More Than a Movie Night: 10 Films That Will Change How Your Team Sees Diversity and Inclusion

I remember sitting in a mandatory Diversity & Inclusion workshop a few years ago. We went through the slides, learned the definitions, and memorized the acronyms. The intent was noble, the content was accurate, and the facilitator was knowledgeable. But as I looked around the room, I saw polite nods and blank stares. The information was going into our heads, but it wasn’t touching our hearts. It felt like we were learning the technical specifications of a machine called “empathy” without ever actually turning it on. The session ended, we ticked the box for our annual training, and not much changed in how we interacted the next day.

It taught me a valuable lesson: you cannot PowerPoint your way to an inclusive culture. Inclusion isn’t an intellectual exercise; it’s an emotional one. It’s born from understanding, from seeing the world through someone else’s eyes, from feeling a connection to their experience. And nothing on earth builds that bridge of empathy faster or more effectively than a powerful story.

That’s why I’ve become a huge advocate for using films as a tool for D&I conversations. A well-chosen movie can disarm defenses, bypass corporate jargon, and present complex human issues in a way that is accessible and deeply moving. It provides a shared experience and a common language for a team to explore sensitive topics safely. It’s not about just watching a movie; it’s about using the story as a catalyst for the real conversations that truly matter. A film isn’t the training, it’s the key that unlocks the door to genuine understanding.

Here are 10 films that do more than just celebrate diversity. They provide a masterclass in the human dynamics of inclusion, offering powerful lessons that can resonate within any team long after the credits roll.

1. Hidden Figures (2016)

• The Plot in a Nutshell: The incredible, untold story of three brilliant African-American women, Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson, who were the brains behind one of NASA’s greatest operations. Despite facing deep-seated racial and gender discrimination, their mathematical genius was indispensable to the success of the space race.
• The Core D&I Lesson: Performance, Potential, and Psychological Safety. This film is a stunning illustration of how bias can make an organization blind to the talent right in front of it. The “human computers” were segregated and their contributions minimized until their sheer competence became impossible to ignore. It’s a powerful reminder that a lack of diversity isn’t just a social issue; it’s a performance inhibitor. The story also beautifully showcases the creation of psychological safety, as Katherine’s boss, Al Harrison (Kevin Costner), tears down the “Colored Ladies Room” sign, declaring, “Here at NASA, we all pee the same color.” He recognized that a barrier to his team member was a barrier to the mission.
• Conversation Starters for Your Team:

1. In what ways might our current processes or culture create “hidden figures” in our own organization, people whose talents are not fully seen or utilized?
2. Al Harrison cared more about the mission’s success than outdated social norms. When have we seen or experienced a leader making a bold move to remove a barrier for a team member?
3. The women in the film formed a strong support system for each other. How can we be better allies for our colleagues, especially those from underrepresented groups?

2. Zootopia (2016)

• The Plot in a Nutshell: In a city of anthropomorphic animals, a rookie bunny cop, Judy Hopps, forms an unlikely partnership with a cynical fox con artist, Nick Wilde, to solve a mysterious case. Along the way, they must confront the deep-rooted prejudices and stereotypes that exist between “predator” and “prey” species.
• The Core D&I Lesson: Unconscious Bias and Stereotyping. Don’t let the animation fool you; Zootopia is one of the most brilliant and accessible explorations of unconscious bias ever put on screen. The film masterfully shows how even well-meaning individuals (like Judy) can hold subconscious biases that affect their actions. The central theme of “biology isn’t destiny” is a powerful allegory for how we often judge individuals based on preconceived notions about the groups they belong to. It’s a masterclass in how stereotypes can limit potential and how easy it is to fall into “us vs. them” thinking.
• Conversation Starters for Your Team:

1. Judy Hopps believed she was open-minded, yet she still carried a fear of foxes. Can we identify any “harmless” stereotypes in our workplace that might be affecting how we perceive our colleagues’ abilities?
2. The film’s tagline is “Anyone can be anything.” What are some of the invisible barriers or assumptions in our industry or company that might prevent this from being fully true?
3. Nick Wilde was told “a fox can’t be trusted,” so he became a con artist. How can our expectations of people (positive or negative) become a self-fulfilling prophecy?

Also read: 10 Common Cognitive Biases & How to Overcome Them

3. The Intern (2015)

• The Plot in a Nutshell: 70-year-old widower Ben Whittaker (Robert De Niro) discovers that retirement isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Seizing an opportunity to get back in the game, he becomes a senior intern at an online fashion startup, founded and run by the driven, work-focused Jules Ostin (Anne Hathaway).
• The Core D&I Lesson: Ageism and Intergenerational Collaboration. The Intern is a warm and charming look at a dimension of diversity we often overlook: age. The film beautifully dismantles stereotypes about older workers being “out of touch” and younger workers being “entitled.” Ben brings wisdom, emotional intelligence, and a calming presence that the frantic startup desperately needs, while Jules and her team show him the power of modern technology and a fast-paced, innovative culture. It champions the idea of reverse mentoring and proves that every generation brings immense value to the table.
• Conversation Starters for Your Team:

1. What assumptions do we sometimes make about colleagues from different generations (younger or older)?
2. Ben became a mentor and confidant to many younger colleagues. How can we better foster knowledge sharing and mentorship between different age groups on our team?
3. The film shows that skills like emotional intelligence and reliability are timeless. What “soft skills” do we value most on our team, and how do we recognize them in people of all ages?

4. CODA (2021)

• The Plot in a Nutshell: Ruby Rossi is a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults) and the only hearing person in her deaf family. When she discovers a passion for singing, she finds herself torn between pursuing her dreams and her fear of abandoning her parents and brother, for whom she serves as a vital connection to the hearing world.
• The Core D&I Lesson: Disability, Empathy, and True Inclusion. CODA is a powerful story about what it means to live between two worlds. It provides a window into Deaf culture and the daily challenges of navigating a world not designed for you. The film’s most powerful scene is when the sound cuts out during Ruby’s concert, allowing the audience to experience the performance from her family’s perspective. It’s a breathtaking moment of forced empathy. The film teaches us that inclusion isn’t about “fixing” someone or making them conform; it’s about taking the time to understand and appreciate their world as they experience it.
• Conversation Starters for Your Team:

1. Ruby’s family experienced the concert through the reactions of the people around them. How can we become more aware of how our colleagues with different abilities experience our workplace?
2. The family’s fishing business faced challenges because of regulations that didn’t consider their deafness. Are there any processes or tools we use that might unintentionally exclude someone with a disability (visible or invisible)?
3. What does the film teach us about the difference between sympathy (feeling sorry for someone) and empathy (working to understand their perspective)?

5. Parasite (2019)

• The Plot in a Nutshell: A darkly comedic thriller about two families on opposite ends of the socioeconomic spectrum in South Korea. The destitute Kim family cons their way into working for the wealthy Park family, leading to a series of events that exposes the brutal and often invisible lines of class warfare.
• The Core D&I Lesson: Socioeconomic Diversity and Dignity. Parasite is an uncomfortable but essential film about a dimension of diversity we rarely discuss in the workplace: social and economic class. It brilliantly illustrates the invisible biases and judgments tied to wealth and poverty. A key moment is when the Park family complains about the “smell” of the Kim family, a metaphor for the indelible and often unconscious class markers that create barriers. The film forces us to confront how our backgrounds shape our opportunities, our perspectives, and how we are perceived by others.
• Conversation Starters for Your Team:

1. The film shows how two families can live in the same city but in entirely different worlds. How can socioeconomic background create invisible barriers or advantages in a professional environment?
2. Without making assumptions, how can we be more aware of the different life pressures (e.g., commutes, family care, financial stress) our colleagues might be facing outside of work?
3. What does the film say about the idea of dignity in work, regardless of the type of job a person does?

6. Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)

• The Plot in a Nutshell: An exhausted Chinese-American immigrant, Evelyn Wang, is just trying to get her taxes done when she discovers she must connect with parallel universe versions of herself to prevent a powerful being from destroying the multiverse.
• The Core D&I Lesson: The Immigrant Experience and Generational Differences. Beneath the dazzling, maximalist action is a deeply moving story about an immigrant family struggling with cultural and generational gaps. Evelyn feels disconnected from her Americanized daughter, Joy, and her gentle husband, Waymond, feels unseen and unappreciated. The film is a powerful allegory for the “code-switching” and identity-juggling that many first and second-generation immigrants experience. It’s a call for empathy and for finding love and understanding across vast differences in life experience.
• Conversation Starters for Your Team:

1. The film explores the tension between Evelyn’s traditional values and her daughter Joy’s modern perspective. How do generational and cultural differences show up in our team’s communication styles or approaches to work?
2. Waymond’s core philosophy is to fight with kindness and empathy. How can we apply this idea when we encounter friction or misunderstanding on our team?
3. Evelyn feels like a failure in many areas of her life. How can we create a culture where people feel safe to be vulnerable and are valued for their whole selves, not just their accomplishments?

Also read: Book Review: Navigating Cultural Differences with ‘The Culture Map’

7. Remember the Titans (2000)

• The Plot in a Nutshell: Based on a true story, this film chronicles the forced integration of a high school football team in Virginia in 1971. A tough, uncompromising Black coach, Herman Boone (Denzel Washington), is chosen to lead the mixed-race team, forcing the players and the community to confront their deep-seated racism.
• The Core D&I Lesson: Overcoming Division Through a Shared Purpose. This is a classic for a reason. It is a powerful lesson in how a common goal and a strong leader can unite a deeply divided group. Coach Boone forces the players to get to know each other as individuals, breaking down the racial barriers one conversation at a time. The film demonstrates that respect, not necessarily friendship, is the foundation of a high-performing team. It teaches that diversity can be a source of conflict initially, but if managed well, it becomes the team’s greatest strength.
• Conversation Starters for Your Team:

1. The team only started to bond when they were forced to find common ground. What is the “common ground” for our team that unites us, regardless of our different backgrounds or roles?
2. Coach Boone had a very tough, authoritarian style. What were the pros and cons of his approach? Is there a time and place for different leadership styles?
3. What does the film teach us about the difference between desegregation (being in the same place) and integration (truly working together as one unit)?

8. King Richard (2021)

• The Plot in a Nutshell: The story of how Richard Williams, the fiercely determined father of Venus and Serena Williams, coached his daughters from the public courts of Compton to the global stage of professional tennis, defying all odds and challenging the conventions of a traditionally white, wealthy sport.
• The Core D&I Lesson: Breaking Barriers and Challenging the Status Quo. This film is a powerful story about meritocracy and the grit it takes to break into an exclusive world. Richard Williams saw a system that was not built for his daughters to succeed, so he created his own system. He challenged the conventional wisdom of the tennis establishment and protected his daughters from the biases he knew they would face. It’s a lesson in how talent can come from anywhere, but it requires extraordinary determination to overcome systemic barriers.
• Conversation Starters for Your Team:

1. Richard Williams had a very specific “plan” for his daughters that went against the norm. When is it important to challenge the “way things have always been done” in our work?
2. What systemic barriers (e.g., educational background, professional networks) might exist in our industry that could prevent talented people from getting opportunities?
3. The film emphasizes humility and character as much as talent. Why are these qualities important for long-term success in any field?

9. The Farewell (2019)

• The Plot in a Nutshell: A Chinese-American writer, Billi, is stunned to learn that her beloved grandmother, Nai Nai, has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. The family decides to hide the diagnosis from Nai Nai and instead stages a fake wedding as an excuse for everyone to gather and say their goodbyes, a common practice in some Eastern cultures.
• The Core D&I Lesson: Navigating Deep-Rooted Cultural Differences. The Farewell is a masterful and gentle exploration of the deep differences between Eastern collectivism and Western individualism. Billi is horrified by what she sees as a cruel lie, while her family sees it as a loving act of carrying the emotional burden for their matriarch. The film doesn’t pick a side; it simply presents both perspectives with empathy and humor. It’s a fantastic tool for discussing how our cultural programming shapes our values, our communication, and our definition of what is “right.”
• Conversation Starters for Your Team:

1. The film contrasts the American value of direct honesty with the Chinese value of communal harmony. Can you think of a time at work when different cultural approaches to communication might have led to a misunderstanding?
2. Have you ever worked in a different country or on a cross-cultural team? What surprised you the most about the different working styles or values?
3. The film shows that there isn’t always one “right” way to handle a situation. How can we get better at seeking to understand, rather than to judge, when a colleague’s approach is different from our own?

10. Inside Out (2015)

• The Plot in a Nutshell: A young girl named Riley is uprooted from her life and moved to a new city, an event that throws her five core emotions into chaos: Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust. The emotions, personified as characters in her mind, must learn to work together to navigate her new life.
• The Core D&I Lesson: Cognitive Diversity and Emotional Intelligence. This might seem like an odd choice, but Inside Out is a profound movie about the importance of cognitive and emotional diversity. For most of the film, Joy believes her role is to suppress Sadness, thinking that happiness is the only acceptable state. She eventually learns that Sadness has a vital purpose: it signals a need for comfort and connection, fostering empathy from others. The film is a beautiful metaphor for why we need all perspectives and emotions at the table. A team that is all “Joy” won’t be able to handle adversity. A team that is all “Fear” will never innovate. True strength comes from integrating and valuing all the different ways we think and feel.
• Conversation Starters for Your Team:

1. In the film, every emotion had a crucial role to play. In our team, do we value all types of contributions,for example, the person who asks tough, skeptical questions (Fear/Disgust) as much as the person who is always optimistic (Joy)?
2. The film teaches that it’s okay to be sad or scared. How can we create a culture where team members feel safe expressing a range of emotions and can ask for help when they are struggling?
3. What is the “emotional dashboard” of our team? What emotion tends to be in the driver’s seat during times of stress, and how can we be more intentional about it?

From Passive Viewing to Active Understanding

The power of these films isn’t in the credits; it’s in the conversations they ignite. The goal is to move from passive entertainment to active, empathetic engagement. By creating a space to discuss these stories, you are building the psychological safety needed for your team to have more open and honest conversations about their own experiences.

You are building a shared understanding that diversity is not a quota to be met, but the very fabric of human experience. And you are proving that inclusion is not a policy to be enforced, but an active, daily choice to see, hear, and value the people you work with.

If you are looking to move beyond just conversation and embed these principles into your team’s DNA, let’s talk about how FocusU’s experiential learning programs can help you build a truly inclusive and high-performing culture.