Blog

magician's gloved hands conjuring up magic and iphones
Beyond the Films

March 24, 2016

Magic in the Modern Age: Do You (Still) Believe in Magic?

Lisa Ko in Beyond the Films

Legendary stage magician and escapologist James “The Amazing” Randi broke out of 22 jails during his career, going so far as to break Harry Houdini’s record of time spent inside…...

Dayshal Dicks with her niece Brianna Hallingquest
Beyond the Films

February 23, 2016

African Americans Hit Hardest by HIV in the South

Lisa Ko in Beyond the Films

While HIV/AIDS is no longer a death sentence to the same extent it was 20 years ago, 50,000 Americans are diagnosed with HIV each year, and the disparities are startling…...

FBI terrorism task force agents on surveillance mission
Beyond the Films

February 19, 2016

A Former FBI Agent Talks About Handling Informants

Craig Phillips in Beyond the Films

Since 2009, paid FBI informants have played a central role in nearly 50% of all domestic terrorism cases. Informants, who can earn up to $100,000 per case, are instructed to…...

Ballerinas Raven Wilkinson and Misty Copeland hold hands.
Beyond the Films

February 05, 2016

Breaking Barriers on Stage: African American Ballet Dancers Who Made History

Craig Phillips in Beyond the Films

As we learn in A Ballerina's Tale, Nelson George's new documentary about Misty Copeland's Eurocentric standards of body shape, muscle tone, and skin color excluded dancers who didn't fit the wan mold…...

From No Mas Bebes, Maria Hurtado in the abandoned maternity ward of the Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center
Beyond the Films

January 29, 2016

Unwanted Sterilization and Eugenics Programs in the United States

Lisa Ko in Beyond the Films

Coerced sterilization is a shameful part of America’s history, and one doesn't have to go too far back to find examples of it. Used as a means of controlling “undesirable”…...

Beyond the Films

January 23, 2016

Hawaiian Food: A History and Recipes for Your Football Feast

Independent Lens in Beyond the Films

Honolulu chef Mark Noguchi of Mission Social Hall & Cafe and his wife Amanda make a great team. "One of us handles the logistics and delegates responsibilities (so we don’t end up…...

Stephen, at home, explaining how you know when you're in love
Film History

January 09, 2016

More Than Rain Man: Autism Portrayals on Screen

Noel Murray in Beyond the Films

For a long time, the Oscar-winning 1988 drama Rain Man wasn’t just the best-known representation of autism on film, it was a lot of people’s only frame of reference for…...

Cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond
Interviews

January 07, 2016

From the Archive: Cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond Talks Motion Picture Making

Independent Lens in Beyond the Films

In memory of Vilmos Zsigmond, the legendary cinematographer who died New Years Day, we reached into the Independent Lens archive for an interview Mr. Zsigmond gave us in June 2010…...

Dona and her mother Mimi stand on their suburban Dallas porch
Beyond the Films

November 21, 2015

The Cost of Love: Caring for Adults with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities

Craig Phillips in Beyond the Films

Did you know that November is National Family Caregiver Month? (Here are some suggested ways of thanking the caregivers in your life.) The care of aging adults is a problem we all…...

rape protesters in India hold a candle-lit vigil

November 14, 2015

Anti-Rape Culture Activism Takes to the Streets and Online

Craig Phillips in Beyond the Films

When you watch the harrowing, even jaw-dropping, film India's Daughter, which premieres Monday on Independent Lens [check local listings], the case of the rape and murder of Jyoti Singh will stay with…...

Clela Rorex, Richard Adams, and Tony Sullivan re-united decades after Clela issues the couple's groundbreaking marriage license.
Interviews

June 12, 2015

Bringing the Same-Sex Marriage Debate Full Circle

Craig Phillips in Beyond the Films

Tony Sullivan is no stranger to practicing the art of patience. He navigated through decades of legal fights with the U.S. government over both his own legal status as an…...

Young African American man sits on a park bench in winter clothing.

April 09, 2015

Homeless but Not Hopeless: Homeless Youth in America

Craig Phillips in Beyond the Films

Youth homelessness is on the rise in the United States, and the numbers aren't pretty. One in 30 kids (nearly 2.5 million children) of K-12 school age are now homeless in the…...