List of films about philosophers

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.

Feature documentary films about real philosophers:

• Der Zauberer von Meßkirch (1989) – a documentary about Martin Heidegger
• Derrida (2002) – A documentary about Jacques Derrida
• The Ister (2004) – a documentary about Martin Heidegger
• Zizek! (2005) – A film following a speaking tour by Slavoj Žižek
• 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
• Being in the World (2010) – a documentary about Martin Heidegger
• Badiou (2018) – a film on the life of Alain Badiou

Films where one or more philosophers 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.