Independent Lens

Indie Films Series / 8 Seasons

Authentic stories. Extraordinary people.

52m 3s / TV-PG

When the FBI Detained My Son | Accept the Call

1m 7s

In this excerpt from Accept the Call, Yusuf Abdurahman, a father who left Somalia as a refugee to begin his life anew in Minnesota, receives a shocking call from the FBI telling him his son Zach was suspected of trying to join ISIS. Angry and heartbroken after they're reunited, Yusuf lights into his son and thinks he's set Zach straight.

"Rich Man's Sport" | ATTLA

2m 54s

In a scene from ATTLA, the grand-nephew of legendary Alaska Native dogsled racer George Attla reflects on growing up not fully appreciating how much of a champion his great uncle was, in a culture where you don't brag about your accomplishments. Together they watch an old TV interview in which Attla predicts dogsled racing is destined to become a less accessible "rich man's sport."

ATTLA | Trailer

30s / TV-PG

ATTLA tells the gripping story of George Attla, a charismatic Alaska Native dogsled racer who, with one good leg and fierce determination, became a legendary sports hero in Northern communities around the world.

Trailer | ATTLA

30s

ATTLA tells the gripping story of George Attla, a charismatic Alaska Native dogsled racer who, with one good leg and fierce determination, became a legendary sports hero in Northern communities around the world.

No Mosquitos, No Fish | Conscience Point

1m 25s

In a scene from Conscience Point, off the coast of the Hamptons a Long Island bayman shows how much fish and shellfish populations have been reduced due to mosquito control, harming the ecosystem and destroying his livelihood. He feels the Shinnecock Indian Nation are the only people who've ever kept the shores undeveloped. "If you look at the bay around where the reservation is, it's gorgeous."

Trailer | Conscience Point

30s

Conscience Point tracks the fractured history of the Shinnecock tribe on Long Island alongside the spirited path of one Native woman determined to make a stand: activist Rebecca Hill-Genia who, together with other determined tribal members and allies, has waged a relentless, years-long battle to protect the land and Shinnecock cultural heritage from the ravages of development and displacement.

"You Will Call Me Phillip Morris" | The Interpreters

2m 38s

In this scene from The Interpreters, Sgt Paul Braun and an affable Iraqi interpreter who called himself "Philip Morris" talk about the friendship they developed while Paul was in Iraq. Interpreters were crucial for Americans to be able to communicate with Iraqis, but were also considered by many to be traitors to their country.

Trailer | The Interpreters

30s

The Interpreters is a poignant but tense portrayal of a very human and high-stakes side of war's aftermath, the story of how Afghan and Iraqi interpreters risked their lives aiding American troops--but then became the people we left behind.

Banana Kelly Community Improvement | Decade of Fire

1m 1s

This excerpt from the documentary Decade of Fire shows how the Banana Kelly Community Improvement Association, named after a banana-shaped portion of Kelly Street in the Bronx, took matters into their own hands. The group formed to help rehabilitate buildings -- that they did not own, working for free -- to help save their neighborhood in a city ravaged by fires in the '70s.

Trailer | Decade of Fire

30s / TV-PG

Decade of Fire covers a shocking but untold piece of American urban history, when the South Bronx was on fire in the 1970s. Left unprotected by the city government, nearly a quarter-million people were displaced as their close-knit, multiethnic neighborhood burned to the ground. Decade of Fire also shows what can happen when a community chooses to fight back and reclaim their neighborhood.

Nicole, a Host of Possibilities | Made in Boise

54s / TV-14

Meet Nicole, the CEO of the largest surrogacy agency in Boise, called A Host of Possibilities, who co-owns the agency with her husband Don. She became interested in surrogacy because she loved being pregnant but didn't want any other kids (she has two children of her own and is now carrying for the fourth time for someone else). She works with over 180 surrogates at her agency.

Surrogacy Support Group | Made in Boise

1m 1s / TV-14

Sammie and other women in a Boise-based surrogacy support group meet to share stories of surrogacy, including the mixed feelings family members have about their choice to carry babies for intended parents. The group made a big difference in Sammie's life, who may not have become a surrogate if she didn't have someone to answer all the questions she had about it.

Trailer | Made in Boise

30s / TV-14

In Boise, nurses, nail technicians, and stay-at-home mothers are choosing to become paid reproductive surrogates for people from around the world. Made in Boise offers a rare glimpse into this world by intimately following the lives of four surrogates, as they build relationships with the intended parents, prepare for the rigors of pregnancy, and navigate the mixed feelings of their own families.

Independent Lens 2019-2020 Season Promo

32s

"Want me to tell you a story?" Coming to PBS, America’s home for documentaries, Independent Lens presents a new group of powerful, award-winning films that will thrust viewers into the heart of conversations across America's neighborhoods, from Boise to the Bronx, from Alaska to Long Island to North Carolina. Premieres October 28, 2019.

Sweating the Weigh-In | Wrestle

2m 2s

In this excerpt from the film Wrestle, on the night before a big meet, high school wrestling Coach Scribner and a supportive group of teammates and family stay up with an exhausted Jaquan who needs to drop 5 pounds overnight to make his weight class or he'll have to forfeit. "You got this Jaquan," the coach tells him. Does he?

Trailer | Wrestle

30s

Wrestle goes inside the lives of four members of the high school wrestling team at Huntsville’s J.O. Johnson High School--a longstanding entry on Alabama’s list of failing schools. Teammates Jailen, Jamario, Teague, and Jaquan show that needing a win can be about much more than just beating your opponent on the mat.

My Grapes Are Ready to Harvest | Harvest Season

2m 23s

In this excerpt from the film Harvest Season, Napa Valley winemaker Vanessa Robledo and her mother Maria walk through their vineyard inspecting grapes, including checking the grapes' sugar levels. They're on the verge of being ripe and then it will be time to harvest--the most intense work of the year.

Trailer | Harvest Season

30s

A story usually hidden behind a more glamorous front, Harvest Season probes the lives of the multigenerational Latinos, temporary laborers, and permanent residents intimately connected to the production of premium wines in the Napa and Sonoma regions of Northern California — in the midst of one of the most dramatic grape harvests in recent memory.

Out of State

30s

In Out of State, two native Hawaiians sent thousands of miles away to a private prison in the desert find a community of other native Hawaiians and discover indigenous traditions from a fellow inmate serving a life sentence. After finishing their terms and returning to Hawai'i, the men both find life on the outside a struggle and wonder if it’s possible to ever go home again.

Mr. C's Community Is His Family | Charm City

2m 14s

In this excerpt from the film Charm City, community leader Clayton “Mr. C” Guyton, the beating heart of Rose Street in Baltimore, holds a passionate meeting with his neighbors on people who are afraid to "snitch" when they witness a murder. Alex Long, who's found a home in the Rose Street Community Center, talks about how critical Mr. C is to keeping the neighborhood safe and vibrant.

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