Most Spiritually Literate Films | Spirituality & Practice

A Song for Martin By Bille August An extraordinary Swedish film about a married couple's adventures in love late in life. International

ABC Africa By Abbas Kiarostami A heart-wrenching documentary about efforts being made in Uganda to look after 1.6 million orphans whose parents died of AIDS. Documentary

About Schmidt By Alexander Payne An American masterpiece about the quest of a sixty-six-year-old man to pick up the pieces of his disappointing life and to discover some new sources of love and meaning. Feature

Adaptation By Spike Jonze A powerful movie about the passions that sometimes fuel our best achievements and other times leave us stranded with nothing more than our lesser appetites. Feature

Antwone Fisher By Denzel Washington The touching story of a young African American's desire to come to terms with his origins, a sacred task strongly recommended by a therapist. Feature

Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner By Zacharias Kunuk An Inuit masterpiece that will give you goosebumps as its uncanny tale of love, communal discord, and justice unfolds. International

Ayurveda: The Art of Being By Pan Nalin A fascinating documentary that provides a rounded and revealing overview of this ancient holistic healing system. Special Interest

Bloody Sunday By Paul Greengrass A documentary-like account of the cold-blooded murder by English soldiers of thirteen unarmed and peaceful demonstrators in a nonviolent march in Derry, Ireland in 1972. Feature

Bowling for Columbine By Michael Moore A kick-out-the-jams, no-holds-barred examination of America's obsession with guns that concludes it's all about fear. Documentary

Catch Me If You Can By Steven Spielberg A poignant and convincing movie about the remarkable transformation of an enemy into a friend. Feature

Changing Lanes By Roger Michell An ethically rich drama about troubles as a key to personal transformation. Feature

Daughter from Danang By Gail Dolgin, Vicente Franco A brutally honest documentary about a much anticipated family reunion that goes wrong thanks to culture shock and a refusal to empathize with others. Documentary

Dragonfly By Tom Shadyac A beautiful afterlife drama conveying how great gifts can be hidden in death and how they can bear fruit in our lives if we have the faith to let them unfold. Feature

Elling By Peter Naess A Norwegian film that celebrates an unusual friendship and the uncanny ways two eccentrics come into their own. International

Far from Heaven By Todd Haynes A remarkably alluring film about one suburban woman's yearning in the face of a discovery that shatters her cheery and tranquil suburban life. Feature

Green Dragon By Timothy Linh Bui An inspiring and heart-affecting film about the desperate attempts of Vietnamese refugees living in U.S. relocation camps to keep their hopes alive. Feature

Minority Report By Steven Spielberg An audacious and imaginative sci-fi thriller that enables us to witness the dangerous consequences of our present fear-based way of living where we are willing to sacrifice our freedoms for the pipe d… Feature

Monsoon Wedding By Mira Nair A captivating film that conveys the joy, sadness, fear, envy, and resentment that often come to the surface at weddings. International

Mostly Martha By Sandra Nettelbeck A highly original German drama about the startling transformation of a talented but lonely chef. International

Naqoyqatsi By Godfrey Reggio A bold and irreverent non-narrative film that speaks its truths with spellbinding images and the entrancing music of Philip Glass. Special Interest

Nijinsky By Herbert Ross A sensitive depiction of the legendary ballet dancer and choreographer. Feature

Power and Terror: Noam Chomsky in Our Times By John Junkerman An enlightening documentary in which this 74-year-old MIT linguist and political philosopher speaks out against all forms of violence. Documentary

Promises By B.Z. Goldberg, Carlos Bolado, Justine Shapiro A soul-stirring documentary about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict as revealed through the voices of children who are curious about each other even in a milieu where hatred reigns supreme. Documentary

Rabbit-Proof Fence By Phillip Noyce An Australian spiritual adventure story about three courageous Aboriginal girls and their yearning to return home. Feature

Ram Dass Fierce Grace By Mickey Lemle An extraordinary documentary about the grace-filled life of the bestselling author and spiritual teacher. Special Interest

Secret Ballot By Babak Payami A playful Iranian parable about freedom and the need for openness wherever people are experimenting with democracy. International

Signs By M. Night Shyamalan A spiritual shiver story about the meaning of coincidences, family solidarity in the face of the inexplicable, and how destiny unfolds in every moment. Feature

Son of the Bride By Juan Jose Campanella A heartwarming comedy about the personal transformation of a middle-aged man, thanks largely to the example of his very romantic parents. International

Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron By Kelly Asbury, Lorna Cook A fine family film about a wild stallion who overcomes obstacle after obstacle to maintain his freedom. Animated

Spirited Away By Hayao Miyazaki, Kirk Wise A Japanese animated feature that is nothing short of wonderful with its ten-year-old female protagonist and its steadfast refusal to set up a dualistic battle between good and evil. Animated

Sunshine State By John Sayles A thought-provoking portrait of two women trying to refocus their lives. Feature

Talk to Her By Pedro Almodovar A multi layered film which centers around two men who have the gift of tears and the patience to explore the different delineations of love and compassion. International

The Back of the World By Javier Corcuera An extraordinary documentary about three individuals whose lives have been marred by economic, political, and social injustices. Documentary

The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys By Peter Care A tour de force drama about the astonishingly pivotal role of imagination in the soulful development of two rowdy teenagers. Feature

The Hours By Stephen Daldry A mesmerizing and multidimensional drama based on a Pulitzer prize-winning novel about the yearning of three women and their varied paths to passion, meaning, and happiness. Feature

The Quiet American By Phillip Noyce A timely and formidable screen adaptation of Graham Greene's novel about the terrible aftershocks of a zealous young American's idealism and subterfuge in Saigon in 1952. Feature

The Way Home By Lee Jeong-hyang A wonderful Korean film that provides a tutorial on the miracles that can be wrought by unconditional love. International

Thirteen Conversations About One Thing By Jill Sprecher A graceful film which explores the obstacles to happiness faced by five contemporary individuals in New York City. Feature

Time Out By Laurent Cantet The involving French film which vividly conveys the soul-shattering debilitations of unemployment and the need to survive while adrift in the universe. International

Tully By Hilary Birmingham A beautifully acted and emotionally rich film set in Nebraska about the damage done to a family by a long-kept secret. Feature

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