Independent Lens

Indie Films Series / 8 Seasons

Authentic stories. Extraordinary people.

1h 16m / TV-PG

American Nomads, Episode 2

6m 30s

Crystal left her old life behind to seek financial independence living in her van. She's developed a significant following on YouTube as one of the few African American vandwellers sharing her experiences. As she heads north to Maine to meet up and share stories with a few of her followers, we'll get a glimpse of the joys and challenges of being a single African American woman living on the road.

American Nomads, Episode 1

5m 24s

Bob Wells lives in a refurbished van. After hitting a new low in the wake of a divorce, with no money to lean on, Bob found a new lease on life when he hit the road in his van for the last ten years, reaching celebrity status from his popular YouTube channel where he shares how-to’s and inspiration for the van-dwelling set.

Jose and Mr. Ramos: The Dreamer

8m 19s / TV-Y

A follow-up to East of Salinas, The Dreamer revisits Jose Ansaldo, a bright, optimistic kid about to graduate from middle school in Salinas, California, the nation's "salad bowl." His single mom is a farmworker who struggles to support Jose and his siblings. Jose dreams of going to college to become an engineer, but he and other promising students like him now face the threat of deportation.

Jose and Mr. Ramos

9m 57s / TV-G

With parents working long hours in the fields, third grader Jose Ansaldo turns to his teacher, Oscar Ramos, for guidance. Jose is undocumented and as he grows older he begins to understand the complexities of the situation. Four years later, Mr. Ramos checks in on Jose, now in middle school but no closer to resolution on his immigration status.

Sophie and Ben

12m 14s

Sophie Sartain, director of the Independent Lens documentary Mimi and Dona, which explores the trials of parenting and care through the story of her aunt and grandmother, brings us this short film about her relationship with her son Ben, who was diagnosed with autism. Unlike Dona, Ben is fortunate to live in a time where there is a better understanding of autism and Asperger's.

Never Conquered

10m 7s

In this piece by filmmaker Mat Hames, we get to know more about Eastern Shoshone tribal elder Philbert McLeod, one of the stars of Hames’ Independent Lens film What Was Ours. Philbert had an incredible breadth of knowledge about his tribe’s history, and received a Purple Heart fighting for America in Vietnam. He believed an old beaded charm passed down by an elder helped protect him in combat.

TOWER - Guns on Campus - Short Film

5m 24s

50 years after a gunman opened fire from the tower at University of Texas — the first recorded mass shooting in US history and subject of Independent Lens film TOWER — students can now carry loaded handguns on campus. Proponents of the law, affecting all public universities in Texas, argue an armed student body could help prevent other mass shootings, but many others worry about its ramifications.

County Clerk Changes History

5m 2s / TV-G

In this video extra, learn more about the story of Clela Rorex, former County Clerk in Boulder, CO, who in 1975 helped change history by becoming the first in the United States to approve a marriage license for gay couples, including Richard Adams and Tony Sullivan. Their 40-year struggle for marriage equality is featured in Limited Partnership on Independent Lens on PBS, June 15, 2015.

Supported by