Blog

Iranian musician Shahin Najafi performing, in When God Sleeps
January, 18, 2018

When God Sleeps

Independent Lens

Would you risk your life for what you believe in? When God Sleeps is a rap-punk-rock documentary about Iranian musician Shahin Najafi, who is forced into hiding after hardline clerics issue a fatwa for his death, incensed by a rap…
James Baldwin on the Dick Cavett Show
Interviews
January, 10, 2018

How “I Am Not Your Negro” Filmmaker Reopened James Baldwin’s “House”

Craig Phillips in Interviews

The worldly Haitian-born filmmaker Raoul Peck and his family fled the Duvalier dictatorship in 1961 and found asylum in the Democratic Republic of Congo, before Peck finished his schooling in the United States, France, and Germany. Currently living in both France and…
Rick Hall stands on a hillside in Muscle Shoals.
Announcements
January, 3, 2018

Muscle Shoals’ Rick Hall Passes Away

Craig Phillips in Announcements

Sad news to report, that Rick Hall, the star of the Independent Lens film Muscle Shoals, has died at the age of 85 after a long illness. The Fame Studios founder, who is credited with launching the career of such music…
Armistead Maupin at typewriter in the 1970s, from Untold Tales
Beyond the Films
December, 18, 2017

Take the Armistead Maupin and Tales of the City Pop Quiz!

Independent Lens in Beyond the Films

How much do you know about Armistead Maupin and about his beloved Tales of the City series? Are you a Maupin superfan? Take this quiz we created for both for longtime fans and those who are newer to Maupin and Tales to…
Filmmaker Jennifer Kroot interviews Maupin at steps to the real-life inspiration for Barbary Lane in Tales of the City
Interviews
December, 15, 2017

From North Carolina to San Francisco: Jennifer Kroot Tells the Tales of Maupin

Craig Phillips in Interviews

Jennifer Kroot brings a background in underground filmmaking to her documentaries and uses that sensibility to create surprises within her stories. The San Francisco-based filmmaker first caught the eye of writer Armistead Maupin when he saw her documentary To Be…
Naomi Kutin gets make-up before her Bat Mitzvah, in Supergirl
Beyond the Films
December, 11, 2017

On Supergirls, Sasha Fierce, Slim Shady and Having an Alter Ego

Independent Lens in Beyond the Films

By Michelle Konstantinovsky Naomi Kutin is technically the central subject of the new Independent Lens documentary Supergirl. But as the film unfolds, viewers learn fairly quickly that there are actually two equally important protagonists: Kutin and her all-powerful alter ego, "Supergirl." At first…
John Coltrane in concert; credit: Don Schlitten
Interviews
October, 31, 2017

Filmmaker John Scheinfeld Chases Coltrane’s Legacy

Craig Phillips in Interviews

Filmmaker John Scheinfeld is no stranger to taking on challenging subjects for documentaries. The Emmy®, Grammy® and Writers Guild Award nominee and writer/director/producer's other films include The U.S. vs. John Lennon, Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin' About…
an abstract shot of John Coltrane playing sax, as if through water
Beyond the Films
October, 31, 2017

Chasing Trane Playlist: Coltrane and His Disciples

Independent Lens in Beyond the Films

By Nick Dedina, Guest Contributor Drop a needle on a John Coltrane record, hit play on one of his digital playlists, or watch Chasing Trane and it’s easy to understand why the saxophonist is universally revered as a musical giant. The…
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 Novick’s previous films The War (about WWII) and Prohibition (about…
From Poster Art for Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin
August, 30, 2017

The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin

Independent Lens

The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin examines the life and work of one of the world's most beloved storytellers, following his evolution from a conservative son of the Old South into a gay rights pioneer whose novels have inspired millions…
From Paul Fierlinger's Still Life with Animated Dogs, his dog Spinnaker
Lists
August, 24, 2017

Dogumentary Now: 7 Docs About Urban Dogs

Sharon Knolle in Lists

Just like the human population, dogs in the city can live a life of luxury or — sadly — roam the streets looking for food, shelter and the occasional kind touch. In honor of National Dog Day (Aug. 26) and…
Montage of images from each of 20 films from Independent Lens 2016-17 season
Announcements
June, 30, 2017

2016-17 Independent Lens Audience Award Poll! The Winner Is…

Craig Phillips in Announcements

It's time to vote for your own personal favorite from the just-concluded 2016-2017 season of Independent Lens. The voting period will run through 5 pm PT Friday, July 21. There were 20 films in this season that lasted from October through…