Independent Lens

Indie Films Series / 8 Seasons

Authentic stories. Extraordinary people.

1h 16m / TV-PG

RIP Local News

9m 3s

Some of the biggest news stories in our country were revealed by local journalists; from early 20th century lynchings to the Rodney King beating to the murder of Breonna Taylor, local news was there first. But as budgets drop and outlets disappear, this type of coverage is in jeopardy.

Spring Season Trailer 2024 | Coming to Independent Lens

1m

We’re blooming this spring with a lineup of docs, including Matter of Mind: My Parkinson's, Space: The Longest Goodbye, One With The Whale, and The Tuba Thieves. Stream Independent Lens with the PBS App.

How Did Opinions Get In Our News?

7m 44s

Even though objectivity is seen as the gold standard for news coverage, OpEds and commentary have been part of the news landscape since the early days of America – and it's not always easy to spot the difference between facts and opinion.

Has Journalism Always Been This Stressful?

8m 52s

As news evolved over the last 40 years from a single daily paper or nightly news show to something that's pushed 24/7, a mental health crisis has taken shape in our newsrooms as journalists race to cover traumatic events and get the most views.

How Did This Women-Owned Newspaper Revolutionize Journalism?

7m 8s

In 1850s America, one women-led newsroom blazed a trail for women's rights, shifting the media landscape and ultimately affecting how we see and cover "women's" issues today.

Trailer | Razing Liberty Square

30s

Liberty City, Miami, is home to one of the oldest segregated public housing projects in the United States. Now with rising sea levels, the neighborhood’s higher ground has become something else: real estate gold.

Herzog Interviews Bahrani | If Dreams Were Lightning

21m 12s

Acclaimed filmmaker Werner Herzog (Grizzly Man; Aguirre, the Wrath of God; Nosferatu the Vampyre) interviews Oscar and Emmy-nominated director Ramin Bahrani (99 Homes; Man Push Cart; Chop Shop) on his Independent Lens documentary If Dreams Were Lightning: Rural Healthcare Crisis.

Winter Season Trailer 2024 | Coming to Independent Lens

1m

We’re heating up this winter with a lineup of docs, including Beyond Utopia, Racist Trees, Razing Liberty Square, and Breaking the News. Stream Independent Lens with the PBS App.

Trailer | A Town Called Victoria

30s

When a devastating hate crime reduces the local mosque to ashes, the community of Victoria faces the daunting task of bridging longstanding political, racial, and economic rifts in order to discover a unified path towards healing and progress.

Trailer | Three Chaplains

30s

Muslim chaplains uphold the First Amendment and vow to protect service members' right to practice their faith freely, despite facing long-held prejudice and disapproval from their own communities. The Muslim chaplains work hard to ensure that all service members have access to religious materials, services, and resources regardless of the religious beliefs they hold.

Trailer | El Equipo

30s

Legendary U.S. anthropologist Dr. Clyde Snow sets out to train a new group of Latin American students in the use of forensic anthropology. Their goal: to investigate disappearances in Argentina during the “dirty war.” The group expands its horizons, traveling to El Salvador, Bolivia, and Mexico, doggedly working behind the scenes to establish the facts for the families of the victims.

Trailer | Sansón and Me

30s

Filmmaker Rodrigo Reyes wants to document Sansón's story, an immigrant serving life in prison. Unable to film Sansón, the documentary creatively shares his narrative through reenactments of his letters, featuring his own family as actors.

Fall Season Trailer | Coming to Independent Lens

1m

Independent Lens, America’s home for documentaries, returns Monday, September 19, starting with Sansón and Me, followed by El Equipo, Three Chaplains and the three part series A Town Called Victoria. Watch these powerful, acclaimed new films on the PBS App.

Trailer | Mama Bears

30s

They call one another “mama bears” because of the ferocity with which they fight for their children’s rights. Although they grew up as fundamentalist, evangelical Christians praying for the souls of LGBTQ+ people, these mothers are now willing to risk losing friends, family, and faith communities to champion their kids—even if it challenges their belief systems and rips apart their worlds.

Trailer | Sam Now

30s

In this coming-of-age documentary about generational trauma, follow Sam Harkness from age 11 to 36 as his middle-class Seattle family is heartbroken and unsure of what to do after his mother suddenly leaves them. Woven together with home movies lovingly crafted by Sam’s half brother, director Reed Harkness, witness a boy grow up grappling with the ripple effects of a singular traumatic event.

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