Bilal Qureshi

French director Jacques Audiard won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival for his story of a Tamil Tiger who gives up the fight to try and find a better life in France.

As an art student, Shahzia Sikander used her region's miniature painting tradition to tell the story of a modern Pakistani woman. Now her work has moved beyond the page into animation and video.

With its flashy swagger and quotable one-liners, Empire, the Fox series about a black music label, has become a cultural phenomenon. A watch party in D.C., had just as much.

Abderrahmane Sissako's film was inspired by the seizure of the Malian city by Islamist fighters in 2012. It has won international accolades with its lyrical beauty and critique of religious extremism.

The new Russian film Leviathan chronicles one man's struggle against a greedy mayor confiscating his property, providing an epic and timely portrait of Russian society.

Bolivar liberated six countries from Spanish rule in the early 19th century. A new film about his life features epic battles, rousing speeches and stunning landscapes in the spirit of Braveheart.

The transition from one part of the world to another is filled with anticipation, conflict and drama. These trips can herald life-changing transformations for families seeking out better lives.

Ayad Akhtar plumbs his past to grapple with what it means to be Muslim in America. While some accuse him of airing dirty laundry, Akhtar uses such questions not just for rupture but also for renewal.

The Immigrant and Zinda Bhaag are idea-driven films that delve into the global arc of migration from different corners of the world.

Kasem hosted one of the country's most popular countdown shows for four decades. This piece originally aired on Weekend Edition on June 15, 2014.