Bilal Qureshi

Bolivar liberated six countries from Spanish rule in the early 19th century. A new film about his life features epic battles, rousing speeches and stunning landscapes in the spirit of Braveheart.

The transition from one part of the world to another is filled with anticipation, conflict and drama. These trips can herald life-changing transformations for families seeking out better lives.

Ayad Akhtar plumbs his past to grapple with what it means to be Muslim in America. While some accuse him of airing dirty laundry, Akhtar uses such questions not just for rupture but also for renewal.

There was a time when you didn't know what the No. 1 song in America was until Casey Kasem said so. The listener had an emotional relationship with the American Top 40host for four decades.

For the past decade Pakistan has faced war, political instability and the rise of religious extremism. But those crises have fueled a new generation of Pakistani writers and artists.

The Great Beautyis the latest portrait of the city onscreen, in all its wonder, decadence, sinfulness and ugliness. The film, directed by Paolo Sorrentino, is also Italy's official entry for this year's Academy Awards.

Blue Is the Warmest Color won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival this year. Now the French drama is arriving in U.S. theaters amid controversy over its explicit sex scenes — and public difficulties between the director and his stars.

Steve McQueen's 12 Years A Slave was one of several films premiering at this year's Toronto International Film Festival. Black British filmmaking is on the rise.

More than 100,000 people of Japanese descent were put in camps during World War II. Decades later and inspired by the civil rights movement, Japanese-Americans launched a campaign for redress that culminated in an official apology. The community marks the 25th anniversary of that victory this week.

Midnight's Children, from Oscar-nominated filmmaker Deepa Mehta, is a sweeping big-screen adaptation of Salman Rushdie's great novel of modern Indian history. NPR's Bilal Qureshi talks to the two storytellers about their collaboration on the project.