Hidden Letters
Silent Beauty
Underground
The hustle and bustle of New York City subways provides a veil of anonymity, making invasions of personal space inevitable. There are innocuous interactions, but also violations that cross the line. Vividly shot in New York subways and stations, Underground emboldens the survivors of… Read More
Our League
Following an extended hiatus, Michelle Guzowski takes a risk by returning to her favorite local bowling alley in the Ohio Rust Belt, after coming out to fellow bowlers as a transgender woman. While the alley’s new owners made it seem a welcoming space, the… Read More
Beyond the Films
March 28, 2022
Women Journalists Are Targeted Just for Reporting the Facts
Independent Lens in Beyond the Films
By Lennlee Keep Journalism is a male-dominated field around the globe. A global report on the Status of Women in the News Media by the International Women in Media foundation…...
Interviews
March 15, 2022
Oscar-Nominated “Writing With Fire” Goes Inside India’s Only All-Women Newspaper
Craig Phillips in Interviews
Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh, co-directors, made a long journey metaphorically and literally with their film Writing With Fire, from northern India's Uttar Pradesh state, where they worked on the…...
Interviews
February 11, 2022
How Incarceration Affects Mothers and Their Children
Craig Phillips in Beyond the Films
Jennifer Redfearn, an Oscar-nominated director and producer (Sun Come Up) and current director of the documentary program at UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism, made the documentary Apart—with producer/cinematographer Tim…...
Interviews
January 06, 2022
Filmmaker and Clemente Course Students Team Up to Reckon with Systemic Racism
Craig Phillips in Behind the Films
A most unusual arrangement helped A Reckoning in Boston get to its final form. Three individuals with widely divergent backgrounds teamed up for what became a collaborative story about Clemente…...
Test Your Knowledge
November 17, 2021
QUIZ: Which Bucket List Is Yours?
Craig Phillips in Test Your Knowledge
How about your own bucket list? What would be on it? One of the most fun—and moving—storylines in the documentary Duty Free is how filmmaker Sian-Pierre Regis was able to…...
November 10, 2021
“This film has defined me”: A Son’s Bucket List Journey with His Mother
Craig Phillips in Behind the Films
Sian-Pierre Regis has been many things: a journalist, an influencer in multiple social media spheres, founder of online cultural magazine Swagger.NYC, and contributor to outlets including CNN, CNNi, HLN, CBSN,…...
Lists
September 17, 2021
Road Trippin’, Part II: These Documentaries Will Show You All 50 States
Craig Phillips in Lists
[related-link link="https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/blog/road-trippin-part-1-documentaries-for-every-state/" link_title="Read Part I: Road Trippin' here >>"] [pictured at left, in the side mirror: a scene from Tacos of Texas (Brownsville)] We continue our epic journey across America…...
Lists
September 17, 2021
Road Trippin’ Part I: These Documentaries Will Show You All 50 States
Craig Phillips in Lists
Rev up your virtual station wagon and pack your bags for a road trip across America through documentary film. No documentary or double feature will capture an entire state's essence,…...