Recommended Visual Media

Movies

The Good Lie
This 2014 feature film, produced by Ron Howard and Brian Grazer, starring Reece Witherspoon, is  based on a true story, created by the producers of “The Blind Side”.
A group of Sudanese refugees, given the chance to resettle in the U.S., arrive in Kansas City, Missouri, where their encounter with an employment agency counselor forever changes all of their lives.
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1 hr. 49 minutes found on Amazon Prime for $2.99.

Short Videos

 Refugee Road Map: A Journey Towards Integration
This drawing animated video clip depicts the steps a refugee must take toward successful integration upon coming to Knoxville.

​5 minutes

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It Wasn't Easy Growing Up as an Immigrant
This animated story, narrated by a teen, depicts the difficulties she experienced upon moving to America.

3:45 minutes

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7 Days in America
7 Days in America follows a case worker from Bridge Refugee Services as she helps a family of Burundian refugees as they resettle in Knoxville, Tennessee. The film aired on East Tennessee PBS. It also won an award of excellence in the Broadcast Education Association’s Media Arts Festival faculty competition.

​26 minutes

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Culture Shock - Sudanese Refugees Coming to America
Sudanese men new to the US share their questions and disillusionment with adjusting to life in their new home of Pittsburgh. "What is a shower? Why can we not go to people's homes if we don't know them? How do we make friends?" Journey with them from Sudan, through their plane trip, into their new home, where they are encouraged not to throw trash out of the window, but to place in something called a trash can.

​5 minutes

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Video Series & Courses

Customs of the World: Using Cultural Intelligence to Adapt, Wherever You Are
From "The Great Courses",  learn about the concept of culture, ways we measure culture, and the mega-cultures of the world. $30 for digital copy.
You’ll learn both the values held by cultures around the world and how those values influence behavior so you can successfully accomplish your objectives, no matter what the cultural context. Taught by Professor David Livermore of the Cultural Intelligence Center, these 24 eye-opening lectures address dynamics and customs related to working, socializing, dining, and marriage and family—all the areas necessary to help you function with a greater level of respect and effectiveness wherever you go.

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Immigrant Stories: "Made Into America"
This collection of 84 immigrants’ stories are told by the immigrants who lived them. These are video stories are part of the Immigration Stories project coordinated by the Midpen Media Center and made possible by the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, featuring "When Home Won't Let You Stay".

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I am Knoxville
This series produced by Community Television of Knoxville features 12 video stories of Knox metro immigrants from South America, Africa, and Asia.
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25 Video Interviews with Immigrants from Cambodia & Laos.
In partnership with other contributing institutions, these interviews are made possible for viewing through the Minnesota Digital Library.