List of 2007 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.
2007
13 Roses – Spanish–Italian historical drama film following the tragic fate of Las Trece Rosas, fighting for their ideals in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War26 Years Diary – Japanese-South Korean biographical drama film telling the story of Lee Su-hyon's life and death 1612 – Russian epic historical drama film about the 17th century Time of Troubles and the Polish–Muscovite War with the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth1944: The Final Defence – Finnish war drama film based on the Battle of Tali–Ihantala during the Continuation WarA Life Interrupted – biographical crime television film depicting events in the life of sexual assault victim Debbie Smith, which led to the passage of the Debbie Smith ActA Mighty Heart – biographical drama film based on the 2003 memoir of the same name by Mariane Pearl, covering the 2002 kidnapping and murder by terrorists in Pakistan of her late husband Daniel Pearl, an American journalist with The Wall Street JournalAlexandra – Russian war drama film about the Second Chechen WarAmerican Gangster – biographical crime film loosely based on the criminal career of Frank Lucas, a gangster from La Grange, North Carolina who smuggled heroin into the United States on American service planes returning from the Vietnam War, before being detained by a task force led by Newark Detective Richie RobertsAmerican Pastime – war drama film depicting life inside the Topaz War Relocation Center, a Utah prison camp which held thousands of people during the Japanese Americans during World War II An American Crime – crime horror drama film based on the true story of the torture and murder of Sylvia Likens by Indianapolis single mother Gertrude BaniszewskiAnd When Did You Last See Your Father? – British drama film based on the 1993 memoir of the same title by Blake Morrison The Anna Nicole Smith Story – biographical drama film depicting the life of Anna Nicole SmithThe Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford – epic revisionist Western dramatizing the relationship between Jesse James and Robert Ford, focusing on the events that lead up to the titular killingBarefoot Gen – Japanese war drama miniseries loosely based on Keiji Nakazawa's own experiences as a Hiroshima atomic bombing survivorBastard Boys – Australian drama miniseries telling the story of the Australian waterfront disputeBattle for Haditha – British drama film based on the Haditha killingsBattle in Seattle – American-Canadian-German political action thriller film depicting the protest in 1999, as thousands of activists arrive in Seattle, Washington in masses to protest the WTO Ministerial Conference of 1999The Beckoning Silence – British biographical disaster television film following and retracing the 1936 Eiger north face climbing disaster where five climbers perished while attempting to scale the north face of the Eiger mountain in SwitzerlandBecoming Jane – biographical romantic drama film depicting the early life of the British author Jane Austen and her lasting love for Thomas Langlois LefroyThe Black Pimpernel – Swedish biographical drama film about Harald Edelstam, Sweden's ambassador to Chile, who after the military coup of Augusto Pinochet in 1973, managed to save the lives of more than 1,300 people by taking them to his embassy and transporting them to SwedenBlack Water – Australian horror film inspired by the true story of a crocodile attack in Australia's Northern Territory in December 2003The Blue-Eyed Giant – Turkish biographical drama film about the period Nâzım Hikmet spent in Bursa Prison after 1941 The Border – Finnish-Russian war drama film based on Kai Donner and his experiences after the Finnish Civil WarBorderland – American-Mexican horror film loosely based on the true story of Adolfo de Jesús Constanzo, a drug lord and the leader of a religious cult that practiced human sacrificeBordertown – crime drama film inspired by the true story of the numerous female homicides in Ciudad Juárez and tells the story of an inquisitive American reporter sent in by her American newspaper to investigate the murdersBreach – spy thriller film based on the true story of Robert Hanssen, an FBI agent convicted of spying for the Soviet Union and later Russia for more than two decadesThe Bronx Is Burning – sport drama miniseries focusing on baseball's triumph over the turmoil and hysteria of 1977 New York City and how the New York Yankees came to embody the hopes and fears of an unforgettable summer with Billy Martin and Reggie Jackson's warfare under George Steinbrenner's leadershipBury My Heart at Wounded Knee – Western historical drama television film depicting a history of Native Americans in the American West in the 1860s and 1870s, focusing upon the transition from traditional ways of living to living on reservations and their treatment during that periodCalifornia Dreamin' – Romanian comedy war drama film based on the true story of a train containing American radar equipment required in Kosovo that was stopped for four days in a small village on the Bărăgan Plain during the 1999 NATO bombing of the Federal Republic of YugoslaviaCaravaggio – Italian historical miniseries based on real life events of Baroque painter Michelangelo Merisi da CaravaggioCargo 200 – Russian neo-noir thriller film depicting the late Soviet society, set during the culmination of the Soviet–Afghan War in 1984Chapter 27 – Canadian-American biographical drama film depicting the murder of John Lennon by Mark David ChapmanCharlie Wilson's War – biographical comedy drama film based on the story of U.S. Congressman Charlie Wilson and CIA operative Gust Avrakotos, whose efforts led to Operation Cyclone, a program to organize and support the Afghan mujahideen during the Soviet–Afghan WarChicago 10 – animated crime drama film telling the story of the Chicago EightChicago Massacre: Richard Speck – crime horror film based on the crimes of Chicagoan mass murderer Richard SpeckChildhoods – French biographical anthology film depicting formative incidents in the pre-adolescent lives of iconic filmmakers Fritz Lang, Orson Welles, Jacques Tati, Jean Renoir, Alfred Hitchcock and Ingmar Bergman, with each segment structured to resemble its subject's familiar signature style Christopher Columbus – The Enigma – Portuguese historical drama film depicting the true story of a doctor and his wife who went on a journey to prove that discoverer Christopher Columbus was in fact PortugueseColumbus: The Lost Voyage – American-British historical adventure television film depicting a lifelong account of explorer Christopher Columbus and his founding of what is now often referred to as the New WorldThe Company – historical drama miniseries about the activities of the CIA during the Cold WarConsenting Adults – British biographical drama television film portraying the events of the Wolfenden CommitteeControl – British biographical film about the life of Ian Curtis, singer of the late-1970s English post-punk band Joy DivisionCorleone – Italian biographical crime miniseries telling the story of Salvatore Riina, alias Totò u Curtu, a mafioso boss from Corleone, SicilyThe Counterfeiters – Austrian-German war drama film fictionalizing Operation Bernhard, a secret plan by Nazi Germany during World War II to destabilize the United Kingdom by flooding its economy with forged Bank of England pound notesCrazy – biographical musical drama film inspired by the life of Nashville guitarist Hank GarlandCurse of the Zodiac – crime horror film inspired by the true story of the hunt for a notorious serial killer known as "Zodiac" who claimed responsibility for the still unsolved murdersCurtin – Australian biographical television film about John Curtin, the Prime Minister of Australia during the Second World WarDaphne – British biographical drama television film based on the authorised biography, Daphne du Maurier: The Secret Life of the Renowned Storyteller by Margaret Forster about the life of Daphne du Maurier Dark Matter – drama film loosely inspired by the true story of Gang Lu, a former graduate student who killed four faculty members and one student at the University of Iowa in 1991Death Defying Acts – British-Australian historical romance film concerning an episode in the life of Hungarian-American escapologist Harry Houdini at the height of his career in the 1920sDefenders of Riga – Latvian historical war film depicting the Latvian defense of Riga in November 1919 during its War of IndependenceDennis P. – Dutch crime drama film inspired by the true story of Dennis P, who became Holland's biggest diamond thief, when he walked away with the entire 20 million euros stock of an international diamond trader, using a microwave oven as a swagbagDiana: Last Days of a Princess – biographical drama television film depicting an account of the last two months in the life of Diana, Princess of Wales, leading up to her death on 31 August 1997The Diving Bell and the Butterfly – French biographical drama film depicting Jean-Dominique Bauby's life after suffering a massive stroke that left him with a condition known as locked-in syndromeDon't Waste Your Time, Johnny! – Italian biographical comedy drama film loosely based on real life events of musician Fausto Mesolella, a member of Piccola Orchestra Avion TravelEd Gein: The Butcher of Plainfield – crime horror film based on the crimes of Ed Gein, an American murderer who killed at least two women in Plainfield, Wisconsin during the 1950sEichmann – British biographical crime film detailing the interrogation of Adolf EichmannEight Miles High – German biographical drama film depicting the "wild life" of Uschi Obermaier, a West German sex symbol and icon of the eraEl Greco – Greek biographical drama film about the life of the Greek painter of the Spanish Renaissance, Domenicos Theotokopoulos, known worldwide as El GrecoElijah – Canadian comedy drama television film about the life and career of Elijah Harper, the provincial MLA in Manitoba whose stand on First Nations rights brought down the Meech Lake Accord in 1990Elizabeth: The Golden Age – British-French-German-American biographical historical drama film portraying events during the latter part of the reign of Elizabeth I Everest '82 – Canadian survival drama miniseries telling the true story of the first Canadians to climb Mount EverestThe Final Season – sport drama film based on the true story of Kent Stock, who in 1991 took on what he perceives as the job of a lifetime as head coach of the Norway High School Tigers baseball teamFreedom Writers – biographical drama film based on the 1999 book The Freedom Writers Diary by teacher Erin Gruwell and students who compiled the book out of real diary entries about their lives that they wrote in their English class at Woodrow Wilson Classical High School in Long Beach, CaliforniaGandhi, My Father – Indian Hindi language biographical drama film exploring the troubled relationship between Mahatma Gandhi and his son Harilal Gandhi Ganes – Finnish biographical film about Finnish rock band Hurriganes, told from the point of view of drummer/vocalist Remu AaltonenGenghis Khan: To the Ends of the Earth and Sea – Japanese-Mongolian historical drama film depicting the life of Genghis KhanGeorg – Estonian-Finnish-Russian biographical drama film about Estonian singer Georg OtsThe Girl Next Door – thriller horror film inspired by the real-life murder of Sylvia LikensGoodbye Bafana – international co-production drama film about the relationship between Nelson Mandela and James Gregory, his censor officer and prison guardGracie – sport drama film partially based on the childhood experiences of Elisabeth Shue The Gray Man – biographical thriller film based on the actual life and events of American serial killer, rapist and cannibal Albert FishThe Great Debaters – historical drama film following the trials and tribulations of the Wiley College debate team in 1935 TexasGuru – Indian Hindi-language drama film rumored to be a biographical film of the industrial tycoon Dhirubhai Ambani Héroes – Chilean historical anthology miniseries with each episode relating to the history of one of the principal figures of the Chilean history in the 19th century: Bernardo O'Higgins, José Miguel Carrera, Manuel Rodríguez, Diego Portales, José Manuel Balmaceda and Arturo PratHindenburg: The Untold Story – German biographical drama television film about the disaster of the Hindenburg, and the investigation that followedThe Home Song Stories – Australian drama film loosely based on aspects of Tony Ayres lifeHwang Jin Yi – South Korean biographical drama film about the life of Hwang Jin-yi, the most famous courtesan in Korean historyI'm Not There – American-German musical drama film inspired by the life and music of American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, with six actors depicting different facets of Dylan's public personasIn the Valley of Elah – crime drama film portraying a military father's search for his son and, after his body is found, subsequent hunt for his son's killers, based on actual eventsIntimate Enemies – French war drama film following a French platoon during [Algerian War|Algeria's war film|war of independence]Into the Wild – biographical adventure drama film depicting the story of Christopher McCandless, a man who hiked across North America into the Alaskan wilderness in the early 1990sJoanne Lees: Murder in the Outback – British mystery drama film based on the real life disappearance of Peter FalconioJonestown: Paradise Lost – Canadian-French-South African historical drama television film recreating the last week before the mass murder-suicide on November 18, 1978, by Jim JonesJump! – British-Austrian crime drama film loosely based on the real-life Halsman murder caseKalloori – Indian Tamil-language coming-of-age drama film inspired on a real-life incident of three college girls of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University being burnt alive in the 2000 Dharmapuri bus burning incidentKathantara – Indian Odia-language disaster film depicting real life tribulations of the 1999 Odisha cycloneKatyń – Polish historical drama film about the 1940 Katyn massacre The King – Australian biographical drama television film examining the life of Australian entertainer Graham KennedyKing Naresuan: Hongsawadee's Hostage – Thai biographical historical film concerning the childhood of King Naresuan the GreatKing Naresuan II: Reclaiming Sovereignty – Thai biographical historical film concerning the plots to assassinate King Naresuan the Great following the death of BayinnaungThe Kingdom – American-German action thriller film based on the 1996 bombing of the Khobar housing complex, also on the 2004 Khobar massacre and the two 2003 bombings of four compounds in RiyadhKings of South Beach – crime drama television film loosely based on a true story about the exploits of Chris Paciello, a transplanted New York Cityer who was involved with the Mafia back in his hometownLa Vie en Rose – French-Czech-British biographical musical film about the life of French singer Édith PiafThe Lark Farm – Italian historical film about the Armenian genocideThe Last Legion – international co-production historical action film loosely inspired by the events of 5th-century European history, notably the collapse of the Western Roman EmpireThe Last Ottoman – Turkish biographical action film inspired by the landing of Mustafa Kemal at SamsunThe Life of Buddha – Thai animated religious drama film about the life of Gautama BuddhaLife Support – drama television film loosely based on the real-life story of Ana Wallace, an HIV-positive woman Long Road to Heaven – Indonesian biographical drama film about the 2002 Bali bombingsLost Holiday – survival drama television film telling the true story of Jim and Suzanne Shemwell who become trapped in a blizzard while on vacationLucky Miles – Australian drama film based on several true stories involving people entering Western Australia by boat to seek asylumLust, Caution – Chinese spy mystery film based on the historical event of Chinese spy Zheng Pingru's failed attempt to assassinate the Japanese collaborator Ding MocunThe Man of Glass – Italian crime drama film based on real life events of the first Sicilian Mafia's "pentito", Leonardo VitaleMaradona, the Hand of God – Argentine-Italian biographical drama film based on real life events of footballer Diego MaradonaMarch of Millions – German war drama miniseries portraying German war-time suffering during the evacuation of East PrussiaThe Mark of Cain – British war drama television film following three young men as they experience the extremity of war for the first time, based on real life testimonies by soldiers who have served in IraqMartian Child – comedy drama film based on the author's own experiences as a single adoptive parent, with most of the key moments drawn from actual eventsMatters of Life and Dating – romantic comedy television film about Linda Dackman, who struggles to re-enter the dating world after being diagnosed with breast cancer and undergoing a mastectomy and breast reconstructionMaxwell – British biographical drama television film about the last days of media magnate Robert MaxwellMay 18 – South Korean historical drama film based on the Gwangju massacre on May 18, 1980The Messiah – Iranian religious drama film depicting the life of Jesus from an Islamic perspective, based not only on the canonical gospels, but also the Qur'an, and, it would seem, the Gospel of BarnabasMiss Austen Regrets – British-American biographical drama television film about the later years of the life of Jane AustenMiss Marie Lloyd – British biographical drama television film tracing the turbulent and unconventional life of Edwardian music hall star Marie LloydMission 90 Days – Indian Malayalam-language crime thriller film based on the assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and the following investigationMolière – French historical drama film about the life and works of playwright, actor and poet MolièreMongol – Mongolian-Kazakh-Russian historical epic film about the early life of Temüjin, who later came to be known as Genghis KhanThe Mud Boy – Spanish-Argentine thriller drama film the story of the Petiso Orejudo serial killerThe Murder of Princess Diana – biographical drama television film depicting a fictionalized account of the events leading up to the tragic car accident that claimed the lives of Princess Diana, her companion Dodi Fayed and their chauffeur in a Paris tunnelMusic Within – biographical historical drama film following the life of Richard Pimentel, a respected public speaker whose hearing disability attained in the Vietnam War drove him to become an activist for the Americans with Disabilities Act, a respected public speaker whose hearing disability attained in the Vietnam War drove him to become an activist for the Americans with Disabilities ActMy Boy Jack – British biographical television film telling the story of Rudyard Kipling and his grief for his son, John, who died in the First World WarMy Father – South Korean drama film based on a true story about an adopted son who is searching for his biological parents in South KoreaMy Opposition: The Diaries of Friedrich Kellner – Canadian biographical war film based on news stories in Germany and America about the Friedrich Kellner diaryMy Winnipeg – Canadian historical drama film depicting a portrait of film-maker Guy Maddin's home town of Winnipeg, Manitoba Namibia: The Struggle for Liberation – American-Namibian epic biographical film about the Namibian independence struggle against South African occupation as seen through the life of Sam Nujoma, the leader of the South West Africa People's Organisation and the first president of the Republic of NamibiaNanking – Chinese historical war film about the Nanjing massacre, committed in 1937 by the Japanese army in the former capital city Nanjing, ChinaNightwatching – British-Polish-Canadian-Dutch historical drama film about the artist Rembrandt and the creation of his 1642 painting The Night WatchNuclear Secrets – British biographical drama miniseries which looks at the race for nuclear supremacy from the Manhattan Project through to Pakistan's nuclear weapons programmeOperation Silver A – Czech drama film based on the military operation of the same nameParzania – Indian drama film inspired by the true story of a ten-year-old Parsi boy, Azhar Mody who disappeared after the 28 February 2002 Gulbarg Society massacre during which 69 people were killed and which was one of many events in the communal riots in Gujarat in 2002Periyar – Indian Tamil-language biographical film about the life of the social reformer and rationalist Periyar E. V. RamasamyPersepolis – international co-production animated biographical drama film depicting Marjane Satrapi's experiences growing up during the Iranian RevolutionPiano, solo – Italian biographical drama film depicting real life events of jazz pianist and composer Luca FloresThe Pirate: Marco Pantani – Italian biographical drama television film depicting real life events of road racing cyclist Marco PantaniThe Pope's Toilet – Uruguayan comedy drama film inspired by a real-life 1988 tour of South America, including a stop in Melo, by the well-traveled Pope John Paul IIPride – biographical sport drama film loosely based upon the true story of Philadelphia swim coach James "Jim" Ellis Primeval – action adventure horror film inspired by the true story of Gustave, a, giant, man-eating Nile Crocodile in BurundiProtecting the King – biographical drama film telling the story of David Stanley, the stepbrother and bodyguard of ElvisPVC-1 – Colombian drama film inspired by a true story about a pipe bomb improvised explosive device that was placed around the neck of an extortion victimRedacted – war drama film loosely based on the 2006 Mahmudiyah killings in Mahmoudiyah, Iraq, when U.S. Army soldiers raped an Iraqi girl and murdered her along with her familyResurrecting the Champ – sport drama film inspired by a Los Angeles Times Magazine article entitled "Resurrecting the Champ" by J. R. Moehringer, centering on a fictionalized former athlete, living on the streets of Denver, who attempts to impersonate the life and career of former professional heavyweight boxer Bob SatterfieldRise of the Footsoldier – British action biographical film following the rise of Carlton Leach from a football hooligan to becoming a member of a notorious gang of criminals who rampaged their way through Essex in the late eighties and early ninetiesRoad to Dawn – Chinese historical drama film depicting an obscure episode in Sun Yat-sen's revolutionary life, when he sought refuge in Penang from July to December 1910Rogue – Australian horror film inspired by the true story of Sweetheart, a giant male saltwater crocodile that attacked boats in the late 1970sRomulus, My Father – Australian biographical drama film based on the memoir by Raimond Gaita, outlining the life of his father, Romulus GaiţăRuffian – biographical sport drama television film telling the story of the U.S. Racing Hall of Fame Champion Thoroughbred filly Ruffian who went undefeated until her death after breaking down in a nationally televised match race at Belmont Park on July 6, 1975, against the Kentucky Derby winner, Foolish PleasureSatham Podathey – Indian Tamil-language psychological thriller film based on a true story of an unhappy couple gone wrongSavage Grace – French-Spanish-American drama film based on the highly dysfunctional relationship between heiress and socialite Barbara Daly Baekeland and her son, AntonySay It in Russian – American-French drama film about an American businessman who hooks up with a young Russian girl who turns out to be the daughter of a rich Russian mafia oligarch – allegedly based on a true storySeptember Dawn – Canadian-American historical Western film depicting an interpretation of the 1857 Mountain Meadows massacreSevered Ways – adventure drama film inspired by the story of Thorfinn Karlsefni, an Icelandic explorer who followed Leif Ericson to Vinland hoping to establish a colony at the beginning of the 11th centuryShadows in the Palace – South Korean historical drama film depicting a fictionalized account of gungnyeo, court maids during South Korea's Joseon eraShake Hands with the Devil – Canadian war drama film recounting Roméo Dallaire's harrowing personal journey during the 1994 Rwandan genocide and how the United Nations didn't heed Dallaire's urgent pleas for further assistance to halt the massacreShoot on Sight – British crime thriller film based on Operation Kratos, the police "shoot-to-kill" policy applied to suspected suicide-bombers after the 7 July 2005 London bombingsShootout at Lokhandwala – Indian Hindi-language action thriller film based on the 1991 Lokhandwala Complex shootout, a real-life gun battle between gangsters and the Mumbai PoliceSinking of the Lusitania: Terror at Sea – British-German biographical drama film depicting a dramatization of the sinking of the RMS Lusitania on 7 May 1915 by a German U-boat, Sinners – crime drama film about three young men who, following the word of God as they know it, set off to avenge their sins, and plummet into a world of robbery, thievery, seduction and murder – based on a true storyThe Sovereign's Servant – Russian historical swashbuckler war film depicting the events of the Great Northern War, with a particular focus on the Battle of PoltavaSt. Giuseppe Moscati: Doctor to the Poor – Italian biographical drama television film based on real life events of doctor and then Roman Catholic Saint Giuseppe MoscatiThe Staircase Murders – crime thriller television film telling the story of Michael Peterson who was convicted in 2003 of killing his wife by beating her over the headStuck – Canadian-American-British black comedy thriller film inspired by the true story of the murder of Gregory Glenn BiggsSybil – biographical drama television film depicting the fictionalized story of Shirley Ardell Mason, who was diagnosed with multiple personality disorder Talk to Me – biographical drama film about Washington, D.C. radio personality Ralph "Petey" Greene, an ex-con who became a popular talk show host and community activist, and Dewey Hughes, his friend and managerThe Ten Commandments – American-Canadian animated Christian epic film following the story of MosesTheresa: The Body of Christ – Spanish biographical drama film based on the life of Spain's feminist mystic Saint TeresaTrainwreck: My Life as an Idiot – comedy drama film based on the life of Jeff Nichols as set out in his autobiographical book The Little Yellow Bus United Red Army – Japanese crime drama film outlining Japanese student movements in the 60s, then showing the formation of the Japanese United Red Army, a communist armed resistance groupVáclav – Czech biographical drama film based on a true story that took place during Václav Havel's vast amnesty in early 90sVoice of a Murderer – South Korean crime thriller film depicting a fictionalized account of the real-life kidnapping case of 9-year-old Lee Hyung-ho in 1991What We Do Is Secret – biographical drama film about Darby Crash, singer of the late-1970s Los Angeles punk rock band the GermsThe Worst Journey in the World – British biographical drama television film based on the 1922 memoir by Apsley Cherry-Garrard of Robert Falcon Scott's Terra Nova expedition to the South Pole in 1910–1913Wounded – Indian Hindi-language biographical film based on the true story of Seema PariharZodiac – neo-noir mystery thriller film telling the story of the manhunt for the Zodiac Killer, a serial murderer who terrorized the San Francisco Bay Area during the late 1960s and early 1970s, taunting police with letters, bloodstained clothing, and ciphers mailed to newspapers