THEME EXPLORATION

perseverance against odds

35 films · 3 directors

Tracing the thread…

FILMS THAT EXPLORE THIS
Once Upon My Mother
Once Upon My Mother
2026 · Ken Scott
Alphaville
Alphaville
1965 · Jean-Luc Godard
The Shawshank Redemption
The Shawshank Redemption
1994 · Frank Darabont
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back
1980 · Irvin Kershner
My Little Pony: A New Generation
My Little Pony: A New Generation
2022 · José Luis Ucha
Robinson Crusoe
Robinson Crusoe
2016 · Vincent Kesteloot
Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
2022 · Guillermo del Toro
Empire
Empire
2010 · Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Gunnm
Gunnm
2000 · —
Lucky Miles
Lucky Miles
2007 · Michael James Rowland
Summer with Hope
Summer with Hope
2022 · Sadaf Foroughi
The Ride
The Ride
1995 · Amanda Micheli
Three Outlaw Samurai
Three Outlaw Samurai
1964 · Hideo Gosha
All the Good Eyes
All the Good Eyes
2026 · Zhi Zheng
A Foggy Tale
A Foggy Tale
2026 · Chen Yu-hsun
Colony
Colony
2026 · Yeon Sang-ho
Fuori
Fuori
2026 · Mario Martone
Fleak
Fleak
2026 · Jens Møller
In the Grey
In the Grey
2026 · Guy Ritchie
Ghost in the Cell
Ghost in the Cell
2026 · Joko Anwar
Iron Lung
Iron Lung
2026 · Mark Fischbach
Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition
Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition
2026 · Malcolm Venville
Mr. Monster
Mr. Monster
2026 · Simon Hung
Signs of Mr. Plum
Signs of Mr. Plum
2026 · Urszula Morga
Posłani
Posłani
2026 · Dariusz Walusiak
The Blue Trail
The Blue Trail
2026 · Gabriel Mascaro
Dead Poets Society
Dead Poets Society
1989 · Peter Weir
Life and Nothing More…/…And Life Goes On
Life and Nothing More…/…And Life Goes On
1992 · Abbas Kiarostami
The Slow Game
The Slow Game
2009 · Paolo Sorrentino
They Caught the Ferry
They Caught the Ferry
1948 · Carl Theodor Dreyer
Where the River Padma Flows
Where the River Padma Flows
1971 · Ritwik Ghatak
Brutal Heat
Brutal Heat
2023 · Albert Hospodářský
Dancing on the Edge of a Volcano
Dancing on the Edge of a Volcano
2023 · Cyril Aris
Okja
Okja
2017 · Bong Joon-ho
Vesper
Vesper
2022 · Kristina Buožytė & Bruno Samper
DIRECTORS WHO EXPLORE THIS
John Lee Hancock USA

Humanistic storyteller who transforms real-life struggles into emotionally resonant underdog narratives.

 Frank Capra United States

His films celebrate ordinary individuals triumphing over corrupt systems and adversity through determination and moral courage.

 Akira Kurosawa Japan

He repeatedly portrayed protagonists struggling against overwhelming circumstances—war, poverty, nature—who persist through unwavering resolve and human dignity.