Top Migration Movies of 2008

by Dave Bennion · 2008-12-30 22:50:00 UTC
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If you haven't seen these movies, hie thee to Amazon or your local Netflix queue.  Or whatever the kids are doing these days to watch movies.

Hie!

*Minor Spoiler Alert*

  1. The Edge of Heaven - Yes, they fuck up asylum cases in Europe, too.

  2. Let the Right One In - Dark-haired girl in Sweden turns out to be an immigrant a bloodthirsty, wall-scaling monster--but in a good way!  Of course this is an immigration movie, you just have to read between the lines.

  3. Slumdog Millionaire - Not technically a movie about migration, but with a multinational cast and two directors--one from Britain, one from India--it's a borderless diaspora production that is just fun to watch.  My favorite scene: the poop bath (don't ask).  Also featured: gutwrenching poverty, soulcrushing race hatred, child slavery, wholesale corruption, and clueless tourists.  And my heart fluttered each time Anil Kapoor said "millionaire."

  4. Persepolis - This one came out in 2007 but didn't hit most U.S. theaters until early 2008.  Too good not to include here.  If you're feeling a sudden urge to bomb Iran, watch this movie first.

  5. The Visitor - It seemed kind of mundane to me, but apparently to those not acquainted with the American immigrant detention gulag, the movie was a shocking exposé.  If you're not an immigration attorney or an immigrant who's been locked up for no good reason, watch it and prepare to be shocked.

  6. La Misma Luna - I haven't seen this one yet, but don't let that stop you from watching it.

  7. Frozen River - Baby in a duffelbag!

Also on my "to see" list:

  • Transsiberian

  • Vicky Cristina Barcelona

  • Pray the Devil Back to Hell

  • Waltz With Bashir

I missed Beverly Hills Chihuahua and The Love Guru--it's good to see the Stereotype Flick is still a studio standby, though.

And no list of Top Nativist Propaganda Films of 2008 would be complete without the movies Obsession and Border.  I am tempted to watch them just for educational purposes.

Feel free to add any suggestions I might have missed in comments.

Dave Bennion
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