Blog

Black and white photograph of six women, one man, and a child in 1800s clothing standing behind a well-stocked bookshelf in a library.
September, 10, 2024

Free for All: The Public Library

Independent Lens

Free for All: Inside the Public Library tells the story of the quiet revolutionaries who made a simple idea happen. From the pioneering women behind the “Free Library Movement” to today's librarians who service the public despite working in a…
Two young girls, backlit by the sun, take a selfie in front of the ocean.
Beyond the Films
October, 26, 2022

The Real People Behind Shadowbanned TikTok Accounts

Independent Lens in Beyond the Films

By Andy Hirschfeld Tensions are especially high across the globe right now, and on TikTok, knee-jerk reactions may drive some people into—or out of—their 15 minutes of fame. With that comes both empowerment and validation, but also hurtful comments and…
A woman in a green and gold sari videotapes an interview with her smartphone. Another woman looks on behind her.
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 examined more than 500 companies in nearly 60 countries. The…
May, 3, 2021

Out of State

Independent Lens

Out of State is an inside look at the lives of two native Hawaiians sent thousands of miles away from the tropical islands to a private prison in the Arizona desert. In this unlikely setting, David and Hale find a…
4 members of Philly D.A's office in designed group shot
Beyond the Films
April, 27, 2021

Who’s Who in Philly D.A.

Independent Lens in Beyond the Films

As you watch the epic eight-part docuseries Philly D.A. unfold, you may want help keeping track of key figures in this sprawling story of the battle over criminal justice reform in America’s sixth-largest metropolitan area. Here are some of the characters, both…
A person scanning their face on smartphone on city street, in a Still from Coded Bias, directed by Shalini Kantayya
Beyond the Films
April, 5, 2021

Coded Bias” Asks: Are Our Faces Being Used Against Us?

Independent Lens in Beyond the Films

By Christina Sturdivant Sani Coded Bias begins with MIT researcher Joy Boulamwini’s quest to find out why facial recognition technology inaccurately viewed her beautifully-hued brown face. After viewing the documentary with my friend India, a UX designer, and my husband Hamzat,…
MIT researcher Joy Buolamwini in Coded Bias
Behind the Films
April, 3, 2021

“Coded Bias” Explores Blurring of Real and Imagined Artificial Intelligence

Craig Phillips in Behind the Films

Shalini Kantayya has directed visually eye-catching and memorable work for both National Geographic TV with Breakthrough, a series profiling trailblazing scientists transforming the future) and the documentary Catching the Sun, about the race for a clean energy future, a New…
Actor Jared Leto, wearing a red beanie, lights a blow torch in the dark.
Behind the Films
January, 6, 2021

How Jared Leto and 92 Film Crews Captured 24 Hours in America

Craig Phillips in Behind the Films

In some ways, you'd think Jared Leto, Oscar-winning actor, movie star, and frontman for Platinum-selling band (with his brother Shannon) 30 Seconds to Mars, would not need much of an introduction. But now you can add another hat, with a…
The Philadelphia D.A., a man with light skin tone, gray hair, and glasses, sits in a leather chair flanked by his team: two rows of people with various skin tones wearing business casual attire.
December, 15, 2020

Philly D.A.

Independent Lens

In 2017, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania had one of the highest incarceration rates of any major city in the United States. And it’s become the epicenter of a historic experiment that could shape the future of prosecution in America for decades to…
Black and white photograph of a woman speaking into a megaphone at a rally for equal pay.
November, 25, 2020

9to5: The Story of a Movement

Independent Lens

They couldn’t kill their bosses, so they did the next best thing  — they organized. When Dolly Parton sang “9 to 5,” she was doing more than just shining a light on the fate of American working women. Parton was…
A woman's hand is handcuffed to a hospital bed.
Behind the Films
November, 18, 2020

Filmmaker Exposes Shocking Pattern of Illegal Sterilizations in Women’s Prisons

Craig Phillips in Behind the Films

Erika Cohn has made powerful documentaries for Independent Lens before and is no stranger to telling intimate, surprising stories in tense environments: her Peabody Award-winning film The Judge showed Shari’a law in a new light to Western eyes, through the…
From animation of Pepe the Frog playing a video game with pal, from Matt Furie art
Behind the Films
October, 2, 2020

How a Cartoon Frog Became a Symbol for a “Confounding Moment in Our History”

Craig Phillips in Behind the Films

Filmmakers Arthur Jones and Giorgio Angelini both bring very unique artistic backgrounds to the drawing table that led to the fruitful collaboration for Feels Good Man, which is Jones' feature film debut. Both are well-suited to tell the vivid tale…