Inside PBS Blog

I’ve never been lucky enough to hit the film festival circuit, so I’ve always been grateful to  P.O.V., now in its 22nd year, for showcasing some of the best documentaries being made today. 

The series’ new season, which begins Tuesday, June 23 (check local listings), explores everything from the power of beliefs - both spiritual and political - to the life-changing force of music, in films that are gripping, timely and inspirational. And the recently redesigned P.O.V. website caters to the film lover, with hours of video, intimate filmmaker interviews and features from all 22 seasons of the documentary series.

The  new season kicks off with “New Muslim Cool,” the story of Puerto Rican-American rapper Hamza Pérez, who changes his drug-dealing lifestyle to focus on Islamic faith and hip-hop music.  When the FBI raids Hamza’s mosque in Pittsburgh, his new-found spirituality is tested. You can also find the music from the film online. Watch the trailer:

Sometimes struggles follow you no matter where you go.  In the Academy Award nominated film, “The Betrayal (Nerakhoon),” Thavi Phrasavath and his family flee their home in Laos in the wake of the U.S.’ exit from the Vietnam War, which has left their country in a state of turmoil and violence .  Hoping to start a new life in America, they instead find another kind of war in violent street gangs that Thavi struggles to escape. “The Betrayal,” which was filmed over the course of 23 years, uses deeply personal imagery and voices to simultaneously convey intense pain and enduring hope.  Watch the trailer:

Only one thing keeps acclaimed matador Mari Paz Vega from being a national treasure: she’s a woman.  For Spaniards, matadors represent the very meaning of masculine power.  In “Ella Es el Matador (She is the Matador),” Vega and bull fighting newcomer Eva Florencia prove that challenging their country’s gender expectations may be more difficult than facing a bull in the ring.  The soundtrack alone sets the throbbing, passionate tone for this combative film, which echoes the theme of struggle against the odds.

This is just a taste of the films that P.O.V. is offering this summer and fall; take a look at the full schedule here.  And let us know – what’s the best documentary you’ve seen recently? Do you tend to watch docs in theaters, on TV, or on the web?

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