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American Masters Shorts

Explore new documentary shorts about artists who defy the odds to create remarkable work. This ongoing series from American Masters showcases cultural trailblazers through short-form storytelling.

Now featuring "Ten Times Better," the astonishing and heartwarming story of George Lee, a pioneering Asian dancer who originated a featured role in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker 70 years ago as a teenage immigrant from China.

Season 2

Night in Newark WATCH: 12:29
Night in Newark
Middle school students in Newark grapple with Elie Wiesel's harrowing Holocaust memoir.
Ten Times Better WATCH: 30:48
Ten Times Better
The story of George Lee, a pioneering Asian dancer who later became a Vegas blackjack dealer.

Season 1

Love, Jamie WATCH: 19:45
Love, Jamie
Jamie Diaz is a trans woman and artist who has spent nearly 30 years in a men's prison in Texas.
Dear Corky WATCH: 16:27
Dear Corky
Discover the work of New York photographer Corky Lee in his own words.
Weaving Nature WATCH: 18:39
Weaving Nature
David Bacharach creates "The Mounds," a land art installation confronting climate change.
Owners of family restaurant featured in "Becoming Yamazushi." WATCH: 14:08
Becoming Yamazushi
A Japanese American rapper discovers how art can champion cultural liberation.
Augusta Savage. WATCH: 21:48
Searching for Augusta Savage
Discover Augusta Savage's legacy as a Harlem Renaissance sculptor and art activist.

Written Features

A walk through Corky Lee’s Chinatown
How friendship became a lifeline for a trans artist in prison
How does art help communicate the climate crisis?
Director Karla Murthy with DP Andrew Fredericks.
Director Karla Murthy on telling artist Jamie Diaz’s story
How Augusta Savage forged a path for Black women in the arts