List of 2002 films based on actual events
This is a list of films and miniseries that are based on actual events. All films on this list are from American production unless indicated otherwise.
2002
8 Mile – biographical drama film inspired by the life of American rapper Eminem11′09″01 September 11 – international anthology film composed of 11 contributions from 11 filmmakers, each from a different country - each gave their own vision of the events in New York City during the September 11 attacks, in a short film of 11 minutes, 9 seconds, and one frame23rd March 1931: Shaheed – Indian Hindi-language historical biographical film about Bhagat Singh, depicting the events leading up to the hanging of Singh and his companions Shivaram Rajguru and Sukhdev Thapar on 23 March 193124 Hour Party People – British biographical comedy drama film about Manchester's popular music community from 1976 to 1992, and specifically about Factory Records10,000 Black Men Named George – biographical drama television film following union activist A. Philip Randolph's efforts to organize the black porters of the Pullman Company in 1920s America, known as the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car PortersA Is for Acid – British crime television film based on the life of the serial killer John Haigh, known as the Acid Bath Murderer, because he dissolved the bodies of six people in sulphuric acidA Journey Called Love – Italian romantic drama film telling the tormented relationship between the writer Sibilla Aleramo and the poet Dino CampanaAdaptation – comedy drama film based on Charlie Kaufman's struggles to adapt Susan Orlean's 1998 nonfiction book The Orchid Thief while suffering from writer's blockThe Adversary – French drama film inspired by the real-life story of Jean-Claude RomandAKA – British drama film telling the story of a disaffected youth's search for love, status, and identity in late 1970s Britain, largely based on Duncan Roy's early lifeAmen. – historical war drama film examining the political and diplomatic relationship between the Vatican and Nazi Germany during World War IIAnita and Me – British comedy drama film depicting a semi-autobiographical account of Meera Syal's childhood Antwone Fisher – biographical drama film based on the life of Antwone FisherAuto Focus – biographical drama film telling a dramatized story of the actor Bob Crane, an affable radio show host and amateur drummer who found success on Hogan's Heroes, a popular television sitcom, and his dramatic descent into the underbelly of Hollywood after the series was cancelled and he formed a friendship with John Henry CarpenterBaader – German biographical drama film about revolutionary Andreas Baader of the notorious Red Army Faction which operated mainly in West Germany during the 1970s[Balzac and the Little Cinema of China|Chinese Seamstress (film)|Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress] – Chinese-French romantic drama film revolving around two young Chinese boys of bourgeois background who were sent to a remote village in Sichuan for three years of re-education during the Cultural Revolution, based on the 2000 semi-autobiographical novel of the same title by DaiThe Bankers of God: The Calvi Affair – Italian drama film telling the story of the scandal of Banco Ambrosiano, mainly related to the figure of Roberto CalviBenjamin Franklin – biographical drama miniseries about American polymath Benjamin FranklinBertie and Elizabeth – British biographical drama television film exploring the relationship between King George VI and his wife Queen Elizabeth from their first meeting to the King's death in the winter of 1952Better Luck Tomorrow – crime drama film drawing inspiration from several sources, including the Columbine shootings and the murder of Stuart Tay, a teenager from Orange County, CaliforniaBlack and White – Australian biographical drama film telling the story of Max Stuart, a young aboriginal man who was sentenced to death after being found guilty of the murder of a nine-year-old girl on what was considered questionable evidence[Bloody Sunday (2002 film)|Sunday (film)|Bloody Sunday] – British-Irish historical war drama film based around the 1972 "Bloody Sunday" shootings in Derry, Northern IrelandBolívar, That's Me! – Colombian-French historical film detailing the story of an actor who is known for his interpretation of "El Libertador", Simón Bolívar Callas Forever – biographical drama film centring on the making of a movie of Georges Bizet's CarmenCatch Me If You Can – biographical crime drama film about Frank Abagnale Jr. who successfully performed cons worth millions of dollars by posing as a Pan American World Airways pilot, a Georgia doctor, and a Louisiana parish prosecutor Champion – South Korean sport drama film about South Korean boxer Duk Koo KimChicago – musical black comedy crime film loosely based on two unrelated 1924 court cases involving two women, Beulah Annan and Belva Gaertner, who were both suspected and later acquitted of murder, whom Maurine Dallas Watkins had covered for the Chicago Tribune as a reporterChopin: Desire for Love – Polish biographical film based on the life story of the Polish pianist and composer Frédéric ChopinCity by the Sea – crime drama film based on the story of Vincent LaMarcaCity of God – Brazilian epic crime film depicting the growth of organized crime in the Cidade de Deus suburb of Rio de Janeiro, between the end of the 1960s and the beginning of the 1980s, loosely based on real eventsThe Clay Bird – Bangladeshi war drama film about Tareque Masud's childhood experiences against the backdrop of 1969 Mass uprising in East Pakistan on the eve of Bangladesh Liberation WarConfessions of a Dangerous Mind – biographical spy film depicting the fictional life of game show host and producer Chuck BarrisConviction – American-Canadian biographical television film about Carl Upchurch, a hardcore felon who managed to educate himself and developed a spiritual awakening during one of his numerous stints inside prisonCopenhagen – British drama television film concerning a meeting between the physicists Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg in Copenhagen in 1941 to discuss their work and past friendship, and also revolving around Heisenberg's role in the German atomic bomb program during World War IICrossed Over – Canadian drama television film telling the true story of the deep and healing friendship between a grieving mother, Beverly Lowry, and death row inmate, Karla Faye TuckerDahmer – crime drama film based on the crimes of Jeffrey Dahmer, a serial killer, who killed seventeen young men and boys in Bath, Ohio and Milwaukee, Wisconsin between 1978 and 1991 Dickens – British biographical drama miniseries depicting the life of the author Charles DickensDoor to Door – drama television film about Bill Porter, an inspiring and successful door-to-door salesman with cerebral palsyDouble Teamed – family sport drama television film based on the life stories of identical twin professional basketball players Heather and Heidi BurgeDrunk on Women and Poetry – South Korean biographical drama film about Jang Seung-eop, a nineteenth-century Korean painter who changed the direction of Korean artThe Embalmer – Italian film noir drama film about a solitary embalmer meets a charming and unemployed waiter who becomes his assistant, based on real events The Enclave – Dutch biographical miniseries about the fall of Srebrenica and the Dutch government's failure to protect the town from attackersEvelyn – Irish drama film based on the true story of Desmond Doyle and his fight in the Irish courts to be reunited with his childrenFacing the Truth – Danish drama film based on the real life of Nils Malmros' fatherThe Falklands Play – British war drama television film depicting the political events leading up to, and including, the 1982 Falklands WarFidel – biographical drama miniseries describing the Cuban revolution and political career of Fidel CastroFrida – biographical drama film depicting the professional and private life of the surrealist Mexican artist Frida KahloFührer Ex – German historical drama film based on former neo-nazi Ingo Hasselbach's autobiographical experiencesGada Meilin – Chinese adventure drama film telling the story of Inner Mongolian hero Gada Meiren, who led a failed rebellion at the beginning of the 1930s against dispossession of Mongol banner lands by Zhang Zuolin and Zhang XueliangGangs of New York – historical drama film detailing the rise and fall of 19th century gangs in New York City, prior to the domination of the Italian-American Mafia during Prohibition in the 1920sThe Gathering Storm – American-British biographical television film about Winston Churchill in the years just prior to World War IIGerry – drama film inspired by the events surrounding the death of David Coughlin, who was killed after he and a friend became lost in Rattlesnake Canyon in New MexicoGleason – American-Canadian biographical television film following the life of Jackie Gleason Gotta Kick It Up! – family drama television film based on a true story of a middle school dance teamHarold Shipman: Doctor Death – British crime drama television film about the life and crimes of serial killer Harold ShipmanHason Raja – Bangladeshi biographical drama film about poet and philosopher of Bangladesh Hason Raja Hell on Heels: The Battle of Mary Kay – American-Canadian biographical comedy drama television film based on the true story of a corporate war in the mid-1990s between cosmetics queen Mary Kay Ash and an ambitious newcomer, Jinger Heath, who launches a rival companyHouse of Fools – Russian biographical drama film about psychiatric patients and combatants during the First Chechen WarJean Duceppe – Canadian French-language biographical miniseries telling the story of Jean Duceppe, a Canadian actor, and chronicled his life, in particular his work in theatre and struggle for Quebec independenceJeffrey Archer: The Truth – British comedy drama television film based on the life of Jeffrey Archer Joe and Max – American-German sport drama film based on the true story of the two boxing matches between American Joe Louis and German Max SchmelingJohn XXIII: The Pope of Peace – Italian biographical drama television film based on real life events of Roman Catholic Pope John XXIIIJulius Caesar – American-Italian-Dutch-German historical miniseries dramatizing the life of Julius Caesar from 82 BC to his death in 44 BCThe Junction Boys – sport drama television film about the Junction Boys, the "survivors" of Texas A&M Aggies football coach Bear Bryant's brutal 10-day summer camp in Junction, Texas, beginning September 1, 1954K-19: The Widowmaker – American-British-German-Canadian historical submarine film about the first Soviet ballistic missile nuclear submarine, the K-19Kedma – Cinema of Israel historical film set during the opening stages of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, following the fate of a group of refugees from the Holocaust who are illegally brought to Israel by the PalmachKumamoto Stories – Japanese historical anthology film containing three short films produced between 1998 and 2002 presenting legends about the history of Kumamoto PrefectureLapu-Lapu – Filipino historical drama film based on the 1521 encounter of Lapu-Lapu and other pre-Hispanic Philippine natives with explorer Ferdinand Magellan and his crew, who were serving the Spanish EmpireThe Laramie Project – crime drama film telling the story of the aftermath of the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard in Laramie, WyomingLast Call – American-Canadian biographical drama film about the last months of F. Scott Fitzgerald's lifeThe Legend of Bhagat Singh – Indian Hindi language biographical historical film about Bhagat Singh, a revolutionary who fought for Indian independence along with fellow members of the Hindustan Socialist Republican AssociationThe Life of Aleksis Kivi – Finnish biographical drama film telling the story of Aleksis Kivi, the national writer of FinlandLilya 4-ever – Swedish-Danish crime drama film loosely based on the true case of Danguolė RasalaitėLive from Baghdad – war drama television film about CNN producer Robert Wiener's experiences before the Persian Gulf War, which lasted from August 1990 to February 1991Madame Satã – Brazilian-French biographical drama film telling the story of Madame SatãThe Magdalene Sisters – British-Irish biographical drama film about three teenage girls who were sent to Magdalene asylums, homes for women who were labelled as "fallen" by their families or societyThe Man Who Saved Christmas – family biographical drama film based on the true story about the efforts of toymaker Alfred Carlton Gilbert of the A. C. Gilbert Company to continue making toys during World War IMartin and Lewis – biographical television film exploring the lives of the comedy team of Martin and LewisMaster Spy: The Robert Hanssen Story – American-Canadian biographical television film based on the story of Robert Hanssen, who was charged with and convicted of selling American secrets to the Soviet UnionThe Matthew Shepard Story – American-Canadian biographical crime television film based on the true story of Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old gay youth who was murdered in 1998Monday Night Mayhem – drama television film about the origin of ABC's television series Monday Night FootballMondays in the Sun – Spanish-French-Italian drama film depicting the degrading effects of unemployment on a group of men left jobless by the closure of the shipyards in Vigo, GaliciaThe Mothman Prophecies – supernatural horror film claiming to be based on actual events that occurred between November 1966 and December 1967 in Point PleasantMuhammad: The Last Prophet – American-Egyptian-Lebanese animated religious epic focusing on the early days of Islam and MuhammadMurder in Greenwich – crime television film telling the story of Martha Moxley, a 15-year-old girl who was murdered in Greenwich, Connecticut in the 1970sNapoléon – French-Canadian historical miniseries exploring the life of Napoleon BonaparteNightstalker – crime horror film about American serial killer, serial rapist, and burglar Richard Ramirez Our America – drama television film depicting the true story of two African-American teen radio reporters and their documentary investigation of a notorious child murderPaid in Full – crime drama film based on the 1980s Harlem drug dealers Azie "AZ" Faison, Rich Porter, and Alpo MartinezPath to War – biographical television film dealing directly with the Vietnam War as seen through the eyes of United States President Lyndon B. Johnson and his cabinet membersThe Pennsylvania Miners' Story – biographical drama television film based on the real events occurred at the Quecreek Mine[Perlasca – Un eroe Italiano|Perlasca, an Cinema of Italy|Italian Hero] – Italian biographical drama film about Giorgio Perlasca, an Italian businessman working in Hungary for his governmentThe Pianist – biographical war drama film about the life of Polish-Jewish pianist and composer Władysław Szpilman, a Holocaust survivorPoint of Origin – biographical crime television film detailing an account of the true story of the convicted serial arsonist John Leonard OrrRabbit-Proof Fence – Australian drama film loosely based on a true story concerning Doris Pilkington Garimara's mother Molly Craig, as well as two other Aboriginal girls, Daisy Kadibil and Gracie, who escaped from the Moore River Native Settlement, north of Perth, Western Australia, to return to their Aboriginal families, after being placed there in 1931 RFK – historical drama television film taking place through the eyes of Robert F. Kennedy after his brother John F. Kennedy's assassination in 1963The Road from Coorain – biographical drama television film based on Australian writer Jill Ker Conway's celebrated autobiography about a heroic and ambitious woman's struggle for independence, and her complex relationship with her motherThe Rookie – sport drama film based on the true story of Jim Morris who debuted in Major League Baseball at age 35 The Rosa Parks Story – biographical drama television film about Rosa Parks and the Montgomery bus boycott in 1955 Safe Conduct – French historical drama film based on the memories of the veteran French director Jean Devaivre, active in the film industry and the resistance during the Second World WarSavage Messiah – Canadian thriller drama film dramatizing the real-life story of Roch "Moïse" Thériault, a cult leader who was arrested in Burnt River, Ontario, in 1989Shackleton – British historical drama film telling the true story of Shackleton's 1914 Antarctic expedition on the ship EnduranceShaheed-E-Azam – Indian Hindi-language biographical film based upon the life of Shaheed Bhagat SinghSightings: Heartland Ghost – drama television film based on the TV series Sightings and inspired by true eventsSilent Night – Canadian war drama television film set on Christmas Eve in 1944, during the Battle of the Bulge of World War II, loosely based on true eventsSins of the Father – crime drama television film based on an article by Pamela Colloff published in the April 2000 issue of Texas Monthly, chronicling the 1963 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama, in which four young African-American girls were killed while attending Sunday schoolSong of the Miraculous Hind – Hungarian animated historical film telling the story of the Hungarian people, from the creation of the first humans to the time of Prince Géza, when the nation was ChristianizedThe Soul Keeper – Italian-French-British romantic drama film loosely based on real life events of Russian psychoanalyst and physician Sabina Spielrein and notably on her therapeutic and sentimental relationship with fellow psychoanalyst Carl Gustav JungSt. Francis – Italian drama television film based on real life events of Roman Catholic Friar and then Saint Francis of AssisiThe Star – Russian historical war film about a group of Soviet scouts working behind enemy lines during Operation Bagration in World War IISunday – British biographical drama television film dramatising the events of "Bloody Sunday" through the eyes of the families of the dead and injured, specifically those of Leo Young, older brother of John Young, who was killed on the dayTagged: The Jonathan Wamback Story – Canadian drama television film based on a true story about Jonathan Wamback who, in 1999, was beaten by a group of teenagers and left to die near his Newmarket homeTed Bundy – American-British biographical crime thriller film dramatizing the crimes of Ted Bundy, an American serial killer who raped and murdered dozens of women and girls throughout the United States during the 1970sTorso: The Evelyn Dick Story – Canadian crime thriller television film based on the 1946–47 murder trial of Evelyn Dick that remains a lurid murder case in Canadian historyTrudeau – Canadian biographical drama miniseries dramatizing the life of former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Elliott TrudeauTwo Men Went to War – British war comedy drama film based on a true World War II story, from Raymond Foxall's book Amateur Commandos which describes the adventures of two army dental corps soldiers who sneak off on their own personal invasion of FranceVampire Clan – horror drama film based on the horrific true story of the 1996 "Vampire Killings" in Florida Video Voyeur – drama television film based on the real-life story of Susan Wilson, a Louisiana woman, who was videotaped in her own home by a neighborWarning: Parental Advisory – drama television film based on the formation of the Parents Music Resource Center and its impact on music during 1985We Were Soldiers – American-German-French war film dramatizing the Battle of Ia Drang on November 14, 1965When the Last Sword Is Drawn – Japanese historical drama film telling the story of two Shinsengumi samurai, loosely based on real historical eventsWhitewash: The Clarence Brandley Story – biographical drama television film telling the true story of Clarence Brandley, who was wrongly convicted for the rape and murder of Cheryl Dee Fergeson in 1981Windtalkers – war drama film based on the real story of Navajo code talkers during World War II Yossi & Jagger – Israeli romantic drama film about soldiers at the Israel–Lebanon border who try to find some peace and solace from the daily routine of war