Independent Lens

Indie Films Series / 8 Seasons

Authentic stories. Extraordinary people.

1h 16m / TV-PG

Who Can Become American? | The History of White People in America, Episode 6

5m 30s

This catchy, musical short chronicles the arbitrary system of race in the United States, which kept people who were not white in an ongoing battle of identity. See how immigrants had to play "race roulette" with a biased court system due to the Alien Naturalization Act of 1790, which set the standard for citizenship in America and remained law for 175 years.

Ready For Your Headliner? | United States of Comedy, Ep 5

24m 13s

Legendary Chicago comedy club Zanies, where anyone who’s anyone in standup (Seinfeld, Eddie Murphy, Kevin Hart) has appeared since 1978, is bringing out a new voice: Iranian American comic Sohrab Forouzesh.

The Art of Clown | United States of Comedy, Ep 4

22m 13s

Get to know Los Angeles native Christina Catherine Martinez, a fascinating hybrid standup who walks the line somewhere between traditional comedy, modern clown, and performance artist.

America’s Gay Christian Sweetheart | United States of Comedy, Ep 3

24m 45s

A mainstay at the famous Laughing Skull Lounge, Atlanta comic Ian Aber, self-described as "America's gay Christian sweetheart," helps pave the way for other gay comics in the South.

Be Too Much | United States of Comedy, Ep 2

23m 40s

Called "too much" her whole life, Austin comic Lea’h Sampson now embraces the "too much"-ness in her comedy. She confronts the challenges of life on the road while remaining her own true self, and of being a Black woman in a world where there is often no more than one person of color on a standup bill.

The Making of a Griot | United States of Comedy, Ep 1

23m 51s

With comedy on lockdown, Haitian-born comedian Tanael Joachim a.k.a. TJ shows what it means to be a griot storyteller in Brooklyn. He wrestles with performing during a pandemic, whether "wokeness" is a thing, and mining comedy from being a fish out of water.

All God's Children | The History of White People in America, Episode 5

4m 15s

In this moving, animated short, poet Ashley M. Jones offers a lyrical historical account of Ann Williams, an enslaved Black woman who won her freedom in the 1830s. When faced with the torturous fate of being separated from her family and sold into Southern slavery, Williams took a literal leap of faith to avoid the dreadful mandate.

The Diary of Afong Moy | The History of White People in America, Episode 4

4m 52s

Acclaimed poet Sally Wen Mao narrates the animated history of Afong Moy, America’s first recorded Chinese woman. She was brought to America by merchants and was exhibited as a circus oddity in 1830s New York City. She was eventually managed and exploited by circus showman P.T. Barnum as a sideshow attraction.

Wild Hogs and Saffron

18m 29s

A wild hog hunt in the Ozarks leads to an unexpectedly vulnerable dialogue between Iranian American filmmaker Andy Sarjahani and his childhood friend Bubba as they navigate a polarized world. As their paths diverged in the increasingly anti-Middle Eastern years after 9/11, Andy's journey of self-examination tries to reconcile his two cultural identities.

When I Close My Eyes

24m 2s

His ability to paint portraits of Saddam Hussein likely saved his life. Oil painter Samir Khurshid reflects on his own tumultuous life growing up surrounded by death and chaos in war-torn Iraq. His densely layered work is heavily influenced by both the cross-cultural chaos of life as a refugee in the U.S. as well as his past, modern religion, ancient mythology, politics, and daily emotional life.

After Angola | holding bodies: a justice anthology

18m 5s

"After Angola" follows a small group of men who formed a peer support group after they'd spent significant time inside Louisiana's Angola State Penitentiary, once the most violent prison in America.

D.A. Time | holding bodies: a justice anthology

12m 44s

“D.A. Time” follows a young woman in New Orleans who has to wait in jail for more than 60 days after a busted weed deal, before even being charged with a crime. This episode explores the uncertainty families face during this waiting game, and the pressures to plead guilty regardless of guilt due to the hardships of pretrial detention and money bail.

First Disappearances | holding bodies: a justice anthology

12m 36s

Experience an animated journey through the first 24 hours after arrest in New Orleans, when an individual is processed into jail, held overnight, and then brought shackled to court for the first time.

LA Street Food, South Asian Style | Spice Road, Episode 4

16m 31s

Actor Rupak Ginn returns home to Los Angeles, where he dines on Desi street food delicacies with a twist at Paratta. He joins friend actor/writer/comedian Kiran Deol at a South Asian grocery store to shop, while pondering the future of South Asians in America, and then share hearty laughs and heartfelt conversation over a delicious meal. LA Street Food, South Asian Style | Spice Road, Episode 4

Back to the Motherland-ish | Spice Road, Episode 3

20m 51s

The ancestors are calling as actor Rupak Ginn (Royal Pains) heads to New Jersey to dine with actor/writer Sheetal Sheth (The World Unseen) at Mejwaani, a Maharashtrian restaurant, in honor of his mother's heritage. He then travels to his hometown of New York for a mom-cooked meal—and to ask his parents some pressing questions. Back to the Motherland-ish | Spice Road, Episode 3

Southern Fried Tikka Masala | Spice Road, Episode 2

16m 31s

Pani puri, pakoras, and… pageants? Actor Rupak Ginn (Royal Pains) travels to Taaza, an Indian restaurant tucked away in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Southern Virginia. There he discovers how his African American wife Nancy Redd’s heritage intersects with his own, and how people and cultures strive to stay alive. Southern Fried Tikka Masala | Spice Road, Episode 2

Tandoori Truck Stop | Spice Road, Episode 1

16m 8s

What do truckers and tandooris have in common? Actor Rupak Ginn (Royal Pains) travels to the highly-acclaimed Punjabi Dhaba in Bakersfield, California, to find out. He learns about immigrant Balvinder Singh Saini’s journey from truck driver to dhaba owner and is joined by celebrated actor and comedian, Nik Dodani (Dear Evan Hansen, Escape Room). Tandoori Truck Stop | Spice Road, Episode 1

Everything Wrong and Nowhere to Go

11m 54s

Exploring the field of “climate psychology,” Everything Wrong and Nowhere to Go is a candid and comedic self-portrait in which the filmmaker turns the camera on herself and goes in search of a cure for her crippling climate anxiety. This personal documentary asks how we can find a space of emotional balance, where we can stay attentive to the climate crisis without becoming debilitated by it.

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