National Poverty in America Awareness Month

Life in impoverished Depression-era Ireland holds little promise for young Frank McCourt, the oldest son in a tightly-knit family. Living by his wits, cheered by his irrepressible spirit, and sustained by his mother's fierce love, Frank embarks on an inspiring journey to overcome the poverty of his childhood and reach the land of his dreams: America.

The true-life story of Janet Frame, New Zealand's most distinguished author. The film follows Frame along her inspiring journey, from a poverty-stricken childhood to a misdiagnosis of schizophrenia and electroshock therapy to, finally, literary fame.

The story of several generations of a family, from the arrival of Jewish immigrant Sam Krichinsky in the suburb of Baltimore called Avalon, down through his children and grandchildren. The family goes from poverty to prosperity as the world changes around them, but their love and humor hold the family together.

Built in the 1960s, Cidade de Deus (City of God) is a sprawling housing project built to keep the poor as far as possible from Rio's glamorous beaches and resorts. By the 1980s, it has degenerated into a war zone so dangerous that visitors from outside risk being shot to death on sight, a poisonous stew of poverty, drugs, and crime. "If you run away, they get you, and if you stay, they get you, too," says Rocket, who wants to be a photographer. Rocket's brother, friends, and neighbors begin with truck stick-ups, which lead to brothel hold-ups that lead to murder that leads to coke dealing that leads to street brawls with armies of gun-toting 11-year-olds. Soon a full-scale gang war rages in the City of God--understandably not covered by wary Rio photojournalists--but just the opportunity Rocket needs to make his move, get a job at a newspaper, and get out.

Peace in 17th-century Japan causes the Shogunate's breakup of warrior clans, throwing thousands of samurai out of work and into poverty. An honorable end to such fate under the samurai code is ritual suicide, or hara-kiri.

In post-WWII poverty-stricken Rome, a man struggles to earn a living for himself and his family. When his bicycle and main means of transport is stolen, with his young son in tow, he attempts to find the thief.

Born with cerebral palsy, the 10th of 22 children of a Dublin bricklayer and his wife, Christy Brown was doomed to life as a vegetable by physicians in 1932. His strong-willed mother's love and faith encouraged him to overcome this label. At age seven, he made a mark with chalk grasped between the toes of his left foot, the only limb on his body he could control. With this proof of intelligence, his schooling begins, and aided by his loving family, Christy learns to grapple with life's physical tasks and psychological pains. His courage and determination inspire a teacher, who lends support as he develops into a brilliant if cantankerous writer, poet, and painter. The astounding story of an artist who defeated a physical disability, degrading stereotypes, and poverty to fulfill his dreams.

Trapped in Dodge City, a drug-infested war zone in southeast Washington, D.C., Ray Joshua, gifted young MC, copes with the despair and poverty of his neighborhood by using his wits and verbal talent. One day he is arrested when his drug dealer is gunned down while talking to him. He is put to prison where two rival gangs, Thug Life and the Union, want to recruit him as a member. In jail he finds truth in himself and his craft through Lauren Bell, a beautiful and charismatic writing teacher who leads him to the path of salvation. Using his talent for poetic rap, Ray learns to survive and rise above the pain of his lost generation.

Chronicles the senior year of three Navajo high-school students in New Mexico -- Thomas, an elite runner; Tamara, an academic superstar; and Gabby, an aspiring photographer -- as they navigate their senior year at a reservation high school. As graduation nears, they must decide whether or not to stay in their community -- a place inextricably woven into the fiber of their beings -- or leave in pursuit of opportunities elsewhere. Largely isolated from mainstream America, they hesitate to separate from their families and traditions, rooted to home in equal parts by love, obligation, and fear. Tribal elders urge members of the younger generation to leave -- acquire an education or learn a trade -- and return home with the skills to help their people. But with a poverty rate of 65% and a per capita income under $6,200, Navajo has few prospects.

It is 1938, the twilight of colonial India, as Gandhi's protests begin to change Indian society. But for some women, things may never change. As widows, they are condemned by Hindu law to spend the rest of their lives in an ashram, to live out their lives in poverty, chastity, and humble obscurity. Then Chuyia, a bewildered 8-year-old who doesn't even remember being married, arrives and upsets everything. Madhumati, the head of the house; Shakuntala, an assistant to a local holy man; and quiet, gorgeous Kalyani are all moved--in very different ways--by her arrival. For these women, the question remains: how far--and for how long--can this cruel injustice be continued in the name of tradition?