Indie Films

Independent Lens

Independent Lens is America’s home for independent documentary film.

When I Close My Eyes

24m 2s

His ability to paint portraits of Saddam Hussein likely saved his life. Oil painter Samir Khurshid reflects on his own tumultuous life growing up surrounded by death and chaos in war-torn Iraq. His densely layered work is heavily influenced by both the cross-cultural chaos of life as a refugee in the U.S. as well as his past, modern religion, ancient mythology, politics, and daily emotional life.

Episodes

  • A Town Called Victoria | Episode 3: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    A Town Called Victoria | Episode 3

    S25 E6 - 54m 42s

    The prosecution presents shocking evidence. As the trial concludes, the engaged citizens of Victoria seek a way to build a more inclusive community.

  • A Town Called Victoria | Episode 2: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    A Town Called Victoria | Episode 2

    S25 E5 - 54m 12s

    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.

  • A Town Called Victoria | Episode 1: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    A Town Called Victoria | Episode 1

    S25 E4 - 54m 41s

    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.

  • Three Chaplains: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Three Chaplains

    S25 E3 - 55m 43s

    Muslim chaplains uphold the First Amendment and vow to protect service members' right to practice their faith freely, despite facing long-held prejudice and disapproval from their own communities. The Muslim chaplains work hard to ensure that all service members have access to religious materials, services, and resources regardless of the religious beliefs they hold.

  • El Equipo: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    El Equipo

    S25 E2 - 1h 25m

    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”. The group expands its horizons, traveling to El Salvador, Bolivia and Mexico, doggedly working behind the scenes to establish the facts for the families of the victims.

  • Sansón and Me: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Sansón and Me

    S25 E1 - 1h 25m

    Filmmaker Rodrigo Reyes wants to document Sansón's story, an immigrant serving life in prison. Unable to film Sansón, the documentary creatively shares his narrative through reenactments of his letters, featuring his own family as actors.

Extras + Features

  • How Did Opinions Get In Our News?: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    How Did Opinions Get In Our News?

    S25 E11 - 7m 44s

    Even though objectivity is seen as the gold standard for news coverage, OpEds and commentary have been part of the news landscape since the early days of America – and it's not always easy to spot the difference between facts and opinion.

  • Has Journalism Always Been This Stressful?: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Has Journalism Always Been This Stressful?

    S25 E11 - 8m 52s

    As news evolved over the last 40 years from a single daily paper or nightly news show to something that's pushed 24/7, a mental health crisis has taken shape in our newsrooms as journalists race to cover traumatic events and get the most views.

  • Trailer | Breaking The News: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Trailer | Breaking The News

    S25 E11 - 30s

    A scrappy group of women and LGBTQ+ journalists buck the white male-dominated status quo to launch news startup The 19th*.

  • Trailer | Razing Liberty Square: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Trailer | Razing Liberty Square

    S25 E9 - 30s

    Liberty City, Miami, is home to one of the oldest segregated public housing projects in the United States. Now with rising sea levels, the neighborhood’s higher ground has become something else: real estate gold.

  • Trailer | Racist Trees: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Trailer | Racist Trees

    S25 E8 - 30s

    When an activist campaigns for the removal of a controversial wall of trees, one which forms a barrier believed to segregate the community, the history of racial tension in the city comes to light.

  • Herzog Interviews Bahrani | If Dreams Were Lightning: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Herzog Interviews Bahrani | If Dreams Were Lightning

    S25 E18 - 21m 12s

    Acclaimed filmmaker Werner Herzog (Grizzly Man; Aguirre, the Wrath of God; Nosferatu the Vampyre) interviews Oscar and Emmy-nominated director Ramin Bahrani (99 Homes; Man Push Cart; Chop Shop) on his Independent Lens documentary If Dreams Were Lightning: Rural Healthcare Crisis.

  • Trailer | A Town Called Victoria: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Trailer | A Town Called Victoria

    S25 E4 - 30s

    When a devastating hate crime reduces the local mosque to ashes, the community of Victoria faces the daunting task of bridging longstanding political, racial, and economic rifts in order to discover a unified path towards healing and progress.

Schedule

  • Independent Lens: Racist Trees: TVSS: Banner-L1

    Independent Lens

    Racist Trees

    Saturday
    Jul 27

    1 Hour 30 Minutes

    Racial tensions reignite in Palm Springs, Calif., as residents fight for the removal of a wall of trees that may have been intentionally added to exclude a Black community.
  • Independent Lens: Racist Trees: TVSS: Banner-L1

    Independent Lens

    Racist Trees

    Sunday
    Jul 28

    1 Hour 30 Minutes

    Racial tensions reignite in Palm Springs, Calif., as residents fight for the removal of a wall of trees that may have been intentionally added to exclude a Black community.

WETA Passport

Stream tens of thousands of hours of your PBS and local favorites with WETA Passport whenever and wherever you want. Catch up on a single episode or binge-watch full seasons before they air on TV.