Independent Lens - Season 27

A groundbreaking look at Phil Sharp's rise from being a rural Kentucky farm boy who battled dyslexia to Nobel Prize-winning scientist. Narrated by Mark Ruffalo with insights from Walter Isaacson, "Cracking the Code: Phil Sharp and the Biotech Revolution" reveals how Sharp's RNA discovery transformed biology and launched the biotechnology revolution leading to life-saving treatments for millions.

"Ratified" brings the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to life through Virginia's pivotal ratification battle. Led by Black women and with the support of a multi-racial, multi-generational coalition, this documentary traces the legal, political, and deeply personal fight to enshrine gender equality in the U.S. Constitution nearly a century after the ERA was first proposed.

Filmmaker Reid Davenport investigates assisted dying and uncovers how ableism, policy, and systemic failures can make death seem like the only option. With gripping stories and a personal mission, "Life After" explores who gets real choice, and who doesn't, in life and death.

Librarians across the U.S. examine how restrictions on library content are shaping communities.

Through rare archival footage and firsthand accounts, True North revisits 1968 Montreal, where Black liberation movements converged at the Congress of Black Writers. As student protests ignited the Sir George Williams Affair, Black youth faced violent repression, unfolding a powerful chapter of the global Black Power era. 

Returning home to California's Inland Empire, filmmaker Katy Scoggin seeks to reconnect with her estranged father, who works as an elementary science teacher. He is the only evangelical left in the family, and as they face their differences on faith, family, and belonging, their journey becomes a portrait of empathy and resilience. Together, they find new ways to listen and bridge divides.