Independent Lens

Watch Independent Lens

  • TV-14
  • 1999
  • 28 Seasons
  • 7.9  (654)

Independent Lens is a critically acclaimed documentary series that has been on PBS since 1999. Hosted by notable actors such as Susan Sarandon, Edie Falco, Peter Coyote, Don Cheadle, Kal Penn, Alona Tal, Lance Reddick, America Ferrera, and Maggie Gyllenhaal, the show features independent filmmakers from all over the world who explore a variety of social, political, and cultural issues.

Each episode offers a unique insight into the world of indie filmmaking, with documentary filmmakers sharing their stories and their work. The series showcases a diverse range of genres, including cinema verit

Independent Lens is a series that ran for 28 seasons (537 episodes) between August 9, 1999 and on PBS

Independent Lens
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Seasons
We Want The Funk
15. We Want The Funk
April 8, 2025
"WE WANT THE FUNK!" is Stanley Nelson's syncopated voyage through the history of funk music, spanning from African, soul, and early jazz roots, to its rise into the public consciousness. Featuring James Brown's dynamism, George Clinton's extraterrestrial Parliament Funkadelic, transformed girl group Labelle, and Fela Kuti's Afrobeat, the story also traces funk's influences on new wave and hip-hop.
Home Court
14. Home Court
March 24, 2025
Home Court is the coming-of-age story of Ashley Chea, a Cambodian American basketball prodigy in Southern California whose life intensifies as recruitment heats up. As she overcomes injury as well as racial and class differences between her home and private school worlds, in peer groups, and against rival schools, Ashley strives to become her own person and leave a legacy behind.
Bike Vessel
13. Bike Vessel
February 24, 2025
After several health crises, a 70-year-old man embarks on a transformative long-distance cycling trip with his son.
Skin of Glass
12. Skin of Glass
February 17, 2025
A filmmaker reckons with Brazil's inequality when learning unhoused people occupy her father's architectural jewel.
The In Between
11. The In Between
February 10, 2025
In tribute to the brother she lost, a filmmaker returns home to reflect on life on the U.S.-Mexico border.
The Strike
10. The Strike
February 3, 2025
How a small hunger strike against solitary confinement at Pelican Bay prison turned into a massive statewide protest.
Without Arrows
9. Without Arrows
January 13, 2025
Thirteen years after leaving South Dakota, a Lakota dancer returns to the reservation to carry on the family legacy.
Minted
8. Minted
January 6, 2025
An insider's look at the rise and fall of the NFT (non-fungible token) phenomenon and how technology transformed the traditional art world, for better and worse. Featuring verité footage and candid interviews with groundbreaking artists—like Beeple, Latasha Alcindor, and Loish— at the center of this phenomenon, Minted delves into the complex world of the $40 billion NFT digital art market.
Dallas, 2019 - Week 5
7. Dallas, 2019 - Week 5
January 4, 2025
Featuring intimate stories of workers and young people—the chief medical examiner, a hospital worker, an auto body shop owner, and a high school senior—who all in their own ways make Dallas what it is, the final episode of Dallas, 2019 poses the question: What does it mean to be alive?
Dallas, 2019 - Week 4
6. Dallas, 2019 - Week 4
January 4, 2025
Meet a criminal district attorney bringing reform to an ineffectual yet functional incarceration system; a judge navigating the stress and expectations of upholding laws adversely affecting the very communities she comes from; the unapologetic owner of the largest bail bonds company in Dallas; and a community organizer with a mighty voice and warrior spirit.
Dallas, 2019 - Week 3
5. Dallas, 2019 - Week 3
January 4, 2025
Three spirits with longstanding Texas roots struggle with their place in the world: a transgender woman working at an LGBTQ organization lives her full truth; a Dallas County Court commissioner has given 40 years of his life to his work but questions his role and identity; and the director of Health and Human Services wrestles with his new role while reflecting on his Asian American roots.
Dallas, 2019 - Week 2
4. Dallas, 2019 - Week 2
January 3, 2025
Dreaming of a brighter future through the eyes of three people: a graduating high school student prepares to navigate the real world; Dallas Superintendent Michael Hinojosa reflects on sacrifices he's made in his career for a failing system; and Dallas County Sheriff Marian Brown looks for respect while questioning the future of law enforcement amidst a seemingly endless cycle of incarceration.
Dallas, 2019 - Week 1
3. Dallas, 2019 - Week 1
January 3, 2025
Tornados. Drive-by shootings. Environmental racism, The stark North-South Dallas economic divide. Dallas residents and city workers like City Manager T.C. Broadnax respond to the causal effects of natural and human-caused disasters while navigating a city in crisis.
Make Peace or Die: Honor the Fallen
2. Make Peace or Die: Honor the Fallen
November 11, 2024
A Marine veteran hand-carves battlefield crosses to reconnect with Gold Star families of the fallen and find healing.
One Person, One Vote?
1. One Person, One Vote?
September 30, 2024
Why does the U.S. have the Electoral College? Learn more following four presidential electors during the 2020 election.
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Where to Watch Independent Lens
Independent Lens is available for streaming on the PBS website, both individual episodes and full seasons. You can also watch Independent Lens on demand at Fandango at Home and PBS.
  • Premiere Date
    August 9, 1999
  • IMDB Rating
    7.9  (654)
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