CP Film Club Social Justice
Social Justice Films
List activity
59 views
• 1 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
92 titles
- DirectorYael BridgeStarsAdaner UsmaniEric FonerKeeanga-Yamahtta TaylorHistorians, journalists and politicians reveal that, contrary to popular belief, socialism is in fact deeply American.
- DirectorSam FederStarsLaverne CoxBianca LeighJen RichardsAn in-depth look at Hollywood's depiction of transgender people and the impact of those stories on transgender lives and American culture.
- DirectorCynthia LowenStarsTerrisa BukovinacMarjorie DannenfelserKristan HawkinsThree women lead the charge in their single-minded quest to overturn Roe v. Wade, as they face down forces equally determined to safeguard women's access to safe and legal abortions.
- DirectorJennifer Siebel NewsomStarsJennifer Siebel NewsomJean KilbourneJim SteyerExplores the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence in America, and challenges the media's limited portrayal of what it means to be a powerful woman.
- DirectorElia KazanStarsGregory PeckDorothy McGuireJohn GarfieldA reporter pretends to be Jewish in order to cover a story on anti-Semitism, and personally discovers the true depths of bigotry and hatred.
- DirectorJeff Orlowski-YangStarsTristan HarrisJeff SeibertBailey RichardsonExplores the dangerous human impact of social networking; tech experts sound the alarm on their own creations.
- DirectorJames LebrechtNicole NewnhamStarsJames LebrechtLionel Je'WoodyardJoseph O'ConorDown the road from Woodstock, a revolution blossomed at a ramshackle summer camp for teenagers with disabilities, transforming their lives and igniting a landmark movement.
- DirectorTimothy Greenfield-SandersStarsDustin Lance BlackR. Clarke CooperWade DavisA documentary about being among the LGBT community in modern society, told through interviews with LGBT celebrities and community leaders.
- StarsIrshad Manji
- DirectorTed BalakerStarsGeorge CarlinAdam CarollaRon CollinsAn examination of Western society's apparent contemporary intolerance of edgy humor by comedians.
- DirectorAndrew GoldbergStarsAndrew GoldbergRussell WalkerEric WardAntisemitism in the US and Europe is spreading and is seemingly unstoppable. Andrew Goldberg examines its rise, traveling through four countries to follow antisemites and their victims, along with experts, politicians and locals.
- StarsKyra PhillipsErielle ReshefDan SingerKyra Phillips reports from the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., on the rise in hate towards Jews and on the importance of bearing witness to what happened during the Holocaust.
- DirectorJoshua RoféA documentary about juveniles who are serving life in prison without parole and their victims' families.
- DirectorAbigail DisneyKathleen HughesFilmmaker Abigail Disney examines income inequality at her family's company, asking why the American dream seems so out of reach for so many.
- DirectorAideen KaneLucy KennedyMaeve O'BoyleStarsWendy GraceAndrea HoranAilbhe SmythThe 8th tells the story of Irish women and their fight to overturn one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the world. After a 35-year struggle, the pro-choice side must radically shift tactics to try to bring this historically conservative electorate over the line.
- DirectorFreida Lee MockStarsJoe BidenIrin CarmonErwin ChemerinskyHow does some one with three strikes against her, rise to the highest court in the land, the U. S. Supreme Court?
- DirectorPeter BrattStarsDolores HuertaMartin Luther KingLuis ValdezIn the 1950's, a working-class wife and mother of eleven children helps to establish a farmer's union, which later develops into a platform for feminism and gender equality.
- DirectorJustin PembertonStarsMichael DouglasVanessa RedgraveRonald ReaganBased on Thomas Piketty's No. 1 New York Times Bestseller, Capital in the Twenty-First Century explores one of the most important and controversial subjects of our time: wealth, and who gets a share of the dividends.
- DirectorAndrew AbrahamsHerb FerretteStarsTom WilliamsonDoug SiebumNJ BrownThis documentary focuses on the sensationalized murder trial of Black Panther Party Co-Founder Huey Newton in the volatile summer of 1968.
- DirectorKeith BeauchampStarsMamie Till MobleyWheeler ParkerSimeon WrightNever-before-seen testimony is included in this documentary on Emmett Louis Till, who, in 1955, was brutally murdered after he whistled at a white woman.
- DirectorJosh AlexanderStarsAl SharptonAndrew CuomoChuck SchumerIt tells the story of Rev. Al Sharpton, painting an intimate portrait of a tireless warrior who has never ducked a fight in his mission to transform the status quo.
- DirectorEmily KunstlerSarah KunstlerStarsChief Egunwale AmusanJosephine Bolling McCallGwen CarrInterweaving lecture, personal anecdotes, interviews, and shocking revelations, lawyer Jeffery Robinson draws a stark timeline of anti-Black racism in the United States, from slavery to the modern myth of a post-racial America.
- DirectorJulie CohenBetsy WestStarsRuth Bader GinsburgAnn KittnerHarryette HelselThe exceptional life and career of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who has developed a breathtaking legal legacy while becoming an unexpected pop culture icon.
- StarsTim JohnsonBridgette BalaskoRobert FrostDocumentary following the police department in Flint, Michigan as they struggle with dwindling resources and crumbling infrastructure in a community crippled by violence and a contaminated water crisis.
- StarsMaryam HeneinChristopher KeyZach VorhiesInvestigate conspiracy theories and explore the life-changing impact they're having on supporters and those caught in the crosshairs, to discover whether truth as we've known it can survive in the 21st century.
- DirectorPeter D. HutchisonKelly NyksJared P. ScottStarsNoam ChomskyAlan GreenspanMalcolm XRenowned academic and author Noam Chomsky elucidates 10 principles of concentration of wealth and power that have led to unprecedented inequality and the hollowing out of the American middle class.
- DirectorBarbara KoppleStarsJohn L. LewisCarl HornNorman YarboroughA heartbreaking record of the thirteen-month struggle between a community fighting to survive and a corporation dedicated to the bottom line.
- DirectorMark AchbarJennifer AbbottStarsMikela JayRob BeckwermertChristopher GoraDocumentary that looks at the concept of the corporation throughout recent history up to its present-day dominance.
- StarsOliver StoneAlan ShearmanJim WardOliver Stone 's re-examination of under-reported events in American history.
- DirectorWaad Al-KateabEdward WattsStarsWaad Al-KateabSama Al-KhateabHamza Al-KhateabFOR SAMA is both an intimate and epic journey into the female experience of war.
- DirectorAva DuVernayStarsMelina AbdullahMichelle AlexanderCory BookerAn in-depth look at the prison system in the United States and how it reveals the nation's history of racial inequality.
- StarsPeter CoyoteDaniel MendelsohnPeter HayesExplores America's response to the Holocaust, and how it challenged the ideals of democracy.
- DirectorKarim AmerJehane NoujaimStarsBrittany KaiserDavid CarrollPaul-Olivier DehayeThe Cambridge Analytica scandal is examined through the roles of several affected persons.
- DirectorRachel LearsStarsAlexandria Ocasio-CortezCori BushJoe CrowleyA look at the people involved with various political campaigns during the 2018 U.S. congressional election.
- DirectorRachel LearsStarsRhiana Gunn-WrightAlexandria Ocasio-CortezVarshini PrakashStopping the climate crisis is a question of political courage, and the clock is ticking. Over three years of turbulence and crisis, four young women fight for a Green New Deal, and ignite a historic shift in U.S. climate politics.
- DirectorKirby DickStarsAmy ZieringKirby DickKori CiocaAn investigative documentary about the epidemic of rape of soldiers within the US military.
- DirectorKirby DickStarsAndrea PinoAnnie ClarkClaire PotterAn exposé of rape crimes on U.S. college campuses, their institutional cover-ups, and the devastating toll they take on students and their families.
- DirectorJennifer Siebel NewsomStarsKimberle CrenshawLinda Darling-HammondRuby De TieThe Great American Lie is a documentary film that examines how a US value system built on the extreme masculine ideals of money, power and control has glorified individualism, institutionalized inequality, and undermined the ability of most Americans to achieve the American Dream. The main topic of this film is arguably one of the most important issues of our time: social and economic immobility. Inequality has been on the rise in America for more than three decades. Middle and low income wages have remained stagnant or decreased while top earners have seen their wages increase 135% since 1979. Today, the top .1% of Americans owns almost as much wealth as the bottom 90%. This film is incredibly timely because of the staggering state of inequality today, but this film is also important because it is new. By bringing the unique perspective of gender to this story, this film expands the conversation around the causes and solutions to America's inequality and division. With our history and experience in illuminating and challenging limiting gender narratives in our society, our documentary team is uniquely qualified to tell this story. Our first two films, Miss Representation and The Mask You Live In, lay the groundwork for understanding the impact of gender on individuals and communities in American society. We view The Great American Lie as the critical last film in this trilogy that will address the role of our gendered values on American society-at-large.
- DirectorJennifer Siebel NewsomStarsMelinda GatesKatie PorterFollows three families on their journey to better balance their home life style. They are fighting problems that affect millions of couples and families across the country and even the globe.
- DirectorJafar PanahiStarsSima Mobarak-ShahiShayesteh IraniAyda SadeqiThe struggle of women in a country that excludes them from entering stadiums.
- DirectorJafar PanahiStarsJafar PanahiNasrin SotoudehBanned from making movies by the Iranian government, Jafar Panahi poses as a taxi driver and makes a movie about social challenges in Iran.
- DirectorMichael MooreStarsMichael MooreJohnny FancelliChristina FancelliTo learn what the USA can learn from other nations, Michael Moore playfully "invades" them to see what they have to offer.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsLiam NeesonRalph FiennesBen KingsleyIn German-occupied Poland during World War II, industrialist Oskar Schindler gradually becomes concerned for his Jewish workforce after witnessing their persecution by the Nazis.
- DirectorTaika WaititiStarsRoman Griffin DavisThomasin McKenzieScarlett JohanssonA young German boy in the Hitler Youth whose hero and imaginary friend is the country's dictator is shocked to discover that his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their home.
- DirectorEmily JamesStarsJames LeadbitterThis punchy, adrenaline-fuelled documentary lifts the lid on climate activism and the troublemakers who dare to cross the line.
- DirectorNadine PequenezaA U.S. Supreme Court decision could set free Kenneth Young, who was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences for armed robbery when he was 15.
- DirectorBen LearStarsAllegra AcostaJoel AndersonRichard BloomLegislators debate legislation that allows for adult charges for juvenile offenders.
- DirectorAlissa FigueroaStarsGabourey SidibeRussell SimmonsPrison Kids offers an in-depth look at the country's broken juvenile justice systems. it examines how the United States incarcerates children at a higher rate than any other developed country and travels across the country to look at the stories if kids who grew up behind bars.
- DirectorKen BurnsSarah BurnsDavid McMahonStarsAntron McCrayKevin RichardsonKharey WiseA documentary that examines the 1989 case of five black and Latino teenagers who were convicted of raping a white woman in Central Park. After having spent between 6 and 13 years each in prison, a serial rapist confessed to the crime.
- StarsKeith BeauchampDan BowenKerry BuckKeith Beauchamp investigates Sundown Towns, historically all-white towns where African-Americans were not allowed to live in, or even set foot in after dark. Keith is determined to reveal that such towns still exist today.
- DirectorRobert GreenwaldStarsStacey AbramsCarol AndersonNorman BroderickAn updated release of the 2019 film "Suppressed: The Fight to Vote". There is a new introduction and about 2 minutes of additional footage at the end illustrating voter suppression in the lead up to the 2020 election.
- DirectorHector GalanPolitical empowerment for Latinos in the United States has always faced adverse circumstances. From poll taxes and gerrymandering to outright intimidation, Latinos have been kept from the ballot box in both local and national elections throughout history. A Mexican-American butcher's son from San Antonio, Texas, Willie Velasquez questioned the lack of Latino representation in his city's government, propelling him into a lifelong battle to gain political equality for Latinos. Velasquez grew up to become a student activist leader of the Latino Civil Rights Movement and eventually the leader of one of the most important efforts in the history of Latino empowerment in America. He started a grassroots movement that changed the nation's political landscape and paved the way for the growing power of the Latino vote. Willie Velasquez: Your Vote is Your Voice examines the obstacles Latinos had to overcome to obtain representation, and addresses the contemporary issues facing Latinos today.
- DirectorDawn PorterStarsElijah CummingsAnthony JohnsonHillary ClintonThe film explores Georgia representative's, 60-plus years of social activism and legislative action on civil rights, voting rights, gun control, health care reform, and immigration.
- DirectorRobert GreenwaldStarsStacey AbramsCarol AndersonNorman BroderickIn the new film Suppressed: The Fight To Vote Robert Greenwald exposes rampant voter suppression that affected the outcome of the 2018 midterm election in Georgia and the threat it poses to our elections all across the nation in 2020.
- StarsJohn KasichCarol AndersonAlexandria Ocasio-CortezThe right to vote is at the foundation of America's democracy. But not every vote is created equal. How does the system work, and can it be fixed?
- DirectorChris DurranceBarak GoodmanStarsStephen WolfRick PlutaCharles Williams IIIt influences elections and sways outcomes-gerrymandering has become a hot-button political topic and symbol for everything broken about the American electoral process. But there are those on the front lines fighting to change the system.
- DirectorEli B. DespresJosh KriegmanElyse SteinbergStarsBrigitte AmiriJoshua BlockDavid ColeAn inside look at the legal battles that lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union are facing during the Trump administration.
- DirectorLisa CortesLiz GarbusStarsCarolyn AbramsRobert AbramsStacey AbramsThe documentary takes a look at the history, and current activism against voter suppression; barriers to voting that most people don't even know is a threat to their basic rights as citizens of the United States.
- DirectorYoruba RichenThe New Black is an award-winning documentary that tells the story of how the African-American community is grappling with the gay rights issue in light of the recent gay marriage movement and the fight over civil rights.
- DirectorJacob KornbluthStarsRobert ReichCandice BergenConan O'BrienA documentary that follows former U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich as he looks to raise awareness of the country's widening economic gap.
- StarsJulian BondExplores violence in various periods of American history. It examines how white Europeans who came to America, beginning with Columbus, used violence and weaponry to dominate and control groups different from themselves.
- DirectorRicki SternAnne SundbergStarsDonna HowardJohn SeagoBrigitte AmiriA deep historical look at one of the most controversial issues of our time, highlighting the abortion debate from various points along the ideological spectrum in a winding story of abortion in America.
- DirectorStanley NelsonMarco WilliamsStarsChris OkawaMichele MitchellMelissa Michelle JonesIt will focus on a specific period, from the birth of Black Wall Street to its downfall over the course of two bloody days, and finally the fallout and reconstruction.
- StarsAshley WaltersTwo-part documentary about a pioneering British school helping 11 and 12-year-old pupils uncover and eradicate hidden racial biases by giving them a series of activities designed to challenge everything they thought they knew about race.
- StarsSophie OkonedoExplores the impact of racism on a global scale and chronicles the shifts in the perception of race and the history of racism in Europe, the Americas, Australia and Asia.
- DirectorRaoul PeckStarsSamuel L. JacksonJames BaldwinMartin Luther KingWriter James Baldwin tells the story of race in modern America with his unfinished novel, Remember This House.
- DirectorYoruba RichenStarsYoruba RichenMarquette FolleyKaren Allen BaxterA deeper look into the real story of Victor H. Green's "The Negro Motorist Green Book" during the Jim Crow era and beyond.
- DirectorJill FriedbergRick RowleyStarsNoam ChomskyMichael FrantiCarley PhelanA filmed account of the street protests against the World Trade Organization Summit in Seattle, Washington, USA in 1999.
- DirectorErin Levin BernhardtDin BlankenshipStarsKazeen AbdullahFarzana BaratiKhadija BaratiChris Buckley is a father, veteran, and a former leader of the KKK living in rural Georgia. Following concern from his wife, Buckley receives help from an extremist group interventionist. Despite his renunciation of the KKK, Buckley retains a deep prejudice against Muslims, stemming largely from the 9/11 attacks and his experiences in the military in Iraq and Afghanistan. Chris' long-held beliefs are challenged when Dr. Heval Kelli, a cardiologist and Kurdish refugee living in the resettlement community of Clarkston, Georgia, reaches out to him. Dr. Kelli believes that he must do what he can to quell the rising, hateful rhetoric of white nationalism that threatens his diverse community of refugees who have fled persecution and violence for a better life in America. He takes it upon himself to try to understand Chris and others like him. An unlikely relationship develops. Will Chris overcome his hate? Will Dr. Kelli find what he is seeking? What's possible when we are willing to face hate with humanity?
- The crimes are shocking, the perpetrators alarmingly young. A 15-year-old who brutally murdered his parents; a 15-year-old participant in a fatal car-jacking; a 17-year-old who killed a schoolmate in a robbery gone wrong. Prosecutors have labelled them "the worst of the worst". All three of them will spend the rest of their lives in jail as a result of mandatory sentencing laws.
- DirectorOfra BikelStarsPeter HayduWill LymanThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is America's fastest growing religions, and its influence circles globe.
- DirectorRon FrickeStarsPatrick DisantoA collection of expertly photographed scenes of human life and religion.
- DirectorYann Arthus-BertrandStarsLuis CancuAtmanBerthonyA collection of stories about and images of our world, offering an immersion to the core of what it means to be human.
- DirectorJudith MontellEmmy ScharlattMaking the invisible, visible. Palestinian women living under occupation in the West Bank. Changing the conversation using video cameras as a form of non-violent activism.
- DirectorRon FrickeStarsBalinese Tari Legong DancersNi Made Megahadi PratiwiPuti Sri Candra DewiFilmed over nearly five years in twenty-five countries on five continents, and shot on seventy-millimetre film, Samsara transports us to the varied worlds of sacred grounds, disaster zones, industrial complexes, and natural wonders.
- DirectorSteven AscherJeanne JordanStarsBob BlankenshipDean EiltsMarge HaroldTroublesome Creek is the acclaimed story of the Jordan family's gamble to save their Iowa farm. From fighting the Crooked Creek Gang in 1867 to fighting off the bank today. An Oscar-nominated cliffhanger about history, humor and the unsettling of America.
- DirectorMele MasonShould we be using rehabilitation or incarceration for errant youth? Or a combination of both? Many feel that punishment is the only option for a teenager who commits a crime, but what happens to that teen after they have been placed 'in the system'? Daniel Beaty moderates workshops with incarcerated youth to find out their feelings and suggestions. We also hear from former incarcerated youth, directors of rehabilitation facilities and academics. There are no easy answers to our questions, but perhaps hearing from the youth in Nebraska could help other states in formulating their Justice programs for juveniles.
- From the confines of America's juvenile detention facilities to the razor wire of juvenile prison to the heart pounding juvenile courtroom hearings where everything is on the line, Lake County Juvenile Justice explores where juvenile crime begins, how it evolves, and what's at stake for kids, families and professionals in the system.
- DirectorJaccii FarrisAmy UngerShould our nation's "kid killers" be treated with kid gloves? It's a polarizing debate that continues to rage in the judicial system, and in the ever-changing court of public opinion. While some argue that anyone who commits a murder should be punished to the fullest extent of the law, regardless of age, there are others who believe that child and teen killers deserve a shot at rehabilitation. One particularly gruesome case in Pennsylvania in 1995 thrust the issue into the national spotlight.
- Examining case studies of juveniles who have committed violent crimes. Included: a look at why increases in youth crime are "pushing the system to its limits."
- DirectorRobert MayStarsCharlie BalasavageJoanne BalasavageJustin BodnarKids For Cash is a riveting look behind the notorious judicial scandal that rocked the nation. Beyond the millions paid and high stakes corruption, Kids For Cash exposes a shocking American secret. In the wake of the shootings at Columbine, a small town celebrates a charismatic judge who is hell-bent on keeping kids in line...until one parent dares to question the motives behind his brand of justice. This real life thriller reveals the untold stories of the masterminds at the center of the scandal and the chilling aftermath of lives destroyed in the process - a stunning emotional roller coaster.
- StarsPreston ChaversJames WileyBobby GonzalesThe stories of convicted child offenders imprisoned for life without parole, but are seeking resentencing.
- DirectorKate BlewettBrian WoodsStarsNatalieTsenguunjaavKids Behind Bars examines how children are held in inhuman and degrading conditions in prisons around the world. It looks at the exploitation, torture, harm, and abuse that some children suffer at the hands of adults who supposedly represent the law. It visits and interviews juvenile offenders from all over the world include the United States, Mongolia, England, the Philippines, Georgia, Brazil, and Turkey.
- DirectorRichard Wyllie
- DirectorGregory HenrySoledad O'BrienStarsSoledad O'Brien
- DirectorRex BloomsteinA Documentary examining the lives of teenagers in young offenders institutes.
- At Colorado's innovative Youthful Offender System, violent juvenile felons are given a last chance at a crime-free life before going to adult prisons. But if they fail, hard time could mean sexual abuse or risk of suicide.
- DirectorDestin Daniel CrettonStarsMichael B. JordanJamie FoxxBrie LarsonWorld-renowned civil rights defense attorney Bryan Stevenson works to free a wrongly condemned death row prisoner.