# List of films about philosophers

This is a list of feature films that include philosophers, or in which philosophers play a significant role.

## Biographical films

Biographical films based on real-life philosophers:
* Adi Shankaracharya (1983) – The life of Adi Shankaracharya, played by Sarvadaman D. Banerjee.
* Augustine of Hippo (1972), played by Dary Berkani, a Roberto Rossellini film.
* Agora (2009) – The life of Hypatia, played by Rachel Weisz.
* Beyond Good and Evil (1977) – About the love triangle between Friedrich Nietzsche, Paul Rée and a young Russian intellectual.
* Blaise Pascal [it] (1972) – The life of Blaise Pascal, played by Pierre Arditi, a Roberto Rossellini film.
* Cartesius [it] (1973) - The life of René Descartes, played by Ugo Cardea [it], a Roberto Rossellini film.
* Confucius (2010) – The life of Confucius, played by Chow Yun-fat.
* Days of Nietzsche in Turin (2001) – About Nietzsche's time in Turin.
* The Death of Empedocles (1987) – About the pre-Socratic philosopher Empedocles, directed by Danièle Huillet and Jean-Marie Straub.
* Destiny (1997) – The life of Averroes, played by Nour El-Sherif.
* Giordano Bruno (1973) – The life of Giordano Bruno, played by Gian Maria Volonté.
* Hannah Arendt (2012) – The life of Hannah Arendt, played by Barbara Sukowa.
* Socrates (1971) – The life of Socrates, played by Jean Sylvère [fr], a Roberto Rossellini film.
* The Young Karl Marx (2017) – Karl Marx played by August Diehl.
* Trial and Death of Socrates (1939), Socrates played by Ermete Zacconi, directed by Corrado D'Errico.
* Wittgenstein (1993) – The life of Ludwig Wittgenstein, directed by Derek Jarman.

## Documentaries about philosophers

Feature documentary films about real philosophers:
* Derrida (2002) – A documentary about Jacques Derrida.
* Examined Life (2008) – Follows several contemporary philosophers as they try to apply their thought in practice.
* The Pervert's Guide to Cinema (2006) – A film critique of several well-known works by Slavoj Žižek.
* Zizek! (2005) – A film following a speaking tour by Slavoj Žižek.
* Badiou (2018) – A film on the life of eminent French philosopher, Alain Badiou.

## Starring philosophers

Films where one or more philosopher play the main role, but that are not otherwise about philosophy:
* Irrational Man (2015) – A philosophy professor (Joaquin Phoenix) finds himself in an existential crisis, but eventually discovers a new purpose in life.
* The Life of David Gale (2003) – A philosophy professor (Kevin Spacey), and longtime activist against capital punishment, is sentenced to death for killing a fellow capital punishment abolitionist.
* L'Avenir (2016) – Middle-aged philosophy professor Nathalie Chazeaux's (Isabelle Huppert) life is going through a series of separations.
* Late Marriage (2001) - Zaza (Lior Ashkenazi) is a 31-year-old Georgian-Israeli PhD student, studying the philosophy of religion at Tel Aviv University, whose family is trying to arrange a marriage for him within the Georgian community against his will.

## Featuring philosophers

Films where one or more of the members of the main cast are philosophers:
* Alexander (2004) – Based on the life of Alexander the Great, who is mentored by Aristotle (Christopher Plummer).
* The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964) Features Roman emperor and stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius (Alec Guinness) during the first segment of the film.
* Gladiator (2000) – The Roman general Maximus is betrayed when Commodus, the ambitious son of Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris), murders his father and seizes the throne.
* The Oxford Murders (2008) – A student (Elijah Wood) finds out about mysterious killings in Oxford and helped by a philosopher of mathematics (John Hurt), they reveal the patterns used by the killer.
* When Nietzsche Wept (2007) – A Viennese doctor named Josef Breuer (Ben Cross) meets with Friedrich Nietzsche (Armand Assante) to help him deal with his despair

## About philosophy

Films where philosophy is central to the plot:
* I Heart Huckabees (2004) – A comedy with existential themes.
* Mindwalk (1990) – A wide-ranging discussion between three individuals.
* My Dinner with Andre (1981) – A film featuring philosophical discussions.
* My Night at Maud's (1969) – A film centred around philosophical discussions.
* Rope (1948) – A film about a Nietzsche-inspired experiment.
* Sophie's World (1999) – The story of a teenage girl (Silje Storstein) living in Norway, and a middle-aged philosopher (Tomas von Brömssen), who introduces her to philosophical thinking and the history of philosophy; based on a novel by Jostein Gaarder.
* The Fountainhead (1949) – Based on The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand.
* The Ister (2004) – a documentary discussing technology, identity and politics, based on the work of Martin Heidegger.
* The Stranger (1967) – Based on The Stranger by Albert Camus.
* Waking Life (2001) – The film explores the nature of reality, dreams, consciousness, the meaning of life, free will, and existentialism.