Independent Lens - Independent Documentary Films | PBS Skip to content Breaking The News

Premieres February 19, 2024

by

Heather Courtney, Princess A. Hairston and Chelsea Hernandez

Women and LGBTQ+ journalists launch startup The 19th* to buck a broken news media system.

Thumbnail for: Sister Úna Lived a Good Death

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A wisecracking nun with stage IV cancer teaches others that death doesn’t have to be the end.

Thumbnail for: Razing Liberty Square

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The Liberty Square public housing community in Miami becomes ground zero for climate gentrification.

Thumbnail for: Racist Trees

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In Palm Springs, a historically Black neighborhood fights to remove a divisive wall of trees.

Thumbnail for: Beyond Utopia

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The gripping story of families who risk everything escaping North Korea.

Thumbnail for: If Dreams Were Lightning: Rural Healthcare Crisis

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With rural hospitals closing at alarming rates, meet the people trying to get help in healthcare deserts.

Thumbnail for: Three Chaplains

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Three Muslim chaplains aim to make change in one of America’s most powerful institutions—the military.

Thumbnail for: A Town Called Victoria | Episode 1

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A Texas town is thrown into the national spotlight when a local mosque erupts in flames.

Thumbnail for: A Town Called Victoria | Episode 2

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The town of Victoria’s support for the Muslim community wanes as rebuilding efforts stall.

Thumbnail for: A Town Called Victoria | Episode 3

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As the trial unfolds, the people of Victoria, Texas, grapple with shocking revelations.

Thumbnail for: El Equipo

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An unlikely collaboration changes the course of forensic science and international human rights.

Thumbnail for: Sansón and Me

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The life story of a young man in prison, depicted through dramatic reenactments.

Thumbnail for: A Reckoning in Boston

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A white filmmaker collaborates with Clemente Course students of color to reckon with Boston's racial history.

Thumbnail for: Breaking Silence

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A deaf father and his hearing daughter explore how imprisonment has shaped their relationship and advocacy.

Thumbnail for: Matter of Mind: My ALS

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Three people with ALS confront complex choices in this intimate exploration.

Thumbnail for: Children of Las Brisas

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In Venezuela, the power of music is put to the test for El Sistema youth orchestra.

Thumbnail for: Outta the Muck

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The people of Pahokee rise “outta the muck” to celebrate family history and big-time football.

Thumbnail for: Hazing

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Hazing explores how abusive rituals reflect our desire to belong—even if taken to sometimes deadly lengths.

Thumbnail for: Silent Beauty

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One woman’s journey to heal from childhood sexual abuse evolves into a family bonding over generational trauma.

Thumbnail for: Hidden Letters

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Modern women in China keep alive the tradition of Nüshu, a secret written language.

Thumbnail for: Storming Caesars Palace

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How Vegas activist Ruby Duncan's grassroots movement of moms fought for a universal basic income.

Thumbnail for: The Big Payback

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The passage of the first-ever tax-funded reparations bill for Black Americans stirs up a debate.

Thumbnail for: Owned: A Tale of Two Americas

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Exposé on how the American housing policy market has been manipulated for years in discriminatory ways.

Thumbnail for: Aware: Glimpses of Consciousness

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Brilliant researchers take you on a mind-blowing journey to investigate the mysteries of consciousness.

Thumbnail for: No Straight Lines

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Five queer comic book artists journey from the underground comix scene to mainstream acceptance.

Thumbnail for: Move Me

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A dancer paralyzed with a spinal cord injury tests the limits of her recovery while adapting to life with a disability.

Thumbnail for: TikTok, Boom.

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Explore the power and complexity of technology through the lens of TikTok and the Gen Z influencers who know it best.

Thumbnail for: Philly D.A. | Episode 1

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The new Philadelphia District Attorney uncovers a secret that shakes the police department.

Thumbnail for: Dolores

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A portrait of activist icon Dolores Huerta, who tirelessly led the fight for racial and labor justice.

Thumbnail for: When Claude Got Shot

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After being shot in the face by a teenager, can law student Claude find it in himself to forgive his attacker?

Thumbnail for: Our League

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A trans woman comes out to her old school Ohio bowling league, in a story about a person and a community in transition.

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