• Central Station: An emotionally affecting Brazilian film about a cynical former schoolteacher who reluctantly agrees to escort a young boy to his father in the country and slowly begins to feel her kinship with others.
  • War Photographer: An engrossing documentary profiles James Nachtwey, a single-minded artist of compassion, vision, and idealism who for 20 years has put himself in danger to put faces and voices on those in peril.
  • Sister Helen: A tough Catholic nun working with addicts in the South Bronx has let their suffering touch her heart and transform her life into one of compassionate service.
  • ABC Africa: A heart-wrenching documentary looks at efforts being made in Uganda to look after 1.6 million orphans whose parents died of AIDS.
  • Damien: An extraordinary one-man drama focuses on the suffering servanthood ministry of Father Damien, a priest who put his life on the line for lepers isolated on Molokai island in Hawaii.
  • Le Chambon: A Christian minister and members of his congregation spearhead a project of giving shelter and sanctuary to thousands of Jewish children in German-occupied France during World War II.
  • The Official Story: A teacher's heart is softened with compassion when she learns the truth about the suffering of the families of those who "disappeared" during Argentina's anti-subversion campaign in the 1970s.
  • Welcome to Sarajevo: A Western journalist gets involved in the illegal rescue of a nine-year-old orphan in the besieged city of Sarajevo in 1992.
  • Three Kings: An antiwar satire about the first Gulf War spits in the face of violence and salutes creative compassion as a healing balm.
  • Holy Smoke: An Australian film explores the uneasy blend of sexuality and spirituality in a story about an American deprogramming expert trying to draw an enthusiastic young woman away from an Indian guru; these two learn to have compassion for the dark sides of each other.
  • Talk to Her: An award-winning Spanish film centers around two men who have the gift of tears and the patience to explore the different delineations of love and compassion in their lives.
  • Longtime Companion: A drama about the impact of AIDS on the New York gay community helps us understand the bravery and gallantry of those who have been forced in the prime of life to confront death and grief.
  • The Widow of Saint-Pierre: A drama set in Newfoundland celebrates the compassion of a courageous couple who refuse to temper their ardent belief in mercy and justice.
  • Ulee's Gold: A deeply moving drama about a middle-aged beekeeper shows how the practice of compassion opens up this troubled man and puts him on the path of heart.
  • Not One Less: A stubborn Chinese girl shows her compassion and true grit in a situation where she must shoulder adult responsibilities.
  • Shadrach: A youngster learns that it sometimes takes a bit of creativity to express deep compassion.
  • The Cup: A young monk and soccer fan in a Buddhist monastery in Tibet finds out what it means to put others ahead of himself.
  • Lemon Tree: Two women, the wife of an Israeli general and a Palestinian woman who tends a lemon grove, discover the healing power of empathy in the continuing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
  • Goodbye Solo: A Senegalese cabbie reaches out to a stubborn, depressed, and suicidal old man and discovers the difficulty of practicing compassion.
  • The Soloist: An engaging drama based on a true story chronicles a sensitive journalist's journey of compassion as he tries to help out an incredibly talented homeless street musician.
  • Motherland Afghanistan: In this documentary, a compassionate doctor tries to make a difference in Afghanistan, which has the second highest maternal and infant death rates in the world.
  • City of Joy: Two men in India have their lives transformed through compassion and the way of service.

More Films about Compassion

Film Discussion Guides

  • Ulee's Gold is about a Vietnam vet, widower, and beekeeper who learns to express his nurturing and compassionate side while taking care of his drug-addicted daughter-in-law.
  • Central Station tells the touching story of an orphan boy who tenderizes the heart of a cynical woman until she makes a compassionate connection with others.