WE WANT THE FUNK!
WE WANT THE FUNK! is a 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, the extraterrestrial funk of George Clinton's Parliament Funkadelic, transformed girl group Labelle, and Fela Kuti's Afrobeat, the story also traces funk's influences on both new wave and hip-hop.
Episodes
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WE WANT THE FUNK!
S26 E15 - 1h 22m
WE WANT THE FUNK! is a 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, the extraterrestrial funk of George Clinton's Parliament Funkadelic, transformed girl group Labelle, and Fela Kuti's Afrobeat, the story also traces funk's influences on both new wave and hip-hop.
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Home Court
S26 E14 - 1h 24m
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.
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Bike Vessel
S26 E13 - 1h 24m
Knowing his dad miraculously recovered from three open-heart surgeries after discovering a passion for cycling, filmmaker Eric D. Seals proposes an ambitious idea: Bike together from St. Louis to Chicago. 350 miles. 4 days. On their journey, the two push each other as they find a deeper connection and a renewed appreciation of their quests for their own health and to reimagine Black health.
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Skin of Glass
S26 E12 - 1h 25m
A journey to reckon with Brazil’s harsh inequality begins when filmmaker Denise Zmekhol discovers her father’s architectural masterpiece in São Paulo—a 24-story tall modernist icon known as “Pele de Vidro” (Skin of Glass)—is inhabited by hundreds of unhoused people. But after getting to know these occupants, what started as a personal quest becomes something much bigger.
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The In Between
S26 E11 - 1h 23m
Following her brother's death, a filmmaker returns to Eagle Pass, the Texas bordertown where she grew up, to document the places that shaped their family. She finds a treasure trove of his own footage that brings him back to life, sparking a reflection on growing up Mexican American along the U.S.-Mexico border. She rediscovers the beautiful mysteries of their complex hometown.
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The Strike
S26 E10 - 1h 24m
The high-security Pelican Bay prison was designed for mass-scale solitary confinement, often for a decade or more, and with little due process. In 2013, 30,000 prisoners went on a hunger strike that spread into a feat of unity across California prisons. The Strike follows these solitary survivors who fought to abolish indefinite isolation.
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Without Arrows
S26 E9 - 1h 25m
After 13 years living in Philadelphia, Delwin Fiddler Jr., a champion grass dancer, embraces indigenous culture by returning to his ancestral home on the Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota. Leaving his big city life behind, Delwin aims to protect his centuries-old Lakota heritage and heal from family tragedy, through his passion for dance.
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Minted
S26 E8 - 1h 16m
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.
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Dallas, 2019 | Episode 5
S26 E7 - 48m 3s
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?
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Dallas, 2019 | Episode 4
S26 E6 - 54m 56s
Meet a criminal district attorney bringing reform to a complex and disparate justice system; a judge who is dedicated to breaking cycles of incarceration and knows what it's like to have a loved one in the system; the unapologetic owner of the largest bail bonds company in Dallas; and a community organizer with a mighty voice and warrior spirit.
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Dallas, 2019 | Episode 3
S26 E5 - 50m 23s
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.
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Dallas, 2019 | Episode 2
S26 E4 - 51m 41s
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.
Extras + Features
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Trailer | Matter of Mind: My Alzheimer's
S26 E17 - 30s
Matter of Mind: My Alzheimer’s is an intimate portrayal of three families confronting the unique challenges of Alzheimer’s and how this progressive neurodegenerative disease transforms roles and relationships. Whether it's a partner caring for a loved one or an adult child shifting into being their parent's caregiver, these stories show how families evolve when a loved one is diagnosed.
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Trailer | Who Is Michael Jang?
S26 E19 - 30s
After a long career as a commercial and portrait photographer, mischievous San Francisco artist Michael Jang sat for decades on a hidden treasure of pictures taken in his 20s—both candid celebrity shots and a down-to-earth cross-section of Chinese American family life rarely captured so playfully. Then, during the pandemic, Jang set out to share his work with the world, street guerilla-style.
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Trailer | And So It Begins
S26 E18 - 30s
And So It Begins follows the Philippines’ turbulent 2022 presidential race, with the son of ousted former dictator Ferdinand Marcos waging a combative social media campaign against his more progressive opponent, incumbent Vice President Leni Robredo. Following it all is independent journalist and Nobel-winner Maria Ressa, with an eye toward the specter of increasing autocracy.
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Trailer | Free For All: The Public Library
S26 E16 - 30s
Free For All: The Public Library tells the story of how a simple idea shaped a nation and the quiet revolutionaries who made it happen. From pioneering women behind the “Free Library Movement” to today's librarians who service the public despite working in a contentious age of closures. Free for All shows how libraries have always been a sanctuary for generations of Americans.
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Trailer | WE WANT THE FUNK!
S26 E15 - 30s
We Want the Funk is a 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, the extraterrestrial funk of George Clinton's Parliament Funkadelic, transformed girl group Labelle, and Fela Kuti's Afrobeat, the story also traces funk's influences on both new wave and hip-hop.
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Home Court Advantage Ep 4
S26 E14 - 8m 2s
Flintridge Prep basketball coach Jayme Kiyomura Chan leads with compassion and genuine concern for the well-being of her players both on and off the court. She effortlessly epitomizes what it means to be both coach and family. We met Jayme at a basketball court in LA to run some of the challenging basketball drills that Ashley Chea does in the PBS doc Home Court.
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Home Court Advantage Ep 3
S26 E14 - 5m 30s
The Oakland Roots and Soul Sports Club's co-founder, Edreece Arghandiwal, takes to heart the soccer teams' motto, "Know Your Roots." The pride, pressure, and empathy required to lead a team are supported by his Afghan heritage and humble attitude in the face of success. We ran a series of drills that proved a good coach can motivate even a soccer noob into self-confidence.
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Home Court Advantage Ep 2
S26 E14 - 5m 10s
What happens when a novice basketball player is challenged to a game of HORSE by Brian Bell, three-time Paralympic gold medalist in wheelchair basketball? We get the opportunity to learn about his journey as an athlete and see some of his best shots! From the coaches who believed in him, to becoming a mentor to youth himself, Brian reveals sports lessons that double as life lessons.
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Home Court Advantage Ep 1
S26 E14 - 6m 7s
Southern Californian basketball player-turned-expert crossfit trainer Jamie Hagiya puts our hosts through the wringer with five increasingly challenging, sweat-inducing exercises while telling the story of her journey to become a formidable force in fitness.
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Trailer | Home Court
S26 E14 - 30s
Home Court is the coming-of-age story of Ashley Chea, a Cambodian American basketball prodigy in Southern California. As her high school career crescendos, her life intensifies amid recruitment, injury, and triumph as her natural talent inspires the support of those around her.
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Spring 2025 Sneak Peak
S26 E20 - 1m
Get ready for our upcoming documentaries: WE WANT THE FUNK!, Who is Michael Jang?, Matter of Mind: My Alzheimer's, and Free for All: The Public Library.
INDEPENDENT LENS returns with a season of powerful stories that celebrate resilience and connection. Watch the new films on the PBS app this Spring! -
Trailer | Bike Vessel
S26 E13 - 30s
Knowing his dad miraculously recovered from three open-heart surgeries after discovering a passion for cycling, filmmaker Eric D. Seals proposes an ambitious idea: Bike together from St. Louis to Chicago. 350 miles. 4 days. On their journey, the two push each other as they find a deeper connection and a renewed appreciation of their quests for their own health and to reimagine Black health.
Schedule
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Independent Lens
Three Chaplains
Saturday
Apr 26
1 Hour
How Muslim chaplains in the armed forces vow to protect the right of every service member to practice their faith freely. -
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Independent Lens
Three Chaplains
Sunday
Apr 27
1 Hour
How Muslim chaplains in the armed forces vow to protect the right of every service member to practice their faith freely. -
Image
Independent Lens
Free for All: The Public Library
Tuesday
Apr 29
1 Hour 30 Minutes
The women behind the "Free Library Movement" to the librarians who service the public amid an age of closures and book bans, creating a civic institution that is free and open to all. -
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Independent Lens
Free for All: The Public Library
Tuesday
Apr 29
1 Hour 30 Minutes
The women behind the "Free Library Movement" to the librarians who service the public amid an age of closures and book bans, creating a civic institution that is free and open to all. -
Image
Independent Lens
Free for All: The Public Library
Wednesday
Apr 30
1 Hour 30 Minutes
The women behind the "Free Library Movement" to the librarians who service the public amid an age of closures and book bans, creating a civic institution that is free and open to all. -
Image
Independent Lens
Free for All: The Public Library
Wednesday
Apr 30
1 Hour 30 Minutes
The women behind the "Free Library Movement" to the librarians who service the public amid an age of closures and book bans, creating a civic institution that is free and open to all. -
Image
Independent Lens
Free for All: The Public Library
Thursday
May 1
1 Hour 30 Minutes
The women behind the "Free Library Movement" to the librarians who service the public amid an age of closures and book bans, creating a civic institution that is free and open to all. -
Image
Independent Lens
Free for All: The Public Library
Thursday
May 1
1 Hour 30 Minutes
The women behind the "Free Library Movement" to the librarians who service the public amid an age of closures and book bans, creating a civic institution that is free and open to all. -
Image
Independent Lens
Free for All: The Public Library
Saturday
May 3
1 Hour 30 Minutes
The women behind the "Free Library Movement" to the librarians who service the public amid an age of closures and book bans, creating a civic institution that is free and open to all. -
Image
Independent Lens
Free for All: The Public Library
Sunday
May 4
1 Hour 35 Minutes
The women behind the "Free Library Movement" to the librarians who service the public amid an age of closures and book bans, creating a civic institution that is free and open to all. -
Image
Independent Lens
Matter of Mind: My Alzheimer's
Monday
May 5
1 Hour
A portrayal of three families confronting the unique challenges of Alzheimer's and how the disease transforms roles and relationships. -
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Independent Lens
Matter of Mind: My Alzheimer's
Tuesday
May 6
1 Hour
A portrayal of three families confronting the unique challenges of Alzheimer's and how the disease transforms roles and relationships.
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