Independent Lens

Indie Films Series / 8 Seasons

Authentic stories. Extraordinary people.

52m 3s / TV-PG

The Undocumented: Forensics Cannot Explain Why Mother and Da

1m 45s / TV-PG

In this excerpt from the Independent Lens documentary, The Undocumented by acclaimed filmmaker Marco Williams, a forensics expert examines the remains of a mother and her young daughter, explaining that both perished in the desert while migrating to the U.S. However, no one knows why they were left along in the desert, or which of them died first.

An Organization Reunites Undocumented Dead with Families

2m 27s / TV-PG

In this excerpt from the Independent Lens documentary, The Undocumented by acclaimed filmmaker Marco Williams, a staff member of the Coalicion de Derechos Humanos describes how the organization keeps records of missing migrants and their recovered bodies. They try to notify the family members of the deceased so that they may be identified, but each year more and more bodies are found.

The Undocumented: A Family Endures the Tragic Side of the Im

3m 15s / TV-PG

In this excerpt from the Independent Lens documentary, The Undocumented by acclaimed filmmaker Marco Williams, a young man describes how his grandmother -- a woman named Blanca -- died while accompanying him during his border crossing. Confronting their grief over this terrible loss, her son says "without a doubt, these are very hard times."

Coming to Independent Lens: The Undocumented

30s / TV-PG

Border Patrol agents, Native Americans, smugglers, ranchers, retirees and Samaritans form a constellation of people engaged with the Arizona/Mexico border on a daily basis—policing it, inhabiting it, crossing it, working it, making it safer or simply feeling its consequences. But at the center of it all is the migrants, who sometimes die while trying to cross an unforgiving desert.

Coming to Independent Lens: The Island President

2m 27s / TV-PG

See the story of President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives, a man confronting a problem greater than any other world leader has ever faced - the literal survival of his country and everyone in it, as the most low-lying country in the world, a minor rise in sea level would submerge the 1200 islands of the Maldives.

The Island President: Democracy in Maldives

16m 14s

This educational module chronicles the democratic movement in the Maldives and the human rights violations for which its longstanding autocratic regime was responsible. This lesson explores the basic premise of human rights, the history of human rights abuse and its consequences, human rights in the contemporary media, and the application of human rights issues to modern American life.

The Island President: Underwater Meeting

1m 29s

The Maldivian fight for its survival in the face of a rising sea level is a profound microcosm of the global situation. This educational module portrays President Nasheed's creative media strategy of staging an underwater cabinet meeting to draw attention to the crisis.

The Island President: Climate Politics

2m 54s

The Maldivian fight for its survival in the face of a rising sea level is a profound microcosm of the global situation. This educational module examines the factors behind global climate change, its detrimental ecological and cultural effects, and the means by which it can be mitigated, on both local and international levels.

The Island President: Mohamed Nasheed Confronts Climate Chan

1m 18s / TV-PG

In this excerpt from the Independent Lens documentary, The Island President, we see then President Mohamed Nasheed visit one of the islands of the Maldives to see the effects of the rising sea level along one of its beaches.

Wonder Women! The Untold Story of American Superheroines: Me

2m 2s / TV-PG

In this excerpt from the Independent Lens documentary, Wonder Women! The Untold Story of American Superheroines, we meet working mom, Carmela Lane, and hear why she identifies so strongly with her favorite superheroine...so much so that she has not one, but two Wonder Woman tattoos!

Gloria Steinem on Wonder Woman

45s

Iconic activist, Gloria Steinem, is featured in the upcoming Independent Lens film, Wonder Women! The Untold Story of American Superheroines, which traces the evolution and legacy of Wonder Woman. In this short interview Gloria Steinem reminisces on her own childhood and remembers her favorite Superheroine, Wonder Women.

Coming Soon to Independent Lens: Wonder Women!

30s / TV-PG

Wonder Women! The Untold Story of American Superheroines traces the fascinating evolution and legacy of Wonder Woman. From the birth of the comic book superheroine in the 1940s to the blockbusters of today, popular representations of powerful women often reflect society’s anxieties about women’s liberation.

The House I Live In: Does the War on Drugs Target Minorities

1m 8s / TV-PG

In this excerpt from the Independent Lens documentary, The House I Live In, filmmaker Eugene Jarecki observes that while documenting the steps that so many Americans take through the world of the Drug War, he couldn't help but notice that at every stage, Black Americans were disproportionately represented.

The House I Live In: Theme Song Sung by John Legend

3m 19s / TV-PG

In this music video for the Independent Lens documentary, The House I Live In, a montage of scenes of prison life and facts about the impact of the War on Drugs are set against a song by John Legend.

The House I Live In: Framing Drugs in Moral Terms May Miss t

2m 8s / TV-PG

In this video extra for the Independent Lens documentary, The House I Live In, David Simon, the creator of The Wire, and journalist Charles Bowden describe how the War on Drugs frames drug abuse mainly in moral terms, while ignoring the issue of economic inequality which may actually be the root of the problem.

The House I Live In: The Wire's David Simon on the Downside

3m 22s / TV-PG

In this excerpt from the Independent Lens documentary, The House I Live In, David Simon, the creator of The Wire, describes how the strategies behind the War on Drugs have actually destroyed law enforcement's power of deterrance and increased cynicism among enforcement agents and citizens alike.

The House I Live In Takes a Hard Look at The War on Drugs

2m 17s / TV-PG

From director Eugene Jarecki (Why We Fight) comes an unflinching look at how the War on Drugs has disproportionately disenfranchised, incarcerated, and impoverished African Americans.

The House I Live In: Do Limited Options Make Drugs Seem Like

1m 29s / TV-PG

In this excerpt from the Independent Lens documentary, The House I Live In, David Simon, the creator of The Wire, and other experts on the War on Drugs describe how drugs may offer the only opportunities for those living in communities with extremely limited economic opportunities.

The House I Live In: A Law and Order Man Shares His Doubts a

1m 30s / TV-PG

In this excerpt from the Independent Lens documentary, The House I Live In, prison guard Mike Carpenter speaks candidly about how the severity of America's drug laws may actually be making it harder for law enforcement to tackle the problem effectively.

Shayfeen.com: Digital Activism

7m 21s

This educational module from the Women's Empowerment Curriculum analyzes how digital media tools work in less developed nations or areas where media access is limited. Evaluate the savvy, resources, skills and support needed to develop effective media outreach.

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