American Masters
Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore
Marlee Matlin, the first Deaf actor to win an Academy Award, looks back on her remarkable life, career, and the complexities of being the “first.”
United States of Comedy
United States of Comedy gives context to the diverse emerging voices in comedy, making the personal feel hilariously universal.
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- Series
- Independent Lens
- Premiere Date
- November 12, 2024
- Length
- 5 episodes x 25 minutes
- Funding Initiative
- Short-Form Series and Special Projects
Producer/Director
Habib Yazdi
Habib Yazdi is an Iranian American director and comedic writer shaped by his upbringing in rural Texas, where his family's Persian traditions intersected with a Southern Baptist community. This distinctive blend spurred an interest in crafting stories about how cultural backgrounds shape behavior.
Producer
Jackie Aude
Jackie Aude is a queer Lebanese-Cuban American writer/producer living in Queens, New York, who has worked in documentary film, television, and commercial spaces. A wannabe baker and part-time gardener, you can also sometimes find her hauling heat throughout New York with her community sauna project.
Executive Producer
Neda Armian
Neda Armian is an EmmyⓇ and Peabody Award-winning producer. Select credits include: Rachel Getting Married, Murder on Middle Beach, Aporia, Loan Wolves, The Ballad of Lefty Brown, Jimmy Carter: Man From Plains, The Truth About Charlie, The Longest Week, Why Stop Now, The Loving Story, and The Trivial Pursuits of Arthur Banks.
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The Film
Because shared laughter can be immediately disarming, comedy serves as a profound bridge, creating bonds between people believed to be fundamentally different from each other. Successful comedians have a knack for making the personal feel universal, weaving tales from individual experiences into humorous anecdotes that spark laughter and provoke thought in equal measure. However, audiences rarely get a glimpse into comedians’ backstories, left instead to make inferences and assumptions based on the jokes they hear. United States of Comedy gives context to emerging voices in comedy from culturally diverse communities throughout the United States, showcasing artists’ stand-up sets along with visuals from their hometowns and their families. Sharing insights into their formative years and their creative exploration allows rising comedians to engage with audiences in ways both intimate and introspective. While their jokes still strike a chord with audiences from all walks of life, knowing their particular stories gives a personal framework for their comedy and a finer appreciation of how they’ve honed their craft.
