Independent Lens

Indie Films Series / 7 Seasons

Authentic stories. Extraordinary people.

1h 16m / TV-PG

Tell Them We Are Rising - Trailer

30s

The rich history of America’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) began before the end of slavery, flourished in the 20th century, and profoundly influenced the course of the nation for over 150 years — yet remains largely unknown. With Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities, the story of the rise, influence, and evolution of HBCUs comes to life.

Winnie - Losing Her Identity as "Mandela's Wife" - Clip

3m 23s

In this selection from the Independent Lens film Winnie, Nelson Mandela returns from a long prison sentence but fails to credit his activist-wife Winnie for her role in keeping the fight against apartheid going while he was imprisoned. Winnie says she then lost her identity--once again "Mandela's wife." We also see their trip to NYC threatened when US declares her an "International Terrorist."

Winnie - Trailer

30s

One of the more misunderstood and intriguing contemporary female political figures, Winnie Mandela's rise and seeming fall from grace bear the hallmarks of epic tragedy. Winnie explores her life and contribution to the struggle to bring down apartheid in South Africa from the inside, with intimate insight from Winnie herself, those closest to her and enemies who sought to extinguish her activism.

I Am Another You - A Kind of Freedom, with Strangers - Clip

3m 2s

In this excerpt from the Independent Lens film I Am Another You, filmmaker Nanfu Wang and Dylan, a homeless drifter she's only recently met, ride with a new friend who generously takes them into his home and out to dinner. There Nanfu chats with a woman from her native China about the film she is making and reveals her family back home doesn't know she's living on the streets with a stranger.

I Am Another You - Trailer

30s

When traveling in Florida, Chinese filmmaker Nanfu Wang encountered Dylan, a charismatic young drifter who left a comfortable home and loving family for a life of intentional homelessness. Fascinated by his choice and rejection of society's rules, Nanfu follows Dylan on a journey that takes her across America and explores the meaning and limits of freedom.

The Force - "Neutralize the Threat" - Clip

2m 57s

In this excerpt from the Sundance Award-winning Independent Lens film The Force, Oakland (CA) police cadets watch a controversial, real video of a police officer who shot a suspect multiple times, and then afterwards the cadets have an intense discussion about what is the appropriate use of force, or "neutralizing a threat," in a situation like that. The conversation gets heated.

The Force - Trailer

30s

At a powder keg moment in American policing, The Force presents a fly-on-the-wall look deep inside the long-troubled Oakland Police Department as it struggles to confront federal demands for reform, a popular uprising following events in Ferguson, Missouri, and an explosive sex scandal.

I Am Not Your Negro - Trailer

30s

The Oscar-nominated I Am Not Your Negro envisions the book James Baldwin never finished, a radical narration about race in America, using the writer’s original words, as read by actor Samuel L. Jackson. The film draws upon Baldwin’s notes on the lives and assassinations of Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and MLK to explore and bring a fresh and radical perspective to examine race in America.

I Am Not Your Negro - "The Future of the Negro" - Clip

1m 58s

In this excerpt from the Independent Lens film I Am Not Your Negro, writer James Baldwin speaks on 1963's “The Negro and The American Promise” about the "the future of the Negro in this country," which is "precisely as bright or as dark as the future of the country." The central question he asks is aimed at American white people, asking them to address why they created the idea of "the nigger."

Unrest - Seeking Relief from M.E./Chronic Fatigue - Clip

2m 52s

In this clip from Independent Lens film Unrest, filmmaker Jennifer Brea, who suffers from M.E., commonly known as chronic fatigue syndrome, goes from hopeful to hopeless, after seemingly finding a cure to her debilitating illness. With husband Omar by her side, Jen is able to leave home for the first time in ages, including attending a parade, before the symptoms return with a vengeance.

Unrest - Trailer

30s

Jennifer Brea was a Harvard PhD student soon to be engaged when she was struck down by a mysterious fever that left her bedridden. When doctors told her it was "all in her head," her response was to film other sufferers from her bed, gradually deploying crews globally to document patients that medicine forgot. Unrest gives voice to the millions suffering from M.E. or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin - Trailer

30s

The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin examines the life and work of one of the world's most beloved storytellers, following his evolution from a conservative son of the Old South into a gay rights pioneer whose Tales of the City books have inspired millions to claim their own truth. The film includes Neil Gaiman, Laura Linney, Olympia Dukakis, Sir Ian McKellen, Amy Tan, and Maupin himself.

Supergirl - 80-Pound Recordbreaking Powerlifter - Clip

2m 15s

Go, go Supergirl! In this clip from the Independent Lens film Supergirl, we see how Naomi Kutin -- starting at age 8 -- surprised her parents with her ability to powerlift, despite her tiny 80-pound frame. At first people thought, "oh she's just some kid," but then she started breaking American records, beating women in their 30s and 40s, and was off to the races.

Supergirl

30s

Naomi Kutin seems a typical Orthodox Jewish preteen from New Jersey, until her extraordinary talent — breaking world powerlifting records — turns her into an international phenomenon and transforms her family. Supergirl follows Naomi as she fights to hold on to her title while navigating the perils of adolescence. Can she still be “Supergirl” if she can no longer break world records?

Shadow World - "Politicians Are Like Prostitutes" - Clip

1m 1s

In this excerpt from the Independent Lens film Shadow World, a memorably blunt and possibly shady European arms dealer named Riccardo Privitera explains how global politics is dictated by the whims of the arms industry. He likens politicians to sales reps...and prostitutes.

Shadow World - Trailer

30s

Shadow World reveals the shocking realities of the global arms trade, the only business that counts its profits in billions and its losses in human lives. Based on Andrew Feinstein's acclaimed book The Shadow World: Inside the Global Arms Trade, the film explores how governments, their militaries and intelligence agencies, defense contractors, arms dealers and agents are intertwined.

Chasing Trane - Coltrane Reawakens with New Blood - Clip

2m 58s

In this excerpt from the Independent Lens documentary Chasing Trane, legendary jazz saxophonist John Coltrane is brought to life—with his words spoken by Denzel Washington—in the period of artistic flourishing shortly after he'd become clean and sober. Here, Coltrane collaborates with the brilliant composer/pianist Thelonious Monk and then ventures out on his own as a jazz leader.

Chasing Trane - Trailer

30s

Set against the social, political and cultural landscape of the times, Chasing Trane brings saxophone great John Coltrane to life, as a man and an artist. The film is the definitive look at the boundary-shattering musician whose influence continues to this day.

Sentencing Children: Cyntoia's Story

7m 49s

16-year-old Cyntoia Brown, who was forced into a life of prostitution and feared for her safety, was arrested in 2004 for the murder of a 43-year-old man. She was tried in adult court and sentenced to life. Filmmaker Dan Birman followed her case from the Nashville trial to her incarceration at TN Prison for Women. Part of a 7-part series Sentencing Children, produced by Birman and Independent Lens

Sentencing Children: The Appeal

6m 49s

Concerned that a teenager had been convicted in an adult court and sentenced to life in prison, lawyers appealed Cyntoia Brown's murder conviction in 2011 to challenge the fairness of the trial. They argued in a Nashville court that Cyntoia was herself a victim. Part of a 7-part series Sentencing Children, produced by Dan Birman and Independent Lens.

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