Independent Lens

When I'm Her

14m 30s

When I'm Her follows the double life of a dancer who inhabits an alter ego. A luminary figure at American Ballet Theatre in New York, Michael Cusumano had a stellar career ahead of him, but after past trauma prevented him from realizing his artistic and professional potential, he finds refuge and liberation by becoming Russian ballet instructor Madame Olga, the mentor he never had for himself.

Episodes

Two Gods

S22 E23 - 55m 50s

An intimate documentary about faith, renewal, and healing, Two Gods follows a Muslim casket maker and ritual body washer in New Jersey, as he takes two young men under his wing to teach them how to live better lives.
The Donut King

S22 E22 - 1h 25m

An immigrant story with a (glazed) twist, The Donut King follows the journey of Cambodian refugee Ted Ngoy, who arrived in California in the 1970s and, through a mixture of diligence and luck, built a multi-million dollar donut empire up and down the West Coast.
Part 8 | Philly D.A. | Episode 8

S22 E20 - 55m 45s

Krasner recruits law students to join the next generation of prosecutors leading reform from within. Meanwhile, activists who campaigned for his election make good on their promise to hold Krasner’s feet to the flames, warning him of consequences if he doesn’t accelerate plans to phase out cash bail. The D.A. must decide how bold he can be today without undoing the progress he hopes for tomorrow.
Part 7 | Philly D.A. | Episode 7

S22 E19 - 55m 45s

When an on-duty officer shoots and kills a disarmed Black man as he’s running away, the victim’s family and activists cry out for justice. Krasner’s team scrutinizes the case, weighing whether to become the rare District Attorney’s office to pursue murder charges against a cop. As a decision nears, the police union plans to put Krasner on trial in the court of public opinion.
Part 6 | Philly D.A. | Episode 6

S22 E18 - 55m 45s

The Kensington neighborhood, plagued by the opioid crisis, is derided by local media as the "Wal-Mart of Heroin," but to Philadelphia City Councilmember Maria Quiñones-Sánchez it’s home. The D.A. favors safe injection sites. Locals are fed up. Caught in the middle, Quiñones-Sánchez arranges a town hall, but will Krasner’s brassy style backfire and undermine community support for his unorthodox pla
Part 5 | Philly D.A | Episode 5

S22 E17 - 55m 50s

Convicted of homicide as a teen, Joseph Chamberlain prays for forgiveness while dreaming of a reunion with the love of his life. For years, Philadelphia led the country in sentencing juveniles like Chamberlain to life in prison without parole. Now the D.A.’s office is seeking second chances, but a murder spike that has local media pointing fingers at Krasner threatens to halt their plans.
Part 4 | Philly D.A. | Episode 4

S22 E16 - 55m 45s

Activist LaTonya “T” Myers lands her dream job just as she’s beginning a 10-year probation sentence. Any slip could send her back to prison. While “T” petitions the court for freedom for herself and thousands more, the D.A.’s team pursues systemic probation reform, facing judges who embrace extended supervision. It’s a chance they believe will break a major cycle of mass incarceration in Philly.
Part 3 | Philly D.A. | Episode 3

S22 E15 - 55m 45s

As a candidate, Larry Krasner pledged his office would never seek the death penalty. That promise is put to the test when a police sergeant is murdered while shopping for his son’s birthday. Krasner faces pressure from the police union, the slain officer’s family, and his own attorneys to pursue the death penalty. Lives—and his credibility—hang in the balance of the D.A.’s biggest decision yet.
Part 2 | Philly D.A. | Episode 2

S22 E14 - 55m 45s

Krasner and his team battle for access to the complete police misconduct files as an angry public demands the District Attorney release the names of officers deemed unfit to testify in court. Meanwhile, tensions boil between new Assistant District Attorneys and seasoned veterans in the juvenile unit over new juvenile sentencing alternatives. How hard can the new guard lean on the old to change?
Part 1 | Philly D.A. | Episode 1

S22 E13 - 58m 59s

Civil rights champion Larry Krasner defies precedent with a landslide win to become Philadelphia’s District Attorney. Pledging sweeping reform, the new top prosecutor in America’s most incarcerated city fires 31 resistant attorneys, alienating many he needs on his side to enact change. As the staff reels, his team uncovers a secret that shakes the police department.
Coded Bias

S22 E10 - 1h 25m

Coded Bias follows M.I.T. Media Lab computer scientist Joy Buolamwini, along with data scientists, mathematicians, and watchdog groups from all over the world, as they fight to expose the discrimination within facial recognition algorithms now prevalent across all spheres of daily life.
Mr. SOUL!

S22 E9 - 1h 25m

Premiering in 1968, SOUL! was the first nationally broadcast all-Black variety show on public television, merging artists from the margins with post-Civil Rights Black radical thought. Mr. SOUL! delves into this critical moment in television history, as well as the man who guided it, highlighting a turning point in representation whose impact continues to resonate to this day.

Extras + Features

Independent Lens 2020 - 2021 Season Promo

S22 E26 - 1m

"It is shown that history repeats itself if we don't learn from it." This season, from fall to spring, Independent Lens presents a new group of impressive films that delve deep into the most pressing issues facing our nation, through the eyes of some of the most talented and incisive documentary filmmakers working today.
The People vs. Agent Orange | Trailer

S22 E24 - 32s

The People vs. Agent Orange closely follows two activists as they take on the chemical industry, and demand accountability for the pernicious legacy caused by the use of Agent Orange in the Vietnam War.
Trailer | Two Gods

S22 E23 - 32s

An intimate documentary about faith, renewal, and healing, Two Gods follows a Muslim casket maker and ritual body washer in New Jersey, as he takes two young men under his wing to teach them how to live better lives.
Women in Blue | Trailer

S22 E22 - 32s

With the national conversation around police reform still resonating, Women in Blue shines a spotlight on women within the Minneapolis Police Department to reform it from the inside by fighting for gender equity. Filmed from 2017 to 2020, Women in Blue focuses on MPD’s first female police chief and three women in her department as they each try to redefine what it means to protect and serve.
The Donut King | Trailer

S22 E22 - 32s

An immigrant story with a (glazed) twist, The Donut King follows the journey of Cambodian refugee Ted Ngoy, who arrived in California in the 1970s and, through a mixture of diligence and luck, built a multi-million dollar donut empire up and down the West Coast.
Trailer 8 | Philly D.A. | Episode 8

S22 E20 - 32s

Frustrated Krasner supporters warn he must accelerate plans to phase out cash bail.
Trailer 7 | Philly D.A. | Episode 7

S22 E19 - 32s

Krasner must decide whether to pursue a rarity—murder charges against a cop.
Trailer 6 | Philly D.A. | Episode 6

S22 E18 - 32s

A councilmember bridges constituents plagued by the opioid crisis with the unorthodox D.A.
Trailer 5 | Philly D.A | Episode 5

S22 E17 - 32s

A skeptical parole board and his own pride stand between a man and freedom.
Trailer 4 | Philly D.A | Episode 4

S22 E16 - 32s

LaTonya Myers fights for probation reform, but any slip-up could send her back to prison.
Trailer 2 | Philly D.A. | Episode 2

S22 E14 - 32s

Krasner and his team battle to obtain the complete police misconduct files.
Official Trailer #2 | Philly D.A.

S22 E13 - 30s

His promise to use the power of the District Attorney’s office for sweeping reform is what got civil rights attorney Larry Krasner elected. Now, that stubborn idealism threatens to alienate those he needs to work with the most. Go inside the tumultuous first term of Philadelphia’s unapologetic D.A. and his team of outsiders as they attempt to change the criminal justice system from the inside.

Schedule

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Independent Lens

Two Gods

Thursday
Jun 24

1:00 am

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1 Hour

A Muslim casket maker in East Orange, N.J., teaches two young men how to embrace life as they learn about the Islamic burial tradition.
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Independent Lens

Two Gods

Thursday
Jun 24

9:00 am

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1 Hour

A Muslim casket maker in East Orange, N.J., teaches two young men how to embrace life as they learn about the Islamic burial tradition.
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Independent Lens

Two Gods

Saturday
Jun 26

12:00 pm

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1 Hour

A Muslim casket maker in East Orange, N.J., teaches two young men how to embrace life as they learn about the Islamic burial tradition.
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Independent Lens

Two Gods

Saturday
Jun 26

9:30 pm

Image

1 Hour

A Muslim casket maker in East Orange, N.J., teaches two young men how to embrace life as they learn about the Islamic burial tradition.
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Independent Lens

Man on Fire

Saturday
Jun 26

10:30 pm

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1 Hour

An elderly white preacher self-immolates to protest racism in his hometown of Grand Saline, Texas, in 2014.
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Independent Lens

Two Gods

Sunday
Jun 27

2:00 am

Image

1 Hour

A Muslim casket maker in East Orange, N.J., teaches two young men how to embrace life as they learn about the Islamic burial tradition.
Image

Independent Lens

Man on Fire

Sunday
Jun 27

3:00 am

Image

1 Hour

An elderly white preacher self-immolates to protest racism in his hometown of Grand Saline, Texas, in 2014.
Image

Independent Lens

Two Gods

Monday
Jun 28

2:00 am

Image

1 Hour

A Muslim casket maker in East Orange, N.J., teaches two young men how to embrace life as they learn about the Islamic burial tradition.
Image

Independent Lens

The People vs. Agent Orange

Monday
Jun 28

10:00 pm

Image

1 Hour 30 Minutes

Vietnamese activist Tran To Nga sues the American chemical industry for poisoning her and her family; Carol Van Strum fights to stop the spraying of toxins by the timber industry in Oregon.
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Independent Lens

The People vs. Agent Orange

Tuesday
Jun 29

3:00 am

Image

1 Hour 30 Minutes

Vietnamese activist Tran To Nga sues the American chemical industry for poisoning her and her family; Carol Van Strum fights to stop the spraying of toxins by the timber industry in Oregon.
Image

Independent Lens

The People vs. Agent Orange

Wednesday
Jun 30

7:30 pm

Image

1 Hour 30 Minutes

Vietnamese activist Tran To Nga sues the American chemical industry for poisoning her and her family; Carol Van Strum fights to stop the spraying of toxins by the timber industry in Oregon.
Image

Independent Lens

The People vs. Agent Orange

Thursday
Jul 1

12:30 am

Image

1 Hour 30 Minutes

Vietnamese activist Tran To Nga sues the American chemical industry for poisoning her and her family; Carol Van Strum fights to stop the spraying of toxins by the timber industry in Oregon.
Image

Independent Lens

The People vs. Agent Orange

Thursday
Jul 1

8:30 am

Image

1 Hour 30 Minutes

Vietnamese activist Tran To Nga sues the American chemical industry for poisoning her and her family; Carol Van Strum fights to stop the spraying of toxins by the timber industry in Oregon.
Image

Independent Lens

Down a Dark Stairwell

Friday
Jul 2

7:00 pm

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1 Hour 30 Minutes

Two communities navigate an uneven criminal justice system after an unarmed Black man is killed by a Chinese American police officer at a Brooklyn housing project.
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Independent Lens

Coded Bias

Friday
Jul 2

8:30 pm

Image

1 Hour 30 Minutes

MIT Media Lab researcher Joy Buolamwini's Algorithmic Justice League highlights racial bias in facial recognition algorithms.
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Independent Lens

Down a Dark Stairwell

Saturday
Jul 3

12:00 am

Image

1 Hour 30 Minutes

Two communities navigate an uneven criminal justice system after an unarmed Black man is killed by a Chinese American police officer at a Brooklyn housing project.
Image

Independent Lens

Coded Bias

Saturday
Jul 3

1:30 am

Image

1 Hour 30 Minutes

MIT Media Lab researcher Joy Buolamwini's Algorithmic Justice League highlights racial bias in facial recognition algorithms.
Image

Independent Lens

Down a Dark Stairwell

Saturday
Jul 3

8:00 am

Image

1 Hour 30 Minutes

Two communities navigate an uneven criminal justice system after an unarmed Black man is killed by a Chinese American police officer at a Brooklyn housing project.
Image

Independent Lens

Coded Bias

Saturday
Jul 3

9:30 am

Image

1 Hour 30 Minutes

MIT Media Lab researcher Joy Buolamwini's Algorithmic Justice League highlights racial bias in facial recognition algorithms.
Image

Independent Lens

The People vs. Agent Orange

Saturday
Jul 3

12:00 pm

Image

1 Hour 30 Minutes

Vietnamese activist Tran To Nga sues the American chemical industry for poisoning her and her family; Carol Van Strum fights to stop the spraying of toxins by the timber industry in Oregon.

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