Hailed as an "interactive experiment," 'New Dialogue: Americans on Abortion' re-wrote the broadcast rulebook by airing an entire episode of viewer responses to POV's 1995 broadcast of 'Leona's Sister Gerri.' Long before Facebook and Twitter, 'New Dialogue' allowed viewers to interact and engage with media—through letters, interviews and discussions among viewers—in the broadcast era.

Francis Ford Coppola nearly lost his fortune — and his sanity — making Apocalypse Now. Martin Sheen nearly lost his life. A celebrated behind-the-scenes look at Coppola's struggle to finish his epic film — from cajoling an irascible Marlon Brando to negotiating shots amid hurricanes and a Filipino rebel war.

The filmmakers talk about discovering the story behind the making of 'Apocalypse Now.'

This startling expose unravels a history of abuse of suspects by the Chicago police. For more than a decade, the press and authorities turned a blind eye to allegations of torture — including the use of electric shocks — until persistent grass roots organizations exerted enough pressure to prompt an official investigation, and eventually the dismissal of a ranking police commander.

The filmmakers talk about how their role as independents helped them uncover a much more complete story than those presented in traditional media outlets.

In Ross McElwee's 1986 cult hit, Sherman's March, an idealist searches for love, happiness — and a wife. Now he's turning 40, getting married, and heading out on yet another quest.

In Ross McElwee's 1986 cult hit, Sherman's March, an idealist searches for love, happiness, and a wife. In Time Indefinite, he's turning 40, getting married, and heading out on yet another quest. Torn between being sick of an abundance of media surrounding the Baby Boomer Generation turning 40 and a need to document his life, McElwee hopes that the people within his generation can relate.

Oscar-winning director Jonathan Demme (Silence of the Lambs) catches up with his long-lost cousin, Robert Castle, a fiery Harlem-based white Episcopal priest in Cousin Bobby. Demme tells the story of how he first heard about the community activism his cousin was involved in.

Oscar-winning director Jonathan Demme (Silence of the Lambs) catches up with his long-lost cousin, Robert Castle, a fiery Harlem-based white Episcopal priest.

The richly textured story of the Dalai Lama of Tibet — spiritual leader, Nobel Laureate — interweaves an inspiring portrayal with the urgent plight of his homeland under Chinese occupation.

The filmmaker talks about how the Dalai Lama's charisma was what led him to making 'Compassion in Exile.'

Winner of over 10 international awards including the Prix Italia and the Sundance Grand Jury Prize, Silverlake Life is an extraordinary video diary about living with AIDS. From the emotional challenge of living with a fatal illness to the frustration of maintaining daily routines, this is a powerful tale of love, commitment, mortality and the strength of the human spirit.

Peter Friedman talks about making the classic film 'Silverlake Life: The View from Here,' and how he tried to capture the spirits of the two men at the center of the film.

In the 1980's when GM decided to reduce their operations in Flint and set up factories south of the border in Mexico, 30,000 of the 80,000 GM workers in Flint lost their jobs. The son of an auto factory worker, Michael Moore decided to embark upon a filmic odyssey to meet General Motors Chairman Roger Smith and convince him to visit Flint for a first-hand look at how the layoffs affected the town.

"Marlon Riggs's Tongues Untied rises above the 'deeply personal' — far above it — in exploring what it means to be black and gay. Angry, funny, erotic and poetic by turns ( and sometimes all at once), it jumps from interview to confession, music video to documentary to poem." — Craig Seligman, San Francisco Examiner

In 'Tongues Untied,' Marlon Riggs examines what it means to be black and gay, confronting homophobia, racism, and mainstream culture with a poetic, angry, erotic, and funny documentary. In this interview from 1991, Riggs reveals his trepidation in making himself and his experiences the center subject of the film.

This bittersweet classic from pioneering filmmakers follows four door-to-door Bible salesmen as they walk the line between hype and despair. The critics used all the superlatives on this one, and it's as fresh today as when it was originally released.

'Salesman' is the bittersweet classic from pioneering filmmakers follows four door-to-door Bible salesmen as they walk the line between hype and despair. Co-directors Albert Maysles and Charlotte Zwerin talk about the goals they set out with when they made 'Salesman' in the 1960s.

David Sutherland's bold and unconventional film portrait reveals one of America's leading Social Realist painters doing what he does best: skewering corrupt politicians, raging over social injustices, and satirizing the petty foibles of humankind.

This chilling — but ultimately hopeful — film explores in evocative, personal and immediate terms how all of us have been affected by the nuclear age. Denounced by officials and shunned by broadcasters when it was first released, many of the issues it raised have become today's front page headlines.