Join or Sign In
Sign in to customize your TV listings
By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy.
Independent Lens Season 19 Episodes
Season 19 Episode Guide
20 Episodes 2017 - 2018
Episode 1
Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary
Mon, Nov 6, 2017 90 mins
The life and music of jazz great John Coltrane (1926-67), from his childhood in the South to his years with Miles Davis to his tenure as leader of one of jazz's most revered quartets. Featuring Denzel Washington speaking the words of Coltrane.
Episode 2
Shadow World
Mon, Nov 20, 2017 90 mins
Johan Grimonprez directs this exploration into how governments, militaries and intelligence agencies are inextricably intertwined with the international weapons trade.
Episode 3
Supergirl
Mon, Dec 18, 2017 90 mins
A profile of a seemingly ordinary Orthodox Jewish preteen from New Jersey whose extraordinary talent—breaking world powerlifting records—has turned her into an international phenomenon.
Episode 4
The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin
Mon, Jan 1, 2018 90 mins
A profile of "Tales of the City" creator Armistead Maupin, including his evolution from a conservative son of the Old South to a gay rights pioneer.
Episode 5
Unrest
Mon, Jan 8, 2018 90 mins
Filmmaker Jennifer Brea chronicles her struggle with chronic fatigue syndrome; and meet others who are also coping with the often-devastating and little-understood condition.
Episode 6
I Am Not Your Negro
Mon, Jan 15, 2018 90 mins
Envisioning 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.
Episode 7
The Force
Mon, Jan 22, 2018 90 mins
A cinema vérité look at the Oakland Police Department as it struggles to confront federal demands for reform, a popular uprising following events in Ferguson, Mo., and an explosive sex scandal.
Episode 8
I Am Another You
Mon, Jan 29, 2018 90 mins
Filmmaker Nanfu Wang documents the daily existence of Dylan, a charismatic young homeless drifter who left a comfortable home and loving family, and comes to question the limits and meaning of freedom.
Episode 9
Winnie
Mon, Feb 5, 2018 90 mins
A profile of South African activist Winnie Mandela, the wife of Nelson Mandela. During his long imprisonment, she was his eyes and ears on the ground. Her militancy, however, led her to become the target of a smear campaign by the South African government. Included: insights from those closest to her; and testimony from her enemies.
Episode 10
Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities
Mon, Feb 19, 2018 90 mins
The pivotal role that historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have played in shaping American history, culture and national identity.
Episode 11
Rat Film
Mon, Feb 26, 2018 60 mins
The history and cultural fabric of Baltimore is explored through the lens of the city's rat infestation.
Episode 12
Dolores
Tue, Mar 27, 2018 120 mins
The story of Dolores Huerta, who tirelessly led the fight for racial and labor justice alongside Cesar Chavez, becoming one of the most defiant—and unheralded—feminist activists of the 20th century.
Episode 13
When God Sleeps
Mon, Apr 2, 2018 90 mins
The story of Iranian musician Shahin Najafi, who was forced into hiding after hardline clerics issued a fatwa for his death, incensed by a rap song that focuses on the oppression of women, sexism, and human rights abuses.
Episode 14
The Art of the Shine
Mon, Apr 9, 2018 60 mins
A look at people who are turning the job of shoe shiner into an art form. From La Paz to Toronto to New York, these proud craftsmen are transforming an all-but-ignored job into a fulfilling life of freedom and personal connection.
Episode 15
What Lies Upstream
Mon, Apr 16, 2018 90 mins
An examination of a massive chemical spill in West Virginia that left 300,000 people without drinking water for months.
Episode 16
Look & See: Wendell Berry's Kentucky
Mon, Apr 23, 2018 60 mins
A cinematic portrait of the changing landscapes and shifting values of rural America in an era of industrial agriculture, as seen through the mind's eye of writer, farmer, and activist Wendell Berry.
Episode 17
True Conviction
Mon, Apr 30, 2018 90 mins
Three exonerated ex-prisoners start a detective agency to rebuild their lives, help free other wrongly incarcerated persons, and fix the criminal justice system.
Episode 18
No Man's Land
Mon, May 7, 2018 90 mins
Inside the 2016 standoff at Oregon's Malheur National Wildlife Refuge between anti-government protestors and federal authorities. With remarkable access, the film documents the occupation from inception to its dramatic demise.
Episode 19
ACORN and the Firestorm
Mon, May 21, 2018 90 mins
An examination of the politically charged battle to take down ACORN, a controversial national community-organizing group. The group sought to empower marginalized communities, but its critics believed it exemplified everything wrong with liberal ideals, and promoted government waste and ineffective activism.
Episode 20
Served Like a Girl
Mon, May 28, 2018 90 mins
Five women rebuild their lives with humor and heart in the Ms. Veteran America Competition. Wounded in action and transitioning to civilian life, these women seek to help others struggling with homelessness, PTSD, and other trauma.
