Blog

Vik Muniz portrait of man in a bathtub with shawl on his head with garbage dump in background, recreating Jacques-Louis David's famous painting, "The Death of Marat."
April, 19, 2011

Waste Land

Independent Lens

Filmed over nearly three years, Waste Land follows renowned artist Vik Muniz as he journeys from his home base in Brooklyn to his native Brazil and the world's largest garbage dump, Jardim Gramacho, located on the outskirts of Rio de…
Three people survey a quarry in Appalachia.
November, 23, 2010

Deep Down

Independent Lens

Beverly May and Terry Ratliff grew up like kin on opposite sides of a mountain ridge in eastern Kentucky. Now in their 50s, the two find themselves in the midst of a debate dividing their community and the world: who…
May, 25, 2010

A Village Called Versailles

Independent Lens

More than three decades ago, Vietnamese refugees began to settle in Versailles, a then-isolated community in eastern New Orleans. By the early 2000s, this working-class enclave was home to 8,000 residents. But although the community had accomplished material successes, it…
A child and an adult hold hands while riding two separate horses.
May, 11, 2010

The Horse Boy

Independent Lens

When their son is diagnosed with autism, one Texas couple seeks the best medical treatment. Nothing works — until they discover their son’s connection to horses, and take a spiritual journey to Mongolia on an epic quest for healing.
Young man views Cairo skyline.
April, 27, 2010

Garbage Dreams

Independent Lens

On the outskirts of Cairo lies the world’s largest garbage village. A labyrinth of narrow roadways camouflaged by trash, the village is home to 60,000 Zaballeen — Arabic for “garbage people.” Long before today’s “green” initiatives, the Zaballeen have survived…
A woman kneels in a field holding a handful of dirt and smiling
April, 20, 2010

Dirt! The Movie

Independent Lens

Floods, drought, climate change, and even war are all directly related to the fate of humble dirt. Made from the same elements as stars, plants, and human beings, dirt is very much alive. One teaspoon of dirt contains a billion…
A smiling man in a suit sitting on a front stoop next to a small dog
February, 16, 2010

Mine

Independent Lens

As Hurricane Katrina bore down on New Orleans, the mayor issued a last-minute order for everyone to evacuate. In the clamor to get out of the city, many pet owners left their animals with food and water, fully intending to…
November, 10, 2009

D tour

Independent Lens

Pat Spurgeon is a drummer with Rogue Wave, an indie rock band that’s toured the world and released several critically acclaimed albums. He’s passionate about his career as a professional musician, and he’s determined to not let anything stand in…
A woman and three kids look on as a solar panel is set up
November, 3, 2009

Power Paths

Independent Lens

Power Paths offers a unique glimpse into the global energy crisis from the perspective of a culture pledged to protect the planet, historically exploited by corporate interests and neglected by public policy makers. The film follows an intertribal coalition as…
April, 14, 2009

Taking Root: The Vision of Wangari Maathai

Independent Lens

Three decades ago, Wangari Maathai suggested to rural women in her native Kenya that they plant trees for firewood and to stop soil erosion — an act that grew into a nationwide movement to safeguard the environment, defend human rights,…
April, 7, 2009

Milking the Rhino

Independent Lens

Milking the Rhino offers complex, intimate portraits of rural Africans at the forefront of community-based conservation — a revolution that is turning poachers into preservationists and local people into the stewards of their land.
A woman writes a physics formula on a blackboard
November, 25, 2008

The Atom Smashers

Independent Lens

Physicists at Fermilab, the most powerful particle accelerator in the United States, are closing in on one of the universe’s best-kept secrets: what is known as the Holy Grail of physics or the reason why everything has mass. With the…