Independent Lens Kicks-off Winter/Spring Season with Four Acclaimed Music Documentaries
This winter, Independent Lens, hosted by Maggie Gyllenhaal, launches the second half of the 2009/2010 season with four weeks of compelling documentaries that explore both the art and business of modern music. The slate includes the television premieres of Stephen Walker’s critical and box office smash YOUNG@HEART, an inspiring portrait of the indomitable members of a New England senior citizens chorus who cover musicians from The Clash to Prince; Benjamin Franzen and Kembrew McLeod’s COPYRIGHT CRIMINALS , which examines the creative and commercial value of musical sampling, including the related debates over artistic expression, copyright law and money; and Gabriel Noble’s P-STAR RISING, a gritty, personal look at Priscilla Diaz, a.k.a P-Star, a determined young Harlem rapper trying to fulfill her family’s dreams of success. Also airing is an encore presentation of Byron Hurt’s HIP HOP: Beyond Beats And Rhymes, one of Independent Lens’s biggest hits, a film that goes beyond the bling to explore gender roles in hip-hop and rap music.
The winter/spring season of Independent Lens showcases a powerhouse selection of films covering a wide range of issues. Airing during Black History month is HERSKOVITS AT THE HEART OF BLACKNESS, directed by Llewellyn Smith, which explores the forgotten legacy of Melville Herskovits, the controversial Jewish anthropologist who challenged widely held assumptions about race and culture. Also airing during Black history month is BEHIND THE RAINBOW, directed by Jihan El Tahri, an untold account of South Africa’s political problems, struggles and realities. Among the other documentaries that make up the 2010 slate of Independent Lens are DIRT! The Movie by Bill Benenson and Gene Rosow (Sundance 2009 selection), GARBAGE DREAMS by Mai Iskander (winner of the Al Gore REEL Current Award and shortlisted for an Academy® Award nomination for Best Documentary), and the highly acclaimed drama GOODBYE SOLO by Ramin Bahrani. From education (WHATEVER IT TAKES), to a post-Katrina New Orleans (MINE, A VILLAGE CALLED VERSAILLE), and developmental disorders, as a family travels to Mongolia in search of answers to combat their son’s autism (THE HORSE BOY, 2009 Sundance Selection), Independent Lens presents unforgettable stories from around the world.Visit the Independent Lens Web site for more information on the winter/spring season >>
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