Blog

Naomi Kutin gets make-up before her Bat Mitzvah, in Supergirl
Beyond the Films
December, 11, 2017

On Supergirls, Sasha Fierce, Slim Shady and Having an Alter Ego

Independent Lens in Beyond the Films

By Michelle Konstantinovsky Naomi Kutin is technically the central subject of the new Independent Lens documentary Supergirl. But as the film unfolds, viewers learn fairly quickly that there are actually two equally important protagonists: Kutin and her all-powerful alter ego, "Supergirl." At first…
Naomi Kutin and a slightly bigger male powerlifter, from Supergirl
Interviews
December, 7, 2017

Jessie Auritt Explores the World of an Unorthodox Girl in Orthodox World

Independent Lens in Interviews

"Showcasing a normal girl doing extraordinary things, Supergirl is a health tonic for this cramping climate of resurgent sexism underway where girls everywhere are struggling to understand their worth," wrote Lora Grillo in The Playlist. The documentary Supergirl, explores the…
From Paul Fierlinger's Still Life with Animated Dogs, his dog Spinnaker
Lists
August, 24, 2017

Dogumentary Now: 7 Docs About Urban Dogs

Sharon Knolle in Lists

Just like the human population, dogs in the city can live a life of luxury or — sadly — roam the streets looking for food, shelter and the occasional kind touch. In honor of National Dog Day (Aug. 26) and…
Jiro and son Takashi, in Jiro Dreams of Sushi
Lists
June, 17, 2017

12 Father’s Day Docs:  Stepping Out of Dad’s Shadow

Independent Lens in Lists

Relationships with our dads can be complicated, as reflected in a collection of diverse, very worthy documentary films we've selected for Father's Day viewing consideration. All of the dads depicted here had a major impact on the lives of their…
Beyond the Films
June, 16, 2017

Transgender People Trying to Find Love

Independent Lens in Beyond the Films

In the Independent Lens film Real Boy, transgender nineteen-year-old Bennett is touched to find his reluctant mother by his side as he undergoes a double mastectomy as part of his transition. As Bennett’s mom waits for him to finish the…
Real Boy filmmaker Shaleece Haas
Interviews
June, 16, 2017

Real Boy Director Shaleece Haas on Filming a Family in Flux

Independent Lens in Interviews

Documentary filmmaker Shaleece Haas has made several acclaimed shorts, worked as an editorial photographer and radio producer, and was a founding staff member of the national oral history project StoryCorps. All those paths led to her intimate feature film debut,…
Beyond the Films
May, 17, 2017

Teachers Beat the “Macho Culture” in Prisons through Art Programs

Independent Lens in Beyond the Films

In the early 2000s, Hollywood invested in the urban fairy tale where a teacher is called into the principal’s office of a school in a low-income, broken part of town and is requested to help “build character and morale.” (Think…
L-R: Gabe Cowan (teacher/producer), Jarad, Antonio, Juan all look at footage from their film
Where Are They Now?
May, 17, 2017

Juan and Jarad Write From Prison

Independent Lens in Where Are They Now?

We thought viewers of Ben Lear's They Call Us Monsters may be interested in hearing from the young men featured in the film. Yes, they have a lot of free time on their hands, but that didn't guarantee they'd be…
Mark Barden's son Daniel Barden races the school bus in Newtown
Interviews
April, 3, 2017

Kim A. Snyder Tells Newtown Families’ Deeply Intimate Story

Independent Lens in Interviews

Filmmaker Kim Snyder is no stranger to having to patiently and empathetically ingratiate herself with a community. Her film Welcome to Shelbyville, which was nationally broadcast on Independent Lens, spent time in a small Tennessee town where its residents — whites and African Americans, Latinos…
The new Sandy Hook school (Robert Benson Photography, courtesy Svigals + Partners)
Beyond the Films
March, 31, 2017

Healing Places: Rebuilding After a Community Tragedy

Independent Lens in Beyond the Films

"The only thing tragedy gives us is the opportunity to rebuild our life." -writer Paulo Coelho The film Newtown asks, "What remains after all is lost?" Some have said that it is much harder to rebuild oneself after experiencing an unconscionable…
Joey McGee walks down a road in the Mojave Desert.
Behind the Films
March, 17, 2017

Filmmakers Lou Pepe and Keith Fulton Tell Story of At-Risk Youth Getting Last Chance

Independent Lens in Behind the Films

Filmmakers Lou Pepe and Keith Fulton have gone from the deserts of Spain (for their acclaimed film Lost in La Mancha about Terry Gilliam's ill-fated attempt to make a Don Quixote film) to the Mojave Desert in California, for their latest…
Black Rock School Principal Vonda Viland gives advice to student Lee, in The Bad Kids
Beyond the Films
March, 16, 2017

Principal Vonda Viland and 10 of the Most Unforgettable “Bad Kids”

Independent Lens in Beyond the Films

The following is by Vonda Viland, principal of Black Rock Continuation High School in Yucca Valley in California's Mojave Desert, and subject of the documentary The Bad Kids. Viland's tireless work to help at-risk teenagers find their way to graduation is reflected…