Independent Lens

Indie Films Series / 8 Seasons

Authentic stories. Extraordinary people.

Watch Latest: S26 E1

1h 16m / TV-PG

As Goes Janesville: One Janesville Family Endures Through Un

1m 16s / TV-PG

In this excerpt from the Independent Lens film, As Goes Janesville, we see Cindy Deegan -- an unemployed factory worker who has returned to school to gain new job skills -- and her family as they struggle to maintain a normal existance on only unemployment and disability benefits.

Half the Sky: Diane Lane on Somaliland's Edna Adan Maternity

2m 54s / TV-PG

Diane Lane reflects on her experiences filming in Somaliland, where she got a first-hand look at the challenges and solutions surrounding maternal mortality at the Edna Adan Maternity Hospital.

Half the Sky: Treating Fistulas at Edna Adan Hospital

5m 53s / TV-PG

Worldwide, two million women are living with fistulas. Every year there are 100,000 new cases. Only 14,000 cases are treated annually. In Somaliland women have an estimated 1 in 50 lifetime chance of developing a fistula during childbirth. When funds allow, the Edna Adan Hospital treats fistulas for free and this is the story of Fadumo Ibrahimo Juisaw who has come to be treated.

Half the Sky: Gabrielle Union Reflects on Her Experiences in

7m 48s / TV-PG

Gabrielle Union talks about her time in Vietnam and the many experiences she had. Gabrielle shares her experiences celebrating her birthday in Vietnam, learning about skin whitening and the value of education. Through her experiences, she has a newfound appreciation for her life in America.

Half the Sky: Intergenerational Prostitution in India

10m 44s / TV-PG

This educational module adapted from the documentary series Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide follows journalist Nicholas Kristof and actress America Ferrara as they investigate intergenerational prostitution in India, and meet change maker Urmi Basu.

Half the Sky: WomenĺäĄ_s Economic Empowerment in Kenya

10m 41s / TV-PG

This educational module adapted from the documentary series Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide follows journalist Nicholas Kristof and actress Diane Lane as they meet women who have experienced the impact and challenges of microfinance in Kenya.

Half the Sky: America Ferrera's Diary Cam Insights on India

5m 1s / TV-PG

Follow America Ferrera along as she narrates her time in India through a diary cam. Ferrera talks about meeting the young girls who work with Urmi Basu to break the cycle of forced prostitution. Watch as Ferrera makes chapati with the girls and even learns to sew with some of the mothers.

Half the Sky: Room to Read Gives Away Its Ten Millionth Book

5m 49s / TV-PG

John Wood, founder of Room to Read, gives away the 10 millionth book in Vietnam. The first time Room to Read gave away books, it was 3,000 to a school in Nepal, now the organization has grown to help over 6 million children worldwide.

Half the Sky: Seeking the Truth About Female Genital Cutting

4m 2s / TV-PG

Nicholas Kristof confronts Miriam and Farhiya in a clinic in Somaliland. The two women are traditional birth attendants and also perform female genital mutilation. However, they tell Kristof that this is a practice they have stopped doing three pears prior. Kristof investigates to find out the truth behind these claims.

Half the Sky: Sakena Yacoobi on Educating Women and Girls in

5m 50s / TV-PG

Sakena Yacoobi has made a difference in the lives of around 8.5 million people through the operation of learning facilities in Afghanistan over the course of twenty years. Sakena believes that, if properly equipped with the knowledge and confidence to act, the current generation of Afghani girls can fix the country's severe gender imbalances within just 5 to 10 years.

Half the Sky: Prostitution is the Absence of Choice

1m 40s / TV-PG

Women and girls account for 80 percent of the people trafficked across international borders each year, most often for sexual exploitation. Stripped of their basic human rights, women and girls are bought and sold, generating an estimated $27.8 billion of profit for their exploiters.

Half the Sky: A Kenyan Restauranteur Flourishes Through Micr

2m 18s / TV-PG

Olivia Wilde and Nick Kristof visit Joyce, a Kenyan woman who owns a restaurant in Nairobi. Joyce is a member of Jamii Bora, Kenya's largest microfinance organization and a powerful agent of change for the country's women. It provides loans to individuals, including former beggars, prostitutes, and the severely impoverished, who would be unable to pursue their ambitions without financing.

Half the Sky: Every 90 Seconds, a Mother Dies Giving Birth

1m 25s / TV-PG

All around the world, women are dying of causes which could have been prevented. Edna Adan, founder of a maternity hospital in Somaliland, discusses her backstory and what led her to become an agent of change in this Half the Sky Movement awareness campaign video.

Half the Sky: Violence Against Women is a Global Epidemic

1m 41s / TV-PG

A group of experts and advocates describe the global epidemic of gender-based violence, which strips women of their autonomy and forces them to live in constant fear of physical retribution. The phenomenon can seem insurmountable in post-conflict countries like Sierra Leone, but extraordinary women like Amie Kandeh are nevertheless determined to bring an end to these rampant abuses.

Half the Sky: Gender-based Violence in Sierra Leone

9m 45s / TV-PG

This educational module adapted from the documentary series Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide follows journalist Nicholas Kristof and actress Eva Mendes as they investigate the high incidence of rape and impunity in Sierra Leone, and meet change maker Amie Kandeh.

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