Blog

From an animation in Feels Good Man of a desktop full of memes, Pepe the frog and otherwise
Beyond the Films

October 09, 2020

From Kilroy to Pepe: A Brief History of Memes

Independent Lens in Beyond the Films

By Lennlee Keep What do Pepe the Frog, the Spanish Inquisition, the blinking guy, the French Revolution, concern for the environment, and the Third Reich all have in common? These…...

Beyond the Films

August 27, 2020

The Science of Kindness: It’s Not Easy Being Nice

Independent Lens in Beyond the Films

Author Josh Kurz is a science communicator and filmmaker, and the co-creator of the audio program Shabam, which uses a zombie apocalypse to talk about real science. By Josh Kurz…...

huge Pipe Organ in Montreal church
Beyond the Films

June 17, 2020

Six Unusual Instruments and How They Work

Independent Lens in Beyond the Films

By Ade D. Adeniji Stacy Tenenbaum’s film Pipe Dreams features four young organ players competing in the prestigious Canadian International Organ Competition, held every few years in Montreal. What’s striking…...

Test Your Knowledge

June 16, 2020

Do You Live in a News Bubble?

Independent Lens in Beyond the Films

By Brooke Shelby Biggs Whether you think of her as a visionary or a kook, Marion Stokes was far ahead of her time in addressing a problem in American media…...

Riding a motorbike on Rapa Nui (Easter Island)
Where Are They Now?

May 21, 2020

The Island, the Tourist, and the Pandemic

Independent Lens in Beyond the Films

By Sergio Rapu Don’t you wish you were living out the pandemic on a beautiful secluded island right about now? What I have learned is that, though enjoyable in the…...

Beach cleanup under way on Rapa Nui while the famous statues loom in background
Beyond the Films

May 12, 2020

Rapa Nui and Other Fragile Lands Rally Against Tourism Pollution

Independent Lens in Beyond the Films

By Satu Runa In a story that begins with a heartfelt message to their infant son about the unique character of his ancestral home Rapa Nui (also known as Easter…...

Cancer researcher Jim Allison playing his blues harmonica
Beyond the Films

April 21, 2020

Meet the Mavericks of Science and Medicine

Independent Lens in Beyond the Films

by Heather Archuletta [caption id="" align="alignright" width="500"] Ignaz Semmelweis[/caption] In 1847, Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis proposed a simple tactic: wash your hands. It’s difficult to imagine this as a medical “breakthrough,”…...

Image by Tumisu from Pixabay
Beyond the Films

April 12, 2020

Rural Perspective on Mental Health Care in a Time of Crisis

Independent Lens in Beyond the Films

by Rooney Elmi Kenneth Paul Rosenberg MD’s Bedlam profiles of one of the most pervasive and stigmatized public health crises: mental illness. Taking its titular inspiration from the infamous English…...

Kenneth Paul Rosenberg, MD
Interviews

April 08, 2020

“My Family’s Tragedy Is an American Tragedy”: Bedlam Filmmaker’s Journey to Depict Mental Health Crisis

Craig Phillips in Beyond the Films

In his film Bedlam, Kenneth Paul Rosenberg, MD follows the lives of three patients who find themselves with a chronic lack of institutional support, while he also weaves in his…...

Beyond the Films

April 06, 2020

Peer Support and the Complexity of Mental Health

Independent Lens in Beyond the Films

By Lennlee Keep The film Bedlam explores mental illness from the perspectives of physicians, politicians, parents, and patients themselves. The power of documentary film is that it generates conversations about…...

Brian and Longlan Stuy at their home office for Research-China (from One Child Nation)
Beyond the Films

March 26, 2020

This Couple Finds Answers for Adopted Daughters From China

Craig Phillips in Beyond the Films

Brian and Long Lan Stuy are a Utah couple who have adopted three daughters from China: Meikina from DianBai, Meigon from Guangzhou, and Meilan from Luoyang. After discovering that documentation…...

Simon from Blind Love on a date
Interviews

March 06, 2020

“Is Attraction Different in the Absence of Sight?”

Independent Lens in Beyond the Films

By Kemberlie Spivey Australian-born independent filmmaker Patricia Zagarella has been creating documentaries for over ten years and co-produced the Emmy-award winning documentary Baring It All. That film followed fashion photographer…...