November 03, 2021
Feisty Community Newspapers That Are Surviving or Thriving Against the Odds
Independent Lens in Beyond the Films
By Julie Reynolds Martinez The Storm Lake Times, as featured in the documentary Storm Lake, isn’t the only small, independent newspaper to hang on in the age of news deserts.…...
October 08, 2021
The Damage from Gay Conversion Therapy Still Lingers for Many LGBTQ+ People
Independent Lens in Beyond the Films
By Caitlin Cruz In 1973, the American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from the list of diagnosable mental illnesses, a monumental victory for early queer activists. Despite this successful effort, queer…...
May 24, 2021
UPDATE: LaTonya Myers Inspires Others to Reform the Justice System
Independent Lens in Beyond the Films
By Renée Gasch LaTonya Myers spent nine months in jail because she couldn’t afford bail. Assessed as a “high-risk” to society by a computer algorithm, she faced the toughest of…...
April 29, 2021
Which of These 8 Fictional District Attorney Characters Do You Remember?
Independent Lens in Beyond the Films
By Ade D. Adeniji Philly D.A.,the eight-episode docu-series on PBS, explores the unlikely emergence of Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, who runs on a progressive platform, and wins with nearly…...
April 27, 2021
Who’s Who in Philly D.A.
Independent Lens in Beyond the Films
As you watch the epic eight-part docuseries Philly D.A. unfold, you may want help keeping track of key figures in this sprawling story of the battle over criminal justice reform in America’s…...
April 09, 2021
Philadelphia Has a Long History of Fights Over Criminal Justice Reform
Independent Lens in Beyond the Films
By Kristal Sotomayor In order to understand the rich history of criminal reform work, up through the vivid stories of crime and punishment presented in the docuseries Philly D.A., it…...
April 05, 2021
Coded Bias” Asks: Are Our Faces Being Used Against Us?
Independent Lens in Beyond the Films
By Christina Sturdivant Sani Coded Bias begins with MIT researcher Joy Boulamwini’s quest to find out why facial recognition technology inaccurately viewed her beautifully-hued brown face. After viewing the documentary with…...
February 22, 2021
Who Was Mr. SOUL?
Craig Phillips in Beyond the Films
If you're of a certain generation and familiar at all with the late '60s and early '70s groundbreaking public TV show SOUL!, you may recognize the name Ellis Haizlip, but…...
February 17, 2021
Listen Up: How Music Was the Heart of SOUL!
Independent Lens in Beyond the Films
by Nick Dedina Today we take it for granted that Black culture is mainstream American culture. But, before the age of hip-hop, cable TV, the internet, streaming, and mobile phones,…...
![On the set of SOUL! with Ellis Haizlip interviewing Melvin Van Peebles [Credit: Chester Higgins]](https://staging.pbs.org/independentlens/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/MR_SOUL_stanlathan_ellishaizlip_Melvin-Van-Peebles-650x650-c-default.jpg)
February 09, 2021
How SOUL! Helped Pave the Way for Black Cultural Programming
Independent Lens in Beyond the Films
By Ade D. Adeniji Mr. SOUL! explores America’s first Black variety television show SOUL!, which ran from 1968 to 1973, and was steered by pioneering Black producer and host Ellis…...
January 27, 2021
Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” Still Packs a Punch
Independent Lens in Beyond the Films
By Lennlee Keep There isn't much the whole world seems to agree on, but I have yet to meet a person who doesn't love Dolly Parton. She's funny, glamorous, famous,…...
January 21, 2021
Working Women’s Wardrobe: How the 1970s Opened Feminist Fashion
Independent Lens in Beyond the Films
By Marlen Komar In the early 1970s, a group of Boston secretaries came together to improve the working conditions in their offices. Tired of low pay, lack of advancement opportunities,…...