Blog

Filmmaker Dawn Porter
Behind the Films
June, 13, 2016

Dawn Porter Unlocks the Story of Laws Targeting Abortion Providers

Independent Lens in Behind the Films

Filmmaker Dawn Porter has shown a willingness to probe uncomfortable truths and untold stories in the past. LA Times critic Robert Lloyd called her acclaimed Independent Lens film Spies of Mississippi "eye-opening" for its look at the ways civil rights activists were spied…
A SWAT team on the move in Leith, North Dakota
Beyond the Films
April, 1, 2016

Who Is Watching the Hate? Tracking Hate Groups Online and Beyond

Independent Lens in Beyond the Films

In Welcome to Leith, the story of what happens when notorious white supremacist Craig Cobb tries to take over a small North Dakota community as a base for himself and his followers, may seem an unusual case. But for those who track…
Black Panthers exiting building armed with rifles.
Interviews
February, 11, 2016

Stanley Nelson Reveals the Real Black Panther Party

Independent Lens in Interviews

Filmmaker Stanley Nelson, who won an Emmy for the PBS documentary The Murder of Emmett Till, three Emmys for Freedom Riders, and made an acclaimed film about Marcus Garvey, has for years aimed his probing but fair-minded lens on civil rights history. Along…
Crowd of protestors cheer.
Lists
February, 9, 2016

The Black Panthers Mixtape

Independent Lens in Lists

For The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution, which aired on Independent Lens, you can plug in, turn on, and get down with our curated Spotify playlist. The set joins the politically charged soul music of the '60s and 70's with…
Plaintiff Maria Hurtado and her husband, Salvador
Interviews
January, 29, 2016

Renee Tajima-Peña on the Women of the Madrigal vs Quilligan Case

Independent Lens in Interviews

Filmmaker Renee Tajima-Peña was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary for her film Who Killed Vincent Chin?, which aired on PBS back in 1989. She's hardly sat still since then; her films have premiered at Sundance, Cannes, San Francisco International, New…
Retired Utah sheriff Dub Lawrence points a finger to his temple like a pistol.
December, 1, 2015

Peace Officer

Independent Lens

William “Dub” Lawrence was a former sheriff who established and trained one of Utah's first SWAT teams, only to watch in horror as that same unit killed his son-in-law in a controversial standoff years later. In Peace Officer, Dub, driven…
Three women members of the Black Panther Party stand with flags.
November, 24, 2015

The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution

Independent Lens

In the turbulent 1960s, change was coming to America and the fault lines could no longer be ignored — cities were burning, Vietnam was exploding, and disputes raged over equality and civil rights. A new revolutionary culture was emerging and…
A mother stands before an empty incubator.
October, 20, 2015

No Más Bebés

Independent Lens

No Más Bebés tells the story of a little-known but landmark event in reproductive justice, when a small group of Mexican immigrant women sued county doctors, the state, and the U.S. government after they were sterilized while giving birth at…
African American sound recorder on the streets
Lists
August, 11, 2015

Black Power Playlist: Music is the Message

Independent Lens in Lists

The soundtrack to America’s civil rights movement before the mid-1960s was predominantly made up of gospel standards and spirituals, with a smattering of popular folk. But by the late 1960s, music was changing right along with the political landscape. Just…
Richard Adams and Tony Sullivan at the Mémorial des Martyrs de la Déportation in Paris during their European exile.
June, 15, 2015

Limited Partnership

Independent Lens

Limited Partnership chronicles the 40-year love story between Filipino American Richard Adams and his Australian husband, Tony Sullivan. In 1975, thanks to a courageous county clerk in Boulder, Colorado, Richard and Tony were one of the first same sex couples…
Clela Rorex, Richard Adams, and Tony Sullivan re-united decades after Clela issues the couple's groundbreaking marriage license.
Beyond the Films
June, 12, 2015

Bringing the Same-Sex Marriage Debate Full Circle

Independent Lens in Beyond the Films

Tony Sullivan is no stranger to practicing the art of patience. He navigated through decades of legal fights with the U.S. government over both his own legal status as an immigrant from Australia and the legality of his marriage to…
Archival photo of Muhammad Ali.
April, 14, 2014

The Trials of Muhammad Ali

Independent Lens

The Trials of Muhammad Ali explores the extraordinary and complex life of the legendary athlete outside the boxing ring. From joining the controversial Nation of Islam and changing his name from Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali, from his refusal to…