Cinema of resistance:Revolutionary Films From Around the World
The year 2026 has seen an escalation in conflict, division, political oppression, and violence worldwide. Every day, we wake to more horrifying news of people of all ethnicities and genders being killed to further the aims of a few wealthy, amoral oligarchs. Whether it be the continued war and genocide in the Middle East, the United States government occupying its own cities by force to carry out policies of harassment and terror against people of colour and political opponents, or the ongoing disregard for public and expert opinion in the interest of violating our rights here at home, it can feel as though the forces of fascism and oppression are closing in all around us, leaving us helpless.
But there is strength in one another and in the bonds of community we form. Around the world, we see the power of people coming together to say “No!” to the abuse of power. From crowds of ordinary people in Minnesota resisting ICE and organizing to protect themselves and their neighbours, to Indigenous leaders in Alberta making clear their opposition to ongoing colonial disregard, there is strength and hope in standing together with our fellow human beings and pushing back against the forces that seek to grind us down.
Calgary Cinematheque seeks to strengthen our own community of cinema lovers in these difficult times by presenting classic cinematic stories of resistance—powerful and uplifting stories of rebellion and revolution from a variety of places and times: anti-fascist, anti-capitalist, anti-misogynist, and anti-colonialist works spanning three continents over the past 80 years, including here in Canada. We hope these stories will inspire our audiences, offering strength to connect with their communities, organize, resist oppression, and support those who are marginalized.
Art by Harvey Nichol.
Series Films
Rome, Open City (1945)
Directed by Roberto Rossellini
March 7, 2026
Filmed immediately after the end of the Second World War, on location in Rome, with a mix of professional and amateur actors, it tells a story of resistance to the Nazi occupation of Rome in the closing days of the war. Created when the wounds of military occupation were still fresh, the film’s much praised realism is partially due to the fact that traditional soundstages were unavailable at the time, necessitating shooting on location.
I am Cuba (1964)
Directed by Mikhail Kalatozov
May 14, 2026
Consisting of four short stories from different points of view linked by a single narrator, I Am Cuba shows the way that the country was exploited by tourists and foreign capitalists, and how war comes to everyone - from the student to the farmer. Forgotten for decades due to the US blockade of the country, it has risen to prominence thanks to the championing of Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola, a rediscovery that has led to universal critical acclaim and viral fame for its incredible camera moves.
Born in Flames (1983)
Directed by Lizzie Borden
March 21, 2026
Set ten years after a socialist-democratic revolution in the United States, the film explores the ways that marginalized groups such as women, people of colour, and queer people continued to be targeted and suppressed, and the efforts of community-organized intersectional groups to fight back. The film follows two women-run pirate radio stations, a women’s revolutionary army, and a socialist newspaper and focuses on the role that communication and direct action play in combating the propaganda of the ruling authorities.
The Battle of Algiers (1966)
Directed by Gillo Pontecorvo
March 28, 2026
A groundbreaking neorealist film, this acclaimed classic depicts the organization and activities of the guerilla revolutionaries of the National Liberation Front in Algeria in their battle for freedom against the French colonialist armies that attempted to suppress and destroy them. An incredible filmmaking achievement, with a beloved score by Ennio Morricone, Battle of Algiers is often ranked among the greatest films of all time, and has influenced real world guerilla movements, been studied by counterinsurgency agencies, and influenced future filmmakers such as Paul Thomas Anderson’s recent Best Picture winner One Battle After Another.
Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance (1993)
Directed by Alanis Obomsawin
June 4, 2026
This documentary by Abenaki activist Alanis Obomsawin emerged as a real time response to the 1990 Oka Crisis in which a Mohawk protest of the expansion of a golf course onto their land was met with a police barricade and later military siege of the Mohawk reserves which lasted 78 and led to two fatalities - one on each side. Obomsawin inserted herself and her shifting crew into the crisis as it occurred, documenting events from the Mohawk side.
