Refugees

25 Days of My Life Image
25 Days of My Life Image

Film can be a hugely effective medium for exploring sensitive social and political issues. At its best, it allows us to look at the world through fresh eyes. The films selected here all focus on the human realities behind the headlines around refugees and displaced people. As the world continues to debate the issues in all their complexity, these films, ranging from animation to documentaries to full-scale blockbusters draw on the power of art to elicit empathy and compassion amongst audiences, allowing for greater respect, broader dialogue and cultural understanding. 

All of the films below are available to stream via Into Fim+ but some of them (labelled) are only available to Into Film+ Premium users. Find out more here.

An American Tail
Available to stream on Into Film+ Premium

CertU

Age group5–11

Duration77 mins

An American Tail(1986)

Warm animated family adventure in which a Russian mouse flee his homeland and persecution by cats for a new life in America.

This classic animated adventure is a warm, accessible access point to talking about the immigrant experience with younger audiences. The film uses its story of mice fleeing persecution from cats as a gentle allegory for the treatment of Jewish people and other minorities.

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E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
Available to stream on Into Film+

CertU

Age group7–14

Duration115 mins

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial(1982)

This heart-warming family favourite about an alien stranded all alone on earth contains some of the most magical scenes in movie history.

It’s not easy being an alien stranded all alone on Earth. ET - the small, strange, ugly but somehow loveable hero of this heart-warming audience favourite - finds a way of getting on with the human children who are initially confused and scared by his presence in their lives. A magical film that encourages understanding about the fear of finding yourself in a strange place.

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Paddington
Available to stream on Into Film+

CertPG

Age group7–14

Duration91 mins

Paddington(2014)

Charming family film about an accident prone young bear from Peru arriving in London and searching for a new home.

Although his story might be a funny and adorable tale of a famous marmalade-eating bear, there is no debate about the fact that Paddington bear is a refugee. His creator, Michael Bond, grew up in wartime Britain, where many refugees came to stay with his family and is quoted as saying "Paddington Bear was a refugee with a label - 'Please look after this bear. Thank you.'"

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Lilo & Stitch
Available to stream on Into Film+ Premium

CertU

Age group5–11

Duration82 mins

Lilo & Stitch(2002)

Animation about a weird little being who escapes from the prison of his evil creator and goes to planet Earth, where he pretends to be a dog.

In a similar vein to E.T., Lilo and Stitch uses the family-friendly character of a cheeky alien to explore varying attitudes towards refugees and the difficulty faced in assimilating to a new society.

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Migrants
Available to stream on Into Film+

CertUnclassified

Age group11+

Duration9 mins

Migrants(2020)

After two polar bears are forced to leave their home, they attempt to find a new community in which to live.

This 3D computer animated short film doesn’t shy away from reflecting the harsh reality of many refugees’ and migrants’ stories, depicting how these people are regularly persecuted by wider society.

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25 Days of My Life
Available to stream on Into Film+

CertUnclassified

Age group7–14

Duration4 mins

25 Days of My Life(2017)

An autobiographical account of a refugee’s journey from Africa to Britain via her 25 days in a Calais camp.

This animated autobiographical account of a refugee’s story is an intimate and moving short film which provides an empathetic perspective on immigration and citizenship.

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Pengugee
Available to stream on Into Film+

CertUnclassified

Age group7–11

Duration5 mins

Pengugee(2021)

When a married couple in England adopt a penguin, he initially struggles to adapt to his new surroundings.

Adorable, emotional and intelligent in equal measure, this is a non-dialogue puppet animation which introduces topics such as displacement to primary-aged learners in an accessible manner.

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Dad
Available to stream on Into Film+

CertUnclassified

Age group7–14

Duration14 mins

Dad(2015)

A lonely Welsh boy discovers a refugee on his local beach, and in trying to help begins to heal the effects of war on his own family.

A film that aims to tackle the universality of the human experience through smart character work and the contemporary issues surrounding refugees and immigration.

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Children Of Men
Available to stream on Into Film+ Premium

Cert15

Age group14+

Duration105 mins

Children Of Men(2006)

In the near future an infertility crisis has brought humanity to the brink of extinction and a sole pregnant woman holds the key to survival.

An usually rare political and provocative blockbuster, Children of Men imagines a society where humans have lost the ability to give birth. With society on the brink of collapse, a series of refugee camps have appeared in the UK where the government is imposing oppressive immigration laws. An angry, forceful film about human rights and political extremism.

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E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
Available to stream on Into Film+

CertU

Age group7–14

Duration115 mins

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial(1982)

This heart-warming family favourite about an alien stranded all alone on earth contains some of the most magical scenes in movie history.

It’s not easy being an alien stranded all alone on Earth. ET - the small, strange, ugly but somehow loveable hero of this heart-warming audience favourite - finds a way of getting on with the human children who are initially confused and scared by his presence in their lives. A magical film that encourages understanding about the fear of finding yourself in a strange place.

Read more
District 9
Available to stream on Into Film+ Premium

Cert15

Age group14+

Duration108 mins

District 9(2009)

An extraterrestrial race has been living on earth for 20 years, segregated from humans and living in slum-like conditions in South Africa.

Despite being full of creatures from outer space and incredible special effects, District 9 is more than just a science-fiction extravaganza. The film sheds some light on how humanity treats refugees from other cultures and what it might take in order for us to fully comprehend how it must feel to be displaced. This alien analogy is certainly more than the sum of its parts.

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Exodus: Our Journey to Europe
Available to stream on Into Film+

Cert12

Age group14+

Duration178 mins

Exodus: Our Journey to Europe(2016)

Three-part documentary focusing on the migration crisis in Europe and the million people who fled there from war-torn countries in 2015.

A truly intimate account of a refugee's journey, this documentary does not shy away from the true stories that shaped the refugee crisis of 2015. We follow an 11-year-old girl in Syria who sells items on the black market, 27-year old Hassan who is fleeing imprisonment and torture in his native Damascus, and 24-year old Anas who must leave his home city of Aleppo behind.

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Esperanca
Available to stream on Into Film+

CertUnclassified

Age group11+

Duration6 mins

Esperanca(2019)

A young woman from Angola recounts her experiences of being a refugee in France.

The combination of animation and documentary can be very powerful and this striking hand drawn short offers genuine insight into the experience of a young refugee and space to discuss navigating change from a unique perspective.

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25 Days of My Life
Available to stream on Into Film+

CertUnclassified

Age group7–14

Duration4 mins

25 Days of My Life(2017)

An autobiographical account of a refugee’s journey from Africa to Britain via her 25 days in a Calais camp.

This animated autobiographical account of a refugee’s story is an intimate and moving short film which provides an empathetic perspective on immigration and citizenship.

Read more
Dad
Available to stream on Into Film+

CertUnclassified

Age group7–14

Duration14 mins

Dad(2015)

A lonely Welsh boy discovers a refugee on his local beach, and in trying to help begins to heal the effects of war on his own family.

A film that aims to tackle the universality of the human experience through smart character work and the contemporary issues surrounding refugees and immigration.

Read more
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