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