Real-Life Stories on the Silver Screen

Description: Based on the true story of Oskar Schindler, a German businessman who saved the lives of over 1,000 Jewish refugees during the Holocaust by employing them in his factories.

Fact: Steven Spielberg directed this film, which won seven Oscars, including Best Picture. The film was shot in black and white to give it a documentary feel.

Description: The true story of Władysław Szpilman, a Polish-Jewish pianist who survived the Holocaust by living in hiding in the ruins of Warsaw.

Fact: Adrien Brody won an Oscar for Best Actor, becoming the youngest actor to win in that category at the time. The film also won the Palme d'Or at Cannes.

Description: This film portrays the life of Jean-Dominique Bauby, who suffered a massive stroke and was left with locked-in syndrome, able to communicate only by blinking his left eye.

Fact: The film was nominated for four Oscars, including Best Director for Julian Schnabel. It was also nominated for the Palme d'Or at Cannes.

Description: This film captures the story of King George VI's struggle with a stammer and his relationship with an unorthodox speech therapist, Lionel Logue, leading up to his wartime speech.

Fact: Colin Firth won an Oscar for Best Actor for his portrayal of King George VI. The film was also nominated for 12 Academy Awards, winning four.

Description: This film follows The Boston Globe's "Spotlight" team, the oldest continuously operating newspaper investigative journalist unit in the United States, as they uncover the massive scandal of child molestation and cover-up within the local Catholic Archdiocese.

Fact: The film won the Academy Award for Best Picture, and was praised for its accurate depiction of journalism and investigative reporting.

Description: This film recounts the story of Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York who was abducted and sold into slavery, detailing his harrowing journey to regain freedom.

Fact: The film won three Oscars, including Best Picture, and was the first film directed by a black filmmaker (Steve McQueen) to win in this category.

Description: The story of Alan Turing, the British mathematician who helped crack the Enigma code during WWII, and his subsequent persecution for his homosexuality.

Fact: Benedict Cumberbatch was nominated for an Oscar for his role as Alan Turing. The film also won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Description: A biographical drama about the relationship between physicist Stephen Hawking and his wife Jane, focusing on his early years at university and his battle with motor neuron disease.

Fact: Eddie Redmayne won an Oscar for Best Actor for his portrayal of Stephen Hawking. The film was also nominated for Best Picture.

Description: This film tells the story of three African-American women who played pivotal roles in NASA during the Space Race, overcoming racial and gender discrimination.

Fact: The film was nominated for three Oscars, including Best Picture. It was also a commercial success, grossing over $230 million worldwide.

Description: Based on the true story of Paul Rusesabagina, a hotel manager in Rwanda who sheltered over a thousand Tutsi refugees during the Rwandan genocide.

Fact: Don Cheadle was nominated for an Oscar for his role. The film was also nominated for Best Original Screenplay.