Bhutto: Power From the People
In a recorded interview, Benazir Bhutto described how speaking publicly to her constituents gave her the strength to fight for the truth and to face her opponents.
From Pampered Princess to Polarizing Politician
As the first Muslim woman elected to lead an Islamic nation, former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's life story unfolds like a tale of Shakespearean dimensions. She evolved from a pampered princess to a polarizing politician in one of the most dangerous countries on Earth.
Bhutto: Making the Ultimate Sacrifice for Democracy
In 2007, with Pakistan roiling in turmoil and under the thumb of yet another military dictator, Benazir was called back as the country's best hope for democracy. The very night of her triumphant return, a double-suicide bombing assassination attempt killed 170 of her supporters.
A Film Unfinished: Secrets From the Cutting Room Floor
Archivist Adrian Wood describes finding the outtakes from an infamous work of Nazi propaganda that clearly demonstrate the care the filmmakers took to create a false picture of life in the Warsaw Ghetto that would reinforce the official stereotypes and myths used to justify the brutal ethnic cleansing campaign against the Jewish people in Europe.
A Mystery Unravels from a Reel of Film
This haunting film about a film examines a classic Nazi propaganda film used by historians for decades to provide insight into the realities of life in the Warsaw Ghetto in 1942. The recent discovery of a second reel in an East German archive has thrown the veracity and intent of the Ghetto footage into question.
A Film Unfinished: Scenes from the Warsaw Ghetto Staged to I
A survivor recounts his participation in a staged scene from an infamous work of Nazi propaganda -- "The Ghetto" -- that depicts rabbis and petitioners visiting a bureau where their grievances are cordially heard amidst a number of dubiously placed props -- including a large, lit menorah -- put there by the filmmakers who believed it would lend authenticity to the scene.
A Film Unfinished: Finding a Work of Nazi Propaganda
A decade after World War II, East German archivists began to sort through what remained of Hitler's propaganda machine. Thousands of films were discovered in the exact location in which they had been stashed, including a lone copy of a film with no soundtrack or credits entitled "The Ghetto."
Marwencol: Two Thumbs Up From the Star of the Show!
Mark Hogancamp reflects on the finished film with filmmaker Jeff Malmberg, but shares his most glowing review for a surprise caller.
Marwencol: The Golden Rule
In the lore of Marwencol -- the miniature World War II-era town built by Mark Hogancamp -- American and German soldiers converged simultaneously -- not to fight, but to "be friendly with each other" in this imaginary refuge from the kind of conflict that forever impacted Hogancamp's reality.
Marwencol: Action and Adventure! Romance and Redemption!
After being beaten into a coma, Mark Hogancamp is left brain damaged and traumatized. He devises his own brand of therapy by constructing a 1/16th-scale World War II-era town in his backyard, and weaving complex storylines around his doll characters. Through Marwencol, Mark embarks on a long journey back into the real world, both physically and emotionally.
Marwencol: Was I a Bad Guy...Was I Mean?
After nine days in a coma and 40 days in the hospital, Mark was discharged with little memory of his previous life. He began to ask others what kind of a person he was, in order to rebuild a sense of who he was before his beating.
Marwencol: Imagination Unlimited...But Only 27 Barbies
Alter-egos and fantasies abound in the tiny (literally) town of Marwencol, where Mark's customized doppelgangers play out whatever he and his friends can dream up.
Waste Land: Lucy Walker's Fascination with Garbage
Waste Land Director Lucy Walker discusses her fascination with garbage and explains how she partnered with Brazilain artist Vik Muniz to make the film. The Oscar-nominated documentary is coming to Independent Lens on April 19 at 10pm (check local listings).
Waste Land: Artistically Inspired, Afraid to Turn Back
For catador Valeria, collaborating with Vik Muniz and her community on artworks made from recycled materials has been a bittersweet experience, since she's now reluctant to return to being a garbage picker, the life she knows best.
Waste Land: Discussion with Director Lucy Walker
Director Lucy Walker discusses her Oscar-nominated documentary Waste Land, which is coming to Independent Lens on April 19 at 10pm (check local listings). The film follows Brazilian artist Vik Muniz as he creates portraits of people using found materials from the places where they live and work.
Waste Land: A Scavenger Since the Age of Seven
Suelem has worked as a catador ("garbage picker") since she was 7 years old and describes it as an honest living, preferable to other alternatives available to the poor living in Rio de Janeiro.
Waste Land: Finding Art in the Dump
Artist Vik Muniz photographs Tiao -- one of the catadores ("garbage pickers") in the world's largest garbage dump in Brazil -- in a pose reminiscent of David's painting "The Death of Marat."
Oscar-Nominated Waste Land Premiering on PBS
Waste Land, one of this year's Oscar-nominated documentaries, is coming to Independent Lens on April 19 at 10pm (check local listings). Brazilian artist Vik Muniz creates portraits of people using found materials from the places where they live and work. We meet Muniz as he embarks on his next project, inspired by the trash pickers at the largest landfill on earth.
The Wunderkind of the Lower East Side
In his short career, Jean-Michel Basquiat was a wunderkind and a phenomenon. Discovered through his graffiti art in the late 1970s on the Lower East Side, he sold his first painting to Deborah Harry for $200, and later became best friends with Andy Warhol. Director Tamra Davis pays homage to her friend in a definitive documentary.
Jean-Michele Basquait: Who was SAMO?
In the late 1970s, graffiti tags by SAMO -- the moniker shared by Jean-Michel Basquiat and friend Al Diaz -- became ubiquitous on New York's Lower East Side. Discovered through his graffiti art in the late 1970s on the Lower East Side, he sold his first painting to Deborah Harry for $200, and later became best friends with Andy Warhol.
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