet, the Shah and his family were exiled from Iran by Ruhollah Khomeini who instituted the Islamic Republic, a dictatorship that massacres its people to this day. Persepolis is a window into Iran being led by a monarch versus Iran being controlled and held captive by a dictator.
1 Selma
Plan B Entertainment
Directed by the brilliant Ava DuVernay, Selma depicts the march from Selma to Birmingham in order to protest voting rights in Alabama. The marches, led by the Doctor Martin Luther King Jr., were a peaceful protest that sparked a revolution. After being met with a blockade of state troopers, a state-sanctioned massacre ensued, which was televised. “Bloody Sunday” sparked national outrage and King’s call to action from others in the ministry.
