By Ade D. Adeniji Mr. SOUL! explores America’s first Black variety television show SOUL!, which ran from 1968 to 1973, and was steered by pioneering Black producer and host Ellis Haizlip. Many have likely seen the pristine sets of SOUL! and not even know it. The series featured legendary black musicians, artists, athlete-activists, and thinkers … READ MORE


Motherhood is universal – none of us would be here without our moms. For some, that relationship is loving and supportive; for others, it’s fraught with complications. Especially if Mom is famous or trying to change the world. Or both.

These filmmakers examine what it means to be a mother, a daughter, and a woman in a not always kind world. READ MORE

One of the three “stars” of the documentary Tre Maison Dasan, Maison is a funny, charming, hyper-articulate 11-year-old whose Autism Spectrum Disorder presents itself through his ever-active mind and deep love for those around him. He also very much wants you to know how to properly pronounce his name and the names of his fellow stars in … READ MORE

As far as I’m concerned, soccer is a year-round sport. I can find a footie game on the telly from somewhere in the world anytime I want, but the World Cup is the every-four-year event that makes even superficial fans take a keen interest. This year’s World Cup is happening in Russia, and although my … READ MORE

In conjunction with the Independent Lens film What Lies Upstream, which is an exposé about what led to a major source of water becoming poisoned after a disastrous chemical spill and the government’s response thereto, take a trip down memory lane to look at how we used to warn people about pollution, chemicals, and other environmental … READ MORE

Watch our seven-part, Webby Award-nominated series on juvenile sentencing laws, “Sentencing Children.” “Sentencing Children” was produced by Dan Birman and Independent Lens. This series is part of Independent Lens‘s commitment to fostering collaboration between filmmakers and journalists. “Sentencing Children” was originally published by The Tennessean newspaper, and tells the stories of Cyntoia Brown and other incarcerated juveniles … READ MORE

Bookmark this page to learn more about the Independent Lens documentaries currently available to watch online at any given moment in time, either on this site or via the PBS app (AppleTV, Amazon Fire, or Roku). Every film listed here is free to stream for a limited time. While these award-winning documentaries are also a … READ MORE

In conjunction with Lacey Schwartz’s Little White Lie, in which the filmmaker discovers an identity-altering family secret, Independent Lens presents “I Identify” — a digital short featuring nine San Francisco Bay Area residents exploring the forces that shape identity. Who controls your identity? Do you? Do the people around you? Is your identity dictated by society at large?

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