Independent Lens is back ... and so are our Pop-Up screenings!
Independent Lens season 19 is here, and we’re excited to share a whole new lineup of documentaries made by filmmakers who take creative risks and find interesting stories in unexpected places!
This year we’ll be hosting several “Indie Lens Pop-Ups”—free screenings of selected films happening throughout the area—as part of our PBS SoCal LIVE events series. Some have already been scheduled, and that information is below. We’ll share details about the others soon. Check back here for more info as we get it!
Supergirl
Meet Naomi, a seemingly ordinary Orthodox Jewish preteen from New Jersey whose extraordinary talent — breaking world powerlifting records — turns her into an international phenomenon in this unique coming-of-age story. Airs on Monday, December 18 at 10:00 p.m. Preview here.
The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin
Meet the frank and funny creator of the groundbreaking “Tales of the City,” and follow his evolution from a conservative son of the Old South to a gay rights pioneer whose work has inspired millions. With Laura Linney, Olympia Dukakis and Ian McKellen. Airs Monday, January 1 at 10:30 p.m. Preview here.
Unrest
Follow filmmaker Jennifer Brea’s struggle with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and meet others coping with this often-devastating and little-understood condition in this intimate documentary. Airs on Monday, January 8 at 10:00 p.m. Preview here.
I Am Not Your Negro
An Academy Award nominee, the film envisions the book James Baldwin never finished, a revolutionary and personal account of the lives and successive assassinations of three of his close friends: Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Airs Monday, January 15 at 9:00 p.m. Join us for an Indie Lens Pop-Up screening on December 12!
The Force
Go deep inside the long-troubled Oakland Police Department as it struggles to confront federal demands for reform, a popular uprising following events in Ferguson, Missouri, and an explosive scandal. Airs on Monday, January 22 at 9:00 p.m.
I Am Another You
Join Chinese filmmaker Nanfu Wang and Dylan, a charismatic young homeless drifter who left a comfortable home and loving family, in this mysterious cross-cultural road trip that explores of the limits and meaning of freedom.Airs Monday, January 29 at 10:00 p.m.
Winnie
Explore the life of Winnie Mandela and her struggle to bring down Apartheid, with intimate insights from those closest to her and testimony from the enemies who sought to extinguish her radical capacity to shake up the order of things. Airs on Monday, February 5 at 10:00 p.m.
Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities
Explore the pivotal role that historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have played in shaping American history, culture and national identity. Airs Monday, February 19 at 9:00 p.m. PBS SoCal will host an Indie Lens Pop-Up screening of this film! Details coming soon.
Dolores
The story of Dolores Huerta, among the most important, yet least-known, activists in American history. Co-founder of the first farmworkers union with Cesar Chavez, she tirelessly led the fight for racial and labor justice, becoming one of the most defiant feminists of the 20th century.Airs on Tuesday, March 27 at 9:00 p.m. PBS SoCal will host an Indie Lens Pop-Up screening for this film. Details coming soon!
Look & See: Wendell Berry's Kentucky
A cinematic portrait of the changing landscapes and shifting values of rural America in the era of industrial agriculture, as seen through the mind’s eye of writer, farmer, and activist, Wendell Berry. Airs in April 2018. PBS SoCal will host an Indie Lens Pop-Up screening for this film. Details coming soon!
