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…...
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…...
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…...
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…...
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…...
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…...
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…...
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…...
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…...
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…...
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…...
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…...