Blog

Bringing back a bounty of nutria, in Rodents of Unusual Size
Interviews

January 10, 2019

11 Questions for 3 Filmmakers About a Million Swamp Rats

Craig Phillips in Beyond the Films

The trio of filmmakers behind the Independent Lens film Rodents of Unusual Size -- Jeff Springer, Chris Metzler and Quinn Costello -- have previously captured unique environmental stories with a very…...

From the film Rodents of Unusual Size, animation of nutria overrunning on island in Louisiana
Beyond the Films

January 04, 2019

Invasive Species Turned into Sustainable Delicacies

826chi in Beyond the Films

by Claralyse Palmer Vegetarianism has become synonymous with environmentalism, the idea being that going meat-free saves not just animals but the planet (which certainly has some truth to it, especially…...

Ulali (Charly Lowry, Pura Fe, Layla Locklear, Jennifer Kreisberg) Photo by David MacLeod
Lists

January 04, 2019

RUMBLE On: More Native American Musicians You Should Know

Independent Lens in Beyond the Films

by Gregg McVicar, Host and producer of UnderCurrents on Native Voice One Rock and roll was born in the United States, and it makes sense that some of its forerunners…...

Interviews

November 12, 2018

Filmmakers Navigate the Secretive World of Social Media Censorship in Atmosphere of Fear

Craig Phillips in Beyond the Films

You know German filmmakers Moritz Riesewieck and Hans Block are sharp-minded characters when you learn they work collaboratively under the label “Laokoon,” named after the legendary Trojan seer Laocoön who…...

Test Your Knowledge

November 08, 2018

Delete or Ignore? Pretend You’re a Facebook Content Moderator

Independent Lens in Beyond the Films

In 2018, after much debate and controversy, Facebook finally published its censorship policies. All 27 pages of them. The move, wrote the LA Times, "adds a new degree of transparency…...

Beyond the Films

October 24, 2018

The Toll: Wildland Firefighters Share Stories from the Job

Craig Phillips in Beyond the Films

Fallen firefighter Robert E. Caldwell, a Granite Mountain hotshot who perished in the Yarnell Hill Fire in Arizona, said to a comrade, "I’d rather die in my boots than live…...

Filmmaker turned firefighter Alex Jablonksi, on the job for
Behind the Films

October 19, 2018

Filmmakers Turned Firefighters Venture Behind the Lines in “Wildland”

Craig Phillips in Beyond the Films

Filmmaker Alex Jablonski and his filmmaking partner Khalil Hudson had quite the arduous, smoke-filled journey to make the film Wildland. The documentary premieres on Independent Lens Monday, Oct. 29. Alex told…...

Lifestyle

July 20, 2018

Great American Melting (Crock)Pot: Comfort Food Recipes from Independent Lens Family

Craig Phillips in Beyond the Films

In trying times, we turn to food. Especially comfort food, recipes from childhood, from our families, that warm our spirits and send us back to simpler times. We reached out…...

Woman soldier in the army pledging allegiance with US flag behind her; image by By Sean Locke Photography and Shutterstock
Beyond the Films

May 27, 2018

Things Only Women Who Served in the Military Would Understand

Independent Lens in Beyond the Films

We asked a few women veterans one question and one question only: What are things only women who've served in the military would understand?  Denyse Gordon (at right), who served 12 years…...

Don't Tread on Me flag in foreground, watch tower in background, from No Man's Land
Beyond the Films

May 03, 2018

Takeovers and Occupations: A Survey of American Mini-Rebellions and Political Stands

Craig Phillips in Beyond the Films

In the Independent Lens No Man's Land, we get a fly on the wall sense of the tense armed takeover and 41-day standoff at Oregon's Malheur Wildlife Refuge, led by rancher…...

Actor/writer Nick Offerman
Behind the Films

April 20, 2018

Five Questions with Nick Offerman about Wendell Berry

Craig Phillips in Behind the Films

Look & See: Wendell Berry's Kentucky co-producer Nick Offerman, an actor of many an indie film and of course on TV's Parks & Recreation, Fargo, and author of Paddle Your Own…...

The Masumoto family farmers on a tractor in the Central Valley California peach farm
Beyond the Films

April 18, 2018

Organic Farmer, Writer Mas Masumoto Shares Sense of Place with Wendell Berry

Independent Lens in Beyond the Films

by Mas Masumoto [pullquote]"The two of us have something often overlooked in today's fast-paced world: history on the land and a sense of place."[/pullquote]I dream of Wendell Berry visiting my…...