Blog

Dolores Huerta and some of her kids, in a home movie seen in
Lists

May 09, 2019

Motherhood: The Universal Story, in Films

Sharon Knolle in Lists


Motherhood is universal – none of us would be here without our moms. For some, that relationship is loving and supportive; for others, it's fraught with complications. Especially if Mom…...

Kids in Rose Street, Baltimore, in Charm City
Beyond the Films

April 16, 2019

What “The Wire” Got Right, and Wrong, About Baltimore (and How “Charm City” Fills in the Rest)

Independent Lens in Beyond the Films

By Lee Gardner Baltimoreans who venture beyond the I-695 beltway always know it’s coming. We meet someone from another city, or another country. They find out we’re from Baltimore, and…...

Elvis Presley's Rolls-Royce parks in front of a row house, in The King
Lists

January 23, 2019

Elvis and the Death of the American Dream, Through Movies

Sean Axmaker in Beyond the Films

Elvis Presley is ostensibly the subject of The King, Eugene Jarecki's expansive road movie of a documentary. The award-winning director drives Presley's 1963 Rolls-Royce across the US, from Mississippi and…...

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…...

Photo by Juja Han on Unsplash
Lifestyle

December 18, 2018

Favorite Nonfiction Podcasts That Will Keep You Glued to Your Headphones

Independent Lens in Lifestyle

By Brooke Shelby Biggs We nonfiction nerds who are compulsive documentary watchers are usually also public radio listeners and magazine readers. Who among us doesn’t have a closet full of…...

Photo by Philippe Put,
Lifestyle

August 29, 2018

Paperback Throwback: Favorite Comfort Books

Craig Phillips in Lifestyle

There's something about a paperback book, that fading feel of a flexible, tangible book, of buying one used and finding weird notes scribbled in the margins, the musty smell after…...

Man leaping while heading a soccer ball, in a park; creative commons image via PixaBay
Watch Video

June 11, 2018

Kick It with the 9 Most Unforgettable Soccer Commercials

Craig Phillips in Lists

As far as I'm concerned, soccer is a year-round sport. I can find a footie game on the telly from somewhere in the world anytime I want, but the World…...

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…...

Dolores Huerta at a press conference, as seen in the movie Dolores
Independent Film

March 08, 2018

From Jane to Dolores, Agnès to Elsa, Documentaries on Unheralded Women Who Made History

Sharon Knolle in Independent Film

In celebration of Women's History Month (every March), we focus on great recent documentaries about great women, all who forged their own path in times and places where that wasn't expected…...

Wooden Figure Lying On Floor Watching Television, By Andrey_Popov, via Shutterstock
Lists

February 13, 2018

Beyond Romance: Searching for the Meaning of Love on Screen

Independent Lens in Lists

Although there are as many ways to love as there are people to do the loving, we are trained from an early age to value the pair-bond above all else.…...

Miriam Makeba (r) with Dizzy Gillespie in France 1991
Beyond the Films

January 30, 2018

For “Winnie”: Anti-Apartheid Songs of Protest

Independent Lens in Beyond the Films

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Miriam Makeba and Dizzy Gillespie, 1991[/caption] By Sarah Bardeen, guest contributor Modern South Africa was forged in apartheid. The struggle defined life for generations of South…...

Anti-War March Chicago, 1968 (public domain)
Lists

September 13, 2017

12 Documentaries About the Vietnam War on the American Homefront

Noel Murray in Lists

On Sunday, September 17th, PBS will debut the latest project from Ken Burns and his frequent collaborator Lynn Novick: the ten-part, 18-hour series The Vietnam War. Just like Burns and…...