Independent Lens
Authentic stories. Extraordinary people.
- 1999-2026
- 28 seasons
- ITVS International
- Documentary
- TV-14
Authentic stories. Extraordinary people.
Season 25 Episode Guide
17 Episodes 2023 - 2024
Episode 1
Sansón and Me
Tue, Sep 19, 2023
The life of a young Mexican immigrant convicted of murder is defined by borders -- between the U.S. and Mexico, personal choice and systemic force.
Episode 2
El Equipo
Mon, Oct 9, 2023
Legendary U.S. anthropologist Dr. Clyde Snow sets out to train a new group of Latin American students in the use of forensic anthropology. Their goal: to investigate disappearances in Argentina during the "dirty war."
Episode 3
Three Chaplains
Mon, Nov 6, 2023
Muslim chaplains in the U.S. military support and defend the religious rights of all service members. Resisting calls to blend in, the chaplains fight to maintain a balanced devotion to Islam, the Constitution and the military.
Episode 4
A Town Called Victoria: Part 1
Mon, Nov 13, 2023
A south Texas town is thrown into the national spotlight when a local mosque is burned down in an apparent hate crime. After the media moves on, the community is left to reflect on its complex history with racism.
Episode 5
A Town Called Victoria: Part 2
Tue, Nov 14, 2023
With the arson trial near, the suspect's family argues his innocence. Meanwhile, facets of Victoria reveal the ingredients that might have turned him to hate and support for the town's Muslim community begins to wane.
Episode 6
A Town Called Victoria: Part 3
Wed, Nov 15, 2023
The prosecution presents shocking evidence. As the trial concludes, the engaged citizens of Victoria seek a way to build a more inclusive community.
Episode 7
Beyond Utopia
Tue, Jan 9, 2024 115 mins
The risky journey undertaken by a group of desperate families to defect from North Korea, the country with the world's most brutal regime, led by dictator Kim Jong-un.
Episode 8
Racist Trees
Mon, Jan 22, 2024 84 mins
A historically black Palm Springs suburb struggles to remove a towering wall of tamarisk trees that form a barrier and that some say segregates the community. The frustrated residents see them as an enduring symbol of racism.
Episode 9
Razing Liberty Square
Mon, Jan 29, 2024 94 mins
Residents of Liberty City are fighting to save their neighborhood from climate gentrification. With sea levels rising, one of America's oldest segregated public housing projects sits on higher ground that has turned to real estate gold.
Episode 10
Sister Úna Lived a Good Death
Mon, Feb 5, 2024
A Catholic nun chooses to live as she has lived despite a cancer diagnosis, and plans her own funeral during the last nine months of her life.
Episode 11
Breaking the News
Mon, Feb 19, 2024
A group of women and LGBTQ+ journalists who launch "The 19th*," a new news startup that challenges the white male-dominated status quo and asks who has been omitted from mainstream coverage, and how to include them.
Episode 12
Greener Pastures
Mon, Mar 25, 2024
Captures the day-to-day lives of four Midwestern families facing the mental health issues that plague American farmers.
Episode 13
A Thousand Pines
Mon, Apr 1, 2024
During 8 months, a crew of Oaxacan guest workers plant trees across America. This intimate portrait shows how hard it is to balance the physical demands of reforestation and extreme isolation while staying connected to family back home.
Episode 14
Matter of Mind: My Parkinson's
Mon, Apr 8, 2024
Three individuals navigate their lives with determination in the face of Parkinson's disease.
Episode 15
One with the Whale
Tue, Apr 23, 2024
An Alaska Native family maintains a subsistence life on a tiny Bering Sea island where, if you don't hunt, you die.
Episode 16
Space: The Longest Goodbye
Mon, May 6, 2024 84 mins
NASA's goal to send astronauts to Mars would require a three-year absence from Earth, during which communication in real time would be impossible due to the immense distance. Meet the psychologists whose job is to keep astronauts mentally stable in outer space, as they are caught between their dream of reaching new frontiers and the basic human need to stay connected to home.
Episode 17
The Tuba Thieves
Mon, May 20, 2024
What is the role of sound and what does it mean to listen? Hard of hearing filmmaker Alison O'Daniel uses a series of tuba thefts in Los Angeles high schools as a jumping-off point to explore these questions.
