May 26, 2017
Memorial Day: Docs That Capture the Human Experience of War
Sean Axmaker in Lists
There is no shortage of documentaries on war. The subject fascinates us as history, as sociology, and as drama. Some documentaries chronicle history in great detail, some grapple with the…...
May 25, 2017
Filmmakers Capture a Troubled Veteran’s Farm Life
Craig Phillips in Interviews
Farmer/Veteran was made by a trio of talented young filmmakers: Alix Blair documented the lives of women in southwestern Uganda for her Master’s work at Duke University; Jeremy Lange has been…...
May 17, 2017
Teachers Beat the “Macho Culture” in Prisons through Art Programs
826chi in Beyond the Films
In the early 2000s, Hollywood invested in the urban fairy tale where a teacher is called into the principal’s office of a school in a low-income, broken part of town…...
May 17, 2017
Forever Pure: Updates on the Main Players
Independent Lens in Where Are They Now?
Check out this gallery of updates from the past year on all the main players featured in Forever Pure, from former owner Arcadi Gaydamak to players Zaur Sadayev, Dzhabrail Kadiyev,…...
May 17, 2017
Ben Lear Shows Reality and Human Face of Juvenile Justice System
Craig Phillips in Interviews
They Call Us Monsters is Ben Lear's first film as director, but he's not new to the business. Yes, Ben is the son of trailblazing TV producer-writer Norman Lear of All…...
May 17, 2017
Juan and Jarad Write From Prison
Independent Lens in Where Are They Now?
We thought viewers of Ben Lear's They Call Us Monsters may be interested in hearing from the young men featured in the film. Yes, they have a lot of free…...
May 11, 2017
Maya Zinshtein Explores How Soccer and Racism Intersected in Israel
Craig Phillips in Interviews
Israeli journalist-filmmaker Maya Zinshtein is in many ways the perfect person to make a film about the combustible story of Beitar Jerusalem FC, the Israeli soccer club which imploded when…...
May 05, 2017
The Prison Economy: How Do Prisons Affect the Places We Live?
Independent Lens in Beyond the Films
The Independent Lens film The Prison in Twelve Landscapes examines the effect prisons have on the communities around them in both positive and negative ways. Prisons can stimulate the economy and…...
May 05, 2017
Canadian Filmmaker Explores American Prison System’s Long Reach
Craig Phillips in Interviews
Canadian filmmaker Brett Story was recently awarded the inaugural New Visions Award from Canada's DOC Institute, who wrote of her, "Watching Story’s socially engaged but visually driven work provides ample evidence…...
April 28, 2017
Sonia Kennebeck Makes Film About the Human Cost of Drone Wars and Whistleblowing
Craig Phillips in Interviews
Sonia Kennebeck's film National Bird, which was executive produced by renowned filmmakers Errol Morris and Wim Wenders, takes a risk just by making it in the first place. It tells the…...
April 27, 2017
A Drone by Any Other Name: The Different Kinds of Drones
Craig Phillips in Beyond the Films
Drones are at the center of the Independent Lens film National Bird, though the documentary puts a very human face behind military drone operations, focusing on the post-traumatic stress stemming from participating…...
April 21, 2017
Comedians Talk About Pushing Boundaries and Crossing Lines
Craig Phillips in Beyond the Films
Defining what is taboo in comedy is the central question of The Last Laugh: What is out of bounds to talk about in comedy? The film features performers who are no strangers…...