10 best movies for international relations students

Mindblowing movies for international relations students

Movies are fantastic teaching tools for political science and international relations. Understanding how stories in various films from around the world represent political ideals can help students better grasp and appreciate the political subtext in detail. These movies on international relations often feature thrilling plots and exciting action sequences that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Finally, they can be inspiring. Many international relations movies depict individuals who have made a difference in the world, and their stories can motivate you to do likewise. Here are the 10 best movies for international relations students

Da 5 Bloods

Spike Lee co-wrote, produced, and directed the 2020 American military film Da 5 Bloods. The film’s plot is about a group of four older Vietnam War veterans who return to the country in search of the bones of their deceased squad leader and the wealth they secreted there. This film is unique and educational because it uses a disorganized collage of images from the 1960s and 1970s to illustrate the tragic convergence of military expansion in Southeast Asia and racial conflict in the United States.

The Square

This is a one-of-a-kind documentary directed by Jehane Noujaim that tells the genuine story of the Egyptian Revolution’s ongoing struggle through the eyes of six different participants. It is based on the events of the 2011 Egyptian Revolution at Tahrir Square, which sparked upheavals across the region and became known as the Arab Spring. The film is eye-opening because it depicts Egyptian revolutionaries standing up against leaders and governments, risking their lives to establish a new society based on ethics and justice.

Operation Finale

Director Chris Weitz’s political thriller tells the story of how a small group of Israeli clandestine operatives apprehended iconic SS commander Adolf Eichmann – the mastermind behind the “Final Solution” – in Argentina. The story was based on a number of sources, including the book Eichmann in My Hands by Israeli officer Peter Malkin. Malkin and his team tracked and apprehended Eichmann in Buenos Aires, bringing him to Israel for a historic 8-month trial. The emotional and psychological weight of Operational Finale stems from Malkin’s struggle to see Eichmann as more than a monster, despite the Nazis murdering his beloved sister and her children.

First They Killed My Father

Angelina Jolie directed the 2017 film, which takes place in the 1970s and depicts the atrocities a 7-year-old girl experiences while being trained for war. Loung Ung tells us about the horrific traumas she and her family faced while living in Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge regime in the 1970s. She describes how the Khmer Rouge regime destroyed their country, how it divided her family, damaged her youth, and how she escaped it all.

Beirut

Beirut, a 2018 American political thriller film directed by Brad Anderson, depicts the upheaval of Lebanon’s civil war. In 1982, CIA agents were caught in the middle of a civil war and must send a former US ambassador to negotiate the fate of a friend he left behind. The filth, blood, and dirt on people’s faces and aerial photos of the city’s destroyed areas show the severity and mayhem of such events. Along with an intriguing plot, this film provides a profound lesson in the tragic reality of war.

13th

Ava DuVernay, a filmmaker, examines and investigates the history of racial injustice in the United States, concentrating on the notion that African-Americans are overrepresented in the country’s jails. The film analyzes the relationship between race, justice, and systematic racism in the United States. Named after the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution (1865), which abolished slavery and forbade forced labor other than as a punishment for conviction. DuVernay discusses these problems with leftist activists and intellectuals like Angela Davis, Henry Louis Gates, and Van Jones and includes conservatives like Newt Gingrich and Grover Norquist on the show.

Milk

Gus Van Sant’s 2008 American biographical film tries to illustrate a man’s fight against a prospective ban on the part of his human rights. “Milk” is based on the life of Harvey Milk, an American activist who overcame numerous difficulties in his fight for gay rights, eventually becoming California’s first openly gay elected official. Harvey Milk revolutionized the entire nature of what it meant to be a human rights activist before his terrible murder in 1978, and he became a martyr for many Americans. This film displays his desire and ambition to charmingly fight for everyone’s fundamental rights.

Sergio

Sergio Vieira de Mello, a senior United Nations ambassador, is facing death while doing the most dangerous duty of his life in the chaotic wake of the United States invasion of Iraq. Greg Barker’s film is based on the life and death of a complex man who spent most of his career as a senior UN ambassador negotiating with everyone, from leaders to war criminals, to defend the lives of innocent people.

Babel

In this fascinating, dramatic film set on three continents and in four languages, acclaimed filmmaker Alejandro González Iárritu analyses the nature of the barriers that appear to divide people. The film depicts many tales from Morocco, Japan, Mexico, and the United States. An incident connects two teenage Moroccan goatherds, an American couple traveling, a deaf Japanese child with her father, and a Mexican babysitter who carries a tiny infant without parental authorization. We can see the domino effect of globalization via their story or how happenings in one area of the world can affect events in other parts.

The Angel

The Angel, directed by Ariel Vromen, is based on the true story of Ashraf Marwan, Egyptian President Nasser’s son-in-law, special assistant, and companion to his successor Anwar Sadat and one of Israel’s most valuable helpers of the twentieth century. The film highlights the establishment of peace and stability in the region thanks to his assistance. This film depicts a portion of this young man’s life, but his motives remain unknown even today, as there are numerous speculations regarding him being a double agent.

Key takeaways

• The area of best movies for international relations students may be perplexing, intricate, and fascinating. 
• Films about international relations entertain and inspire, illustrate diplomacy’s positive and bad sides, and introduce negotiating techniques.
• Major international relations topics, such as history, war, spies, global tragedies, disasters, etc., have been the subject of numerous films.

As an international relations student, we hope you find this list of best movies in international relations useful. Do share your perspectives about the blog in the comments below. Please get in touch with us by clicking here for more information on best movies for international relations students. We would be happy to assist you with your queries.

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FAQs

Q1. Is there an increasing demand for an international relations degree?

Ans. Demand for this degree is increasing, particularly as the world undergoes tremendous changes and events. This degree gives you unique insights as well as the adaptability to pursue a variety of career options. International relations could be an excellent major if you are interested in global concerns.

Q2. Who is the father of international relations?

Ans. Hans Morgenthau, the creator of the realism theory of international relations, repeatedly emphasized that humankind’s competitive and conflictual character governs international politics.

Q3. What does the term “actor” signify in international relations?

Ans. An actor in international relations is an individual or a collective entity capable of creating a personal strategy and acting autonomously to attain specific goals.