Legendary director and father of independent cinema, John Cassavettes' first feature film Shadows (1960), explores issues of racism through New York's 1950s jazz scene. Considered a landmark of twentieth-century cinema, the screenplay was improvised by the cast, which includes Lelia Goldoni (Chain Link, Slice) and Anthony Ray (producer, An Unmarried Woman). Soundtrack by Charles Mingus and Shifi Hadi.

This true story of epic proportions, Rabbit-Proof Fence tells the harrowing journey of three young Australian Aboriginal girls who escape from a torturous school where they are forced to live according to European Colonial norms. Gorgeously shot in the outback, and featuring stellar performances by Everlyn Sampi, Tianna Sansbury, and Laura Monaghan, this film is one you will want to see more than once. Kenneth Branagh (Henry V, Harry Potter) plays the upholder of racist policies with chilling realism. Peter Gabriel's soundtrack accompanies the story beautifully.

Malcolm X is one for the ages. Spike Lee (25th Hour, Do The Right Thing) pretty much always addresses freedom in his movies, but this biographical tour du force, co-written with James Baldwin and Arnold Perl, takes it to another level. Featuring an award winning performance by Denzel Washington (American Gangster, The Great Debaters) in the title role, the film also stars Angela Bassett (Of Boys and Men), Al Freeman Jr. (Boy Meets Girl), and Delroy Lindo (Domino).

Another great film starring Denzel Washington, Cry Freedom (1987) relates the true story of South African freedom fighter Steven Biko. Kevin Kline (The Pink Panther, A Fish Called Wanda) stars as passionate journalist Donald Woods, who befriends Biko and then must carry his message of freedom to the world.

Rize documents urban dance in L.A. like no other film. After the Rodney King riots, leaders in predominantly Black neighborhoods seek to nurture non-violent outlets to pent-up anger and hostility among the community's youth. What evolves is the astonishingly beautiful improvisational dance called krump. Director David LaChapelle, known primarily for his music video work, skillfully weaves the story and dancing into a unique - and masterful - cinematic experience.

From acclaimed Vogue photographer William Klein comes a scathing satire of American foreign policy as appropriate today as it was when it was made in 1969. Mr. Freedom charts the surreal mission of a superhero who attempts to bring France back under the thumb of U.S. influence. Released on DVD this past spring through Criterion's Eclipse Series, the film has recently come back to public awareness after being nearly forgotten for thirty years.

The late Robert Altman brought many wonderful films to the screen, but perhaps his greatest was one of his first, the timeless anti-war comedy M*A*S*H. Crammed with hilarious jokes from ribald to the sublime, the film also deals with how to hold onto one's personal freedoms within an oppressive system. Starring Donald Sutherland (Cold Mountain) and Robert Duvall (Gods and Generals), M*A*S*H was made on a shoestring budget with mostly ad-libbed dialogue, much to the chagrin of screenwriter Ring Lardner, Jr.

V for Vendetta from the Wachowski brothers, who also penned The Matrix and Speed Racer, tells the story of a lone freedom fighter trying to beat an Orwellian totalitarian regime. Starring Natalie Portman (Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith) and Hugo Weaving (The Tender Hook), the story comes from the comic book by Alan Moore.

This list wouldn't be complete without mentioning Tom Cruise's dramatic performance as Ron Kovic, a paraplegic Vietnam vet turned political activist in Born on the Fourth of July. Director Oliver Stone (JFK, Natural Born Killers) won an Oscar for this film that looks not at war, but at the aftermath of war within the lives of vets struggling to return home.