Back to Show
Independent Lens
Jim Allison: Breakthrough
Season 21
Episode 15
The story of one warmhearted, stubborn man’s visionary quest to find a cure for cancer, Jim Allison: Breakthrough is an homage to an unconventional superhero — a pioneering, harmonica-playing scientist from a small town in Texas who triumphed over a doubtful medical establishment to save innumerable lives around the world and win the Nobel Prize.
Support Provided By
Unlock with PBS Passport
55:23
A nun with stage IV cancer teaches others that death doesn’t have to be the end.
Unlock with PBS Passport
1:23:30
A public housing community in Miami becomes ground zero for climate gentrification.
Unlock with PBS Passport
54:42
As the trial concludes, the people of Victoria, Texas, grapple with shocking revelations.
Unlock with PBS Passport
54:12
The town of Victoria’s support for the Muslim community wanes as rebuilding efforts stall.
Unlock with PBS Passport
54:41
A Texas town is thrown into the national spotlight when a local mosque erupts in flames.
Unlock with PBS Passport
1:25:49
A woman’s journey to heal from childhood sexual abuse and confront generational trauma.