Brother
A filmmaker’s intimate phone calls with her brother explore his fragile recovery from opioid addiction. Read More
Interviews
May 09, 2022
At Remote High School, Indigenous Teens Dream of a Glittering Future
Craig Phillips in Beyond the Films
South African-born, Utah-based documentarian Jared Jakins, currently the film curator at Granary Arts Center in Ephraim, Utah, is interested in stories of cultural intersection, and documenting communities and identities emerging…...
Beyond the Films
May 02, 2022
A Wild Two Years Since ‘Try Harder’: What You Need to Know About Lowell High School
Independent Lens in Beyond the Films
By Holly McDede Bay Area filmmaker Debbie Lum’s documentary Try Harder! captures the unnerving pressure facing seniors at San Francisco’s elite Lowell High School, where students need high grades and…...
Test Your Knowledge
April 28, 2022
A Hard “Try Harder!” Quiz: Are You Smarter than a High Schooler?
Independent Lens in Test Your Knowledge
Out of all the facts and figures that you were ever tested on, how much did you actually retain? This quiz may prove "not much!" Test yourself on actual questions…...
Interviews
April 27, 2022
How Today’s High School Students Face High Pressure in a Grind Culture
Independent Lens in Beyond the Films
By Gail Cornwall Christina Zhang, 16, averages a couple hours of free time a day, but it’s hard to watch Netflix. “The whole time you’re thinking about, ‘Oh, what if…...
Interviews
April 22, 2022
Telling Asian American Stories That Resonate: Filmmaker Explores Why These High School Students Are Stressed Out
Craig Phillips in Behind the Films
During her long time living in the San Francisco Bay Area, filmmaker Debbie Lum was greatly influenced by working as an editor for documentarian Spencer Nakasako. Lum as a youth…...
Watch Video
March 05, 2022
Remember These Classic PBS Educational TV Shows?
Independent Lens in Lifestyle
[Carmen Sandiego image courtesy producer Howard Blumenthal] By Ade D. Adeniji Sesame Street. Magic School Bus. Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. Reading Rainbow. Millennials and Gen Xers were lucky enough to come…...
Interviews
February 08, 2022
What Americans Will Do to Feel Safe in Schools
Craig Phillips in Beyond the Films
What is the cost of feeling "safe" in American classrooms in an era when mass shootings have become more commonplace? The documentary Bulletproof takes a unique vérité approach in exploring…...
Beyond the Films
November 30, 2021
Three Arapaho Boys: Reclaiming Their Lives and Retelling Their Stories
Independent Lens in Beyond the Films
This article was published in tandem with the Independent Lens documentary Home from School: The Children of Carlisle By Jordan Dresser When the Indian wars were coming to a close…...
Interviews
November 22, 2021
Northern Arapaho Tribal Members Find Hope in the Unacknowledged History That Haunts Our Present
Craig Phillips in Behind the Films
The Wyoming-based team behind Home From School: The Children of Carlisle worked together to make a powerful documentary about a tribe coming together. It is the story of Northern Arapaho…...
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,…...