Independent Lens

Indie Films Series / 8 Seasons

Authentic stories. Extraordinary people.

1h 25m / TV-14

A Ballerina's Tale: Misty's Career in Jeopardy

2m 28s

In this excerpt from the Independent Lens documentary A Ballerina's Tale, Misty Copeland learns she has a lower leg stress fracture, a common injury for people who jump frequently. The road to recovery is long and potentially devastating to Misty's career. Many have doubts she'll dance with her signature power and grace again.

A Ballerina's Tale: A Young, Naive Ballerina Pays Her Dues

2m 14s

In this excerpt from the Independent Lens documentary A Ballerina's Tale, Misty Copeland reflects back on her move to New York City as a wide-eyed teenager to join the Studio Company of American Ballet Theatre. “Young and naive,” she entered the ranks of more senior dancers, who delighted in teasing young starlets like Misty.

A Ballerina's Tale - Trailer

30s

Misty Copeland made history by becoming the first African American principal dancer with the prestigious American Ballet Theatre, considered the pinnacle of ballet in the US. A Ballerina’s Tale is an intimate look at this groundbreaking artist as she shatters barriers and transcends her art.

No Más Bebés - Trailer

30s

No Más Bebés tells the story of a little-known but landmark event in reproductive justice, when a small group of Mexican immigrant women sued county doctors, the state, and the U.S. government after they were sterilized while giving birth at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center during the late 1960s and early 1970s.

No Más Bebés: Sign Here to Take Away the Pain

1m 12s

In this excerpt from the Independent Lens documentary No Más Bebés, Maria Hurtado reveals how she underwent a tubal ligation at L.A. County-USC Medical Center in the 1960s while she was in great pain without the faculties to fully understand the consequences of the procedure. A medical student who witnessed this adds that women were told "this will take away the pain."

In Football We Trust: The Kava Tradition

1m 13s

In this excerpt from the Independent Lens documentary In Football We Trust, high school football players, both Polynesian and non, gather together to make and drink Kava root juice — which has a calming effect but isn't illegal — and play the ukulele. Fihi explains, "Kava is our way of holding onto our tradition but at the same time inviting the new."

In Football We Trust: Scholarships in Jeopardy

2m 41s

In this excerpt from the Independent Lens documentary In Football We Trust, a drug test will make or break high school football star Harvey Langi's future scholarship eligibility. While he awaits the results, his mother drills home exactly what’s at stake.

In Football We Trust: Gang Violence and Camaraderie

1m 46s

In this excerpt from the Independent Lens documentary In Football We Trust, former NFL player Troy Polamalu compares gangs with football — both prioritize violence and camaraderie. And both have affected the lives of Polynesian high school athletes in equal measure.

In Football We Trust: Purpose and Hope through Football

2m 9s

In this excerpt from the Independent Lens documentary In Football We Trust, Fihi Kaufusi, a Highland High School student in Salt Lake City, confesses that while he doesn't like going to school all that much, football gives him a purpose and hope. He leads some of his teammates through Polynesian battle chants. To him the team is an extended family.

No Más Bebés: "My Mind Broke"

2m 5s

In this excerpt from the Independent Lens documentary No Más Bebés, Maria Figueroa, one of the plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit against an L.A. County hospital for unwanted sterilization, reveals how her husband’s reaction to her trauma led to depression and suicidal thoughts.

No Más Bebés: Cut the Birth Rate

1m 52s

In this excerpt from the Independent Lens documentary No Más Bebés, the head of L.A. County-USC Medical Center, Dr. James Quilligan, denies accusations that his directive was "to cut the birth rate of Negro and Mexican population,” despite some evidence to the contrary.

Autism in Love: "How Do You Know When You're in Love?"

1m 47s

In this excerpt from the Independent Lens documentary Autism in Love, Stephen shows that his detached affect and monotone speech are no barrier to finding love. We revisit his wedding through home movies, and he expresses his love for his wife Gita in his own way.

Autism in Love: "I Wish I Could've Been a Normal Person"

2m 22s

In this excerpt from the Independent Lens documentary Autism in Love, Lenny, who constantly struggles to accept that autism will always be part of who he is, tells the filmmaker he wishes he wasn't autistic. "I wish I could've been a normal person," he says. "I would rather be a normal man than an autistic man with a million dollars."

Autism in Love - Trailer

30s

Finding love can be hard enough for anyone, but for those on the autism spectrum, the challenges may seem overwhelming. The disorder can jeopardize the core characteristics of a successful relationship — communication and social interaction. Autism in Love offers a warm and stereotype-shattering look at four people with autism as they pursue and manage romantic relationships.

Chuck Norris vs. Communism: Underground Movie Screening

2m 58s

In this excerpt from the Independent Lens documentary Chuck Norris vs. Communism, a Romanian citizen who lived through the repressive '80s remembers how he managed to smuggle in a video player (which cost as much as a car) and host word-of-mouth underground screenings of American films in his apartment. Dramatic recreations bring it all to life.

Chuck Norris vs. Oxygen: "The Films Were My Oxygen"

1m 54s

In this excerpt from the Independent Lens documentary Chuck Norris vs. Communism, Irina Nistor, a translator whose distinct voice captivated Romania in the '80s and became a symbol of freedom, reflects on how she became addicted to dubbing American films on VHS for culture-deprived Romanians. She often dubbed six-to-ten films in a row.

Chuck Norris vs. Communism: Keeping Romania In Ignorance

1m 6s

In this excerpt from the Independent Lens documentary Chuck Norris vs Communism, Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceau?escu limits television to a single, government-run channel, which only broadcasts two hours a day. As one Romanian puts it: denying 20 million people access to information was a way to "keep a whole country in ignorance for years."

Chuck Norris vs. Communism - Trailer

30s

1980s Romania: thousands of American movies were smuggled through the Iron Curtain, opening a window into the free world. A black market racketeer and a courageous female translator brought the magic of film to the people, and helped spark a revolution.

East of Salinas: Leaving Home to Find Work in Yuma

2m 28s

In this excerpt from the Independent Lens documentary East of Salinas, Jose's stepfather Jaime prepares to travel to Yuma, Arizona, a 12-hour drive from Salinas, to find seasonal work in the fields. He must follow the farm jobs, even if it means leaving his family for a place many migrants fear: the U.S.-Mexico border.

East of Salinas: An Unexpected Christmas Gift

2m 44s

In this excerpt from the Independent Lens documentary East of Salinas, Jose's teacher Oscar pools resources with other successful people from migrant families to wrap Christmas gifts they generously collect for needy Salinas families. When Oscar goes to Jose's home to give away gifts, he has a big surprise in store for his young pupil.

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