Celebrate Family History Month with Beamafilm
Beamafilm
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17/10/2024
At Beamafilm, we believe that films have the power to bring history, culture, and personal stories to life. Whether you're digging into your family tree or just curious about the past, this month is a perfect time to reflect on where you come from – and we’ve got the ideal watchlist of films to inspire you.
Family history is more than just names and dates – it's about the stories, challenges, and triumphs that have shaped the generations. Our curated selection of documentaries, movies and series can offer a glimpse into ancestors' lives and the historical moments that impacted them. From immigrant tales to cultural journeys, our film library is filled with moving stories that resonate with themes of identity, heritage, and belonging.
Looking for something the whole family can enjoy? You'll find loads of family-friendly films that make learning about history fun and engaging for all ages. From family adventures to inspiring real-life stories, these films spark curiosity and open up conversations about family roots. You may even feel inspired to dig deeper into your family’s past. October is the perfect time to explore genealogy, track down old photos, or start a family history project. There are so many ways to uncover your heritage, and films can be an incredible companion on this journey of discovery.
Celebrate Family History Month with us by diving into films that bring your history to life. Who knows – they may spark your curiosity and help you discover a piece of your own family’s unique story.
Ready to start your journey? Choose a great film from Beamafilm's Family History Month collection.
Watch for FREE with a participating library card or on a 30-day trial. Also, you can rent a film for 48 hours.
A daughter's search for her lost family stretches from Australia to Trinidad and WWII Germany. Rich with archival images, Su Goldfish's autobiographical documentary echoes through all those touched by forced migration.
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The life of an Irish immigrant family in Australia in the second half of the 19th century.
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Whetū Mārama: Bright Star is the story of Sir Hekenukumai Ngaiwi Puhipi, aka Hek Busby, and his significance for Māori in rekindling their wayfinding DNA and for all New Zealanders in reclaiming our place as traditional star voyagers on the world map.
The intoxicating documentary about three generations of renowned Cretan musicians, the Xylouris family.
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A poetic cine-essay about race and colonialism.
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Follow the life experiences of the Morrison and Parry families as they establish themselves within a new and challenging colony in Sydney. Facing the many trials and tribulations of settlement life, their actions would go toward shaping the nation.
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A former Vietnamese refugee takes his Israeli daughters home to Vietnam.
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Anne, an 11 year-old orphan, takes on the world in this kid's classic. She embraces the opportunity to join a family on Prince Edward Island with a big heart and all the optimism she can muster.
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A detective fantasy / family drama where a love of words helps a father reconnect with a missing son.
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In order to keep a promise he made to his wife, an old man and his granddaughter set off to her native village with a bird in a cage.
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A poetic documentary on four generations of maternal family in Tasmania, using archival footage and excerpts from key early feminist films to trace significant changes in women’s place in the family and society.
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Through one woman’s experience as an adopted person and also as a mother who relinquished her child in 1971, this documentary highlights the many complex issues associated with adoption.
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A charming and humorous family drama that follows a family in post-war Germany in the 1960s.
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Transmitters of Heritage presents the story of seven people who come from different walks of life. They are the luminaries that protect the future of valuable heritage for the coming generations.
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Forced to take refuge in her family's old coffee shop in Kuala Lumpur when stranded during a sudden COVID-19 lockdown during the Hungry Ghost Festival, Bonnie meets the ghosts of deceased relatives returning for a visit.
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Harry Yuan returns to China after living abroad and travels along the Yangtze River to explore its impact on Chinese communities and heritage.
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An inside look at how over 100,000 railroad station waitresses opened up the doors of the American West to women and changed the course of history.
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Inghilda Tapio is one of the last generation of Indigenous children born into a nomadic Saami reindeer herding family in the Arctic Circle, and is now an inspirational poet and performer.
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A journey in time through the eyes of two generations of filmmakers, at the same remote island in Greece from the 70s up until now.
This 1949 Charles Chauvel classic is the story of a pioneering family of five brothers & two sisters carving out a settlement on the virgin bush plateaus of northern New South Wales.
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The story of a runaway who escapes to the river to work on a paddle-boat steamer and his friendship with an old salt captain played by Bill Kerr.
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A high seas coming-of-age yarn about set off Port Lincoln, SA.
Follow a rural postman along the Birdsville Track in the 50s.
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Route 66: The Untold Story of Women on the Mother Road is a three-part documentary series that tells the story of how women overcame gender discrimination and segregation on America's most beloved road.
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An imaginative girl refuses the mould of Victorian society.
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The personal and political story of Romaine Moreton, a Goenpul, Yagerabul, Minjungbal, Bundjalung, South Sea Islander poet, performance artist, and philosopher, who uses words to illustrate the plight and beauty of Indigenous survival.
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A discontented Sydney teenager travels back in time to 1873, whilst watching an old fashioned children’s game.
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Eilis, a young Irish girl, lands in 1950s Brooklyn and soon gets used to the freer life. She falls in love with Tony, who hails from an Italian family. However, a tragedy befalls her back home.
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In WWII, two Jewish boys flee occupied France.
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Unwitting 7-year-old Maisie is caught in the middle of a custody battle between her mother Suzanna, an aging rock star, and her father, Beale, a major art dealer.
When Ryota learns that his biological son was switched with another boy after birth, he faces the difficult decision to choose his true son or the boy he and his wife have raised as their own.
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family,history,UN Days