Independent Lens

Indie Films Series / 8 Seasons

Authentic stories. Extraordinary people.

Watch Latest: S26 E1

1h 16m / TV-PG

Criminal Justice System: Mentorship

4m 22s / TV-PG

This Community Classroom module from Troop 1500 follows Ida as she attends her mother's high school graduation in prison. Viewers examine the ways that individuals, even under difficult circumstances, can inspire us. Part of the Women and Girls Lead, Volume 3 curriculum titled Women, Girls and the Criminal Justice System.

Criminal Justice System: Meet Rosa

4m 50s / TV-PG

This Community Classroom module from Girls on the Wall interviews Rosa, a teen girl currently serving a short sentence in an Illinois juvenile detention center. Viewers get a snapshot of her childhood and the adversity she has faced in her life. Part of the Women and Girls Lead, Volume 3 curriculum titled Women, Girls and the Criminal Justice System.

Criminal Justice System: Seizing Stories

4m 19s / TV-PG

In this Community Classroom module from Me Facing Life, we hear Cyntoia analyze and reflect on her past sexual history and victimization as well as one step she recently took in prison in response to that past. Part of the Women and Girls Lead, Volume 3 curriculum titled Women, Girls and the Criminal Justice System.

Criminal Justice System: Decisions

8m 37s / TV-PG

This Community Classroom module details the relationships between mothers in prison and the daughters left behind. The viewer watches as several girls visit their mothers in jail as part of a Girl Scout troop program and think about the ways that families are impacted by incarceration. Part of the Women and Girls Lead, Volume 3 curriculum titled Women, Girls and the Criminal Justice System.

Criminal Justice System: Meet Cyntoia

6m 29s / TV-PG

In this Community Classroom module from Me Facing Life, viewers meet Cyntoia, a teen girl currently serving a life sentence in an adult state prison in Tennessee for murder. Viewers get a snapshot of the factors that led to where she is today. Part of the Women and Girls Lead, Volume 3 curriculum titled Women, Girls and the Criminal Justice System.

Criminal Justice System: Cyntoia as Mentor

2m 52s / TV-PG

This Community Classroom module features Cyntoia, a teen girl serving a life sentence, as she reflects on her choices and the difficult circumstances that led her to where she is today. Viewers examine the ways that individuals, even under difficult circumstances, can inspire us. Part of the Women and Girls Lead, Volume 3 curriculum titled Women, Girls and the Criminal Justice System.

Criminal Justice System: Expression

7m 43s

This Community Classroom module takes a look at a drama therapy program at a juvenile detention center for girls in Illinois. Viewers watch as the girls struggle to make sense of their own stories and how they can be used collectively to tell a larger, transformative narrative. Part of the Women and Girls Lead, Volume 3 curriculum titled Women, Girls and the Criminal Justice System.

Criminal Justice System: What to Do

3m 22s / TV-PG

This Community Classroom module hears from a range of people weighing in on the result of Cyntoia’s case, including a court-appointed forensic psychologist, the prosecuting attorney, and members of Cyntoia’s family. Questions such as whether teens should be tried as adults are addressed. Part of the Women and Girls Lead, Volume 3 curriculum titled Women, Girls and the Criminal Justice System.

Women and Girls Lead!

3m 15s

Women and girls everywhere are stepping into leadership roles, working to improve their communities, and innovating in science, the arts, business, and governance. Yet there is still much to do to deliver on the promise of equal access, justice, and opportunity for women and girls worldwide.

Park Avenue: Money, Power & the American Dream: "One Road, T

2m 34s / TV-PG

In this clip from the Independent Lens documentary, Park Avenue: Money, Power & the American Dream, Academy Award-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney shows us two very different worlds along one famous, American street.

Is the American Dream Out of Reach?

36s / TV-PG

Academy Award-winning director Alex Gibney (Taxi to the Dark Side, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room) presents his examination of how the gap between rich and poor Americans has become so stark, as illustrated by this famous boulevard in New York City.

Find the Unexpected on Monday Nights

29s

Find the unexpected - Monday nights on PBS! On Antiques Roadshow and Market Warriors, join real-life treasure hunters who reveal the hidden stories behind heirlooms and collectibles. Then, on Independent Lens, discover extraordinary people through the unique access of independent filmmakers, and challenge your view of the world. Monday nights on PBS. You’ll be glad you tuned in!

Always Something New to Discover on Monday Nights

29s

There’s always something new to discover, Monday nights on PBS. Every heirloom comes with an amazing backstory on Antiques Roadshow. Find the unexpected with real-life treasure hunters on Market Warriors. And Independent Lens will change your worldview with the best in independent film. Monday nights on PBS - it’s more than you know!

The Sky's the Limit for the Women of Barefoot College

2m 2s / TV-PG

Welcome to India's Barefoot College, founded by Bunker Roy to provide rural women living in poverty with an education that empowers them to make their communities self-reliant and sustainable. Follow the story of Rafea — a 30-year-old Jordanian mother of four — who is traveling outside of her village for the first time to attend Barefoot's solar engineering program.

Solar Mamas: Culture Shock and Curiosity at the Barefoot Col

1m 52s / TV-PG

In this excerpt from the Independent Lens documentary, Solar Mamas, the female students of India's Barefoot College start their crash course in solar engineering. Coming from rural areas of Jordan, Guatemala, Kenya, Burkina Faso, and Colombia, this classroom experience is completely new to many of the women in attendance.

Love Free or Die: A Vote on Marriage Equality in New Hampshi

6m 14s / TV-PG

In this video companion piece to the Independent Lens documentary, Love Free or Die, Bishop Gene Robinson -- the first openly gay person to be elected Episcopal Bishop, attends an important event in the New Hampshire Legislature. A vote on Marriage Equality.

Love Free or Die: Bishop Robinson on Persevering in the Face

3m 15s / TV-PG

In this excerpt from the Independent Lens documentary, Love Free or Die, Bishop Gene Robinson is interrupted mid-sermon by a man who denounces him as a heretic. Afterwards, Robinson shares his emotional response to the incident and describes why he is able to persevere in the face of hate.

Can a Church Preach Love and Discriminate at the Same Time?

1m 28s / TV-PG

Gene Robinson is a man whose two primary passions are in direct conflict: his love for God and for his partner Mark. Robinson is the first openly gay person to become a bishop in the historic traditions of Christendom. His consecration by the Episcopal Church in 2003, to which he wore a bullet-proof vest, caused an international stir.

Love Free or Die: Gene Robinson's Sermon at the New York Cit

5m 18s / TV-PG

In this excerpt from the Independent Lens documentary, Love Free or Die, Bishop Gene Robinson delivers a sermon at New York City's First Presbyterian Church on Gay Pride Day. He urges the clergy who are present to show their support for the LGBT community by offering water and encouragement to parade participants.

As Goes Janesville: Behind the Scenes

6m 17s / TV-PG

In this video companion piece to the Independent Lens documentary, As Goes Janesville, producer and director Brad Lichtenstein and co-producer Nicole Docta provide some behind-the-scenes insights about the making of their film.

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