Independent Lens

Luciano, once an immigrant himself, now makes a living as a maletero, a porter driving across the border, delivering goods from immigrants who settled in Texas to their families in the same Mexican town they all left decades ago.

The hustle and bustle of New York City subways provides a veil of anonymity, making invasions of personal space inevitable. There are innocuous interactions, but also violations that cross the line. Vividly shot in New York subways and stations, Underground emboldens the survivors of these incidents to share their stories in hopes of changing the stigma surrounding public violations.

Through a collaborative writing process with filmmakers, three women bring to life “The Command Center to Bring Women Home,” an imagined space run by formerly incarcerated women for those with nowhere else to turn but to each other, a place where mothers can reunite and heal with their children, and women are able to hold and comfort one another.

A filmmaker's intimate phone calls with her brother explore his fragile recovery from opioid addiction. Using imaginative animation, they journey both into the cosmos—a place her brother has encyclopedic knowledge about—and an all-too-real world where shame and pain take their toll.

Following an extended hiatus, Michelle Guzowski takes a risk by returning to her favorite local bowling alley in the Ohio Rust Belt, after coming out to fellow bowlers as a trans woman. While the alley's new owners made it seem a welcoming space, the changes are hard for old-school bowlers.

Far West Texas is a place where local folklore looms as large as the landscape. Two fronteriza women—one a public radio music show host, the other a Mariachi and folklórico dancer—live in two cultures at the same time, as they struggle to find their place in the vast Chihuahuan Desert. Touches of magical realism infuse this portrait of life along the U.S.- Mexico border.

When I'm Her follows the double life of a dancer who inhabits an alter ego. A luminary figure at American Ballet Theatre in New York, Michael Cusumano had a stellar career ahead of him, but after past trauma prevented him from realizing his artistic and professional potential, he finds refuge and liberation by becoming Russian ballet instructor Madame Olga, the mentor he never had for himself.

For so many high-schoolers, prom is a rite of passage in all of its love-filled, well-coiffed, abundantly photographed glory. But for generations of LGBTQ+ youth, prom has been emblematic of an exclusion from a world they could not experience as their authentic selves.

The richly obsessive life and work of renowned autistic artist Gregory Blackstock comes to life, as he uses his art to catalogue and make sense of the world around him. Gregory’s cousin Dorothy helps bring his drawings to the attention of the art world, while the film brings his work to life through hand-crafted animation, drawing you into the unique vision of this singular artist.

The Brodie brothers reunite with an old acquaintance named Orville, a local jack-of-all-trades (DJ, beekeeper, driver, you name it) who has taken up driving an unregistered taxi as a supplemental source of income. Reunion | Driver Radio: Jamaica, Episode 2

With help and inspiration from experienced Jamaican taxi drivers Dean and Stacy (one of the first female drivers they've met in Kingston) the Brodie brothers explore the possibilities of running a taxi service on their own. Twin Charter | Driver Radio: Jamaica, Episode 3

With their parents' own immigrant journey from Jamaica to America in mind, the Brodie brothers travel through the heart of Jamaica, to Mandeville and Montego Bay, in hopes of better understanding where they come from. All Routes Lead Home | Driver Radio: Jamaica, Episode 4

Twin brothers Don and Ron Brodie travel to Jamaica to reconnect with their roots, with first stop the bustling city of Kingston. While all-night dancehall parties are a main attraction for tourists and locals alike, the Brodies link up with a local taxi driver to get a feel for life far outside the city. City to Country | Driver Radio: Jamaica, Episode 1

We check in with our "Blind Love" friends one last time: After the stress of rapid-fire speed-dating, Simon feels like he's bonded with a girl over a love of sushi; Joni decides to give James a chance; Solomon meets a girl and tries to impress her with his cooking (okay, a shared kitchen effort with buddy Nick); and Mario's whole attitude brightens. Give Love a Chance | Blind Love, Episode 7

The build-up to his first date with a girl from his church had him nervous about everything, but after they go out, Mario can’t believe his luck; she seems like everything and more. Meanwhile, Joni goes back and forth on her feelings for a doting James and tests his resolve by playing the field as she continues the dance of romance. Joni Plays the Field | Blind Love , Episode 6

A gifted choir musician, Mario finds his Congregation getting involved in playing matchmaker, and then needs his sister's help to vet a potential date. Meanwhile, Simon gets a style makeover in preparation for a speed dating event and discovers it's a lot different when it's not his mom picking out clothes for him. A Match Made in Heaven | Blind Love, Episode 5

Solomon gets over his former attitude about going out with someone who is also blind, meeting a cool girl he thinks "has the blind thing down." For Joni, it means trying to appreciate James as more than a dutiful friend, and getting over jaded feelings that came after a painful breakup. When Your Blind Date is Actually Blind | Blind Love , Episode 4

Mario goes against type with a date who slowly warms up to him, while New Yorker Simon, a sheltered 23-year-old who plays poker with other blind buddies who learn he's never been on a date before, is gonna need to get by with a little help from his more experienced friends. The Dos and Don’ts of Blind Dating | Blind Love, Episode 3

Getting past that first date can be hard, maybe even harder for people who are blind and have low vision. One thing that's universal: AWKWARD-ness. First Dates: From Awkward to Promising | Blind Love, Episode 2

Diving into the dating game, single blind millennials are on a mission to be recognized for who they are--they don't want pity, they want a serious relationship. Is Dating Different When You’re Blind? | Blind Love, Episode 1