February 20, 2020
As American as the Blues: Lynching in Film and TV
Independent Lens in Beyond the Films
By Ade Adeniji Always in Season explores the history of lynching through the mysterious 2014 death of Lennon Lacy while also looking at historical reenactments of lynching, prompting some to…...
February 19, 2020
Billie Holiday’s Searing “Strange Fruit” Still Has the Power to Startle
Independent Lens in Beyond the Films
By Nick Dedina There are often false narratives we tell ourselves so that we can simplify, and beautify, the past and erase aspects of the present that we are uncomfortable…...
February 14, 2020
A Flood of Myths and Stories
Independent Lens in Beyond the Films
By Lennlee Keep We Believe in Dinosaurs is an exploration of the scientific and historical veracity of the Bible and the construction of an authentic likeness of Noah's Ark in…...
February 12, 2020
Religion, Science and Belief: Unearthing the Thorny Intersection
Craig Phillips in Beyond the Films
Filmmakers Monica Long Ross and Clayton Brown have long been fascinated by how science and culture mix--or don't mix--in America. In short, that relationship is complicated. They directed and produced…...
February 05, 2020
The One-Child Policy Legacy on Women and Relationships in China
Independent Lens in Beyond the Films
By Kristal Sotamayor The one-child policy was introduced to China in 1979, written into the national constitution in 1982, and subsequently ended in 2015. Over the 36 years of the…...
January 28, 2020
From Race Riots to Rainbow Coalitions and Heatwaves: Chicago Activism on Racial and Economic Justice
Craig Phillips in Beyond the Films
It would be foolhardy to try to succinctly sum up the political history of one of America's most historically politically complicated cities--Chicago--in one sweeping post. Rather, consider this a basic…...
December 05, 2019
Mush! One Day in the Life of a Dogsledder
Independent Lens in Beyond the Films
By Blair Braverman Writer and dogsled racer Blair Braverman, who spent two summers working as a dogsled guide on a glacier in Alaska, also wrote the acclaimed book Welcome to…...
November 15, 2019
For Tribal Communities, Battle Over Land Is Nothing New
Independent Lens in Beyond the Films
By Jordan Dresser Sometimes, two people can look out of the same window and see two very different things. This outlook sprang to my mind while watching Treva Wurmfeld’s Conscience…...
November 04, 2019
How the Burning of the Bronx Led to the Birth of Hip-Hop
Independent Lens in Beyond the Films
Joshua Jelly-Schapiro, a geographer and writer who co-edited, with Rebecca Solnit, the remarkable, fascinating book Nonstop Metropolis: A New York City Atlas, helped us create a playlist to accompany both Decade of…...
October 25, 2019
“A Scene I’ll Never Forget.” Filmmaker Intimately Captures Surrogacy Journey in Boise
Craig Phillips in Beyond the Films
Emmy and Peabody-winning producer/director Beth Aala has gone from a Pool Party (her first film as director) filled with amazing music, the story of how a swimming pool became the center of a…...
October 22, 2019
Surrogacy Facts and Myths: How Much Do You Know?
Independent Lens in Beyond the Films
By Lennlee Keep In 2018, over 100 children were born in Boise, Idaho, through surrogacy. The story behind this unique baby boom is explored in the Independent Lens documentary Made…...
July 02, 2019
Space Scientists of Color, and the “Afronauts”
Independent Lens in Beyond the Films
By Satu Runa What drives humankind to explore? There are several factors that can embolden a person to “seek out new civilizations” or “boldly go where no one has gone…...