WE WANT THE FUNK!

1h 22m

WE WANT THE FUNK! is a syncopated voyage through the history of funk music, spanning from African, soul, and early jazz roots, to its rise into the public consciousness. Featuring James Brown's dynamism, the extraterrestrial funk of George Clinton's Parliament Funkadelic, transformed girl group Labelle, and Fela Kuti's Afrobeat, the story also traces funk's influences on both new wave and hip-hop.

Episodes

  • WE WANT THE FUNK!: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    WE WANT THE FUNK!

    S26 E15 - 1h 22m

    WE WANT THE FUNK! is a syncopated voyage through the history of funk music, spanning from African, soul, and early jazz roots, to its rise into the public consciousness. Featuring James Brown's dynamism, the extraterrestrial funk of George Clinton's Parliament Funkadelic, transformed girl group Labelle, and Fela Kuti's Afrobeat, the story also traces funk's influences on both new wave and hip-hop.

  • Home Court: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Home Court

    S26 E14 - 1h 24m

    Home Court is the coming-of-age story of Ashley Chea, a Cambodian American basketball prodigy in Southern California whose life intensifies as recruitment heats up. As she overcomes injury as well as racial and class differences between her home and private school worlds, in peer groups, and against rival schools, Ashley strives to become her own person and leave a legacy behind.

  • Bike Vessel: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Bike Vessel

    S26 E13 - 1h 24m

    Knowing his dad miraculously recovered from three open-heart surgeries after discovering a passion for cycling, filmmaker Eric D. Seals proposes an ambitious idea: Bike together from St. Louis to Chicago. 350 miles. 4 days. On their journey, the two push each other as they find a deeper connection and a renewed appreciation of their quests for their own health and to reimagine Black health.

  • Skin of Glass: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Skin of Glass

    S26 E12 - 1h 25m

    A journey to reckon with Brazil’s harsh inequality begins when filmmaker Denise Zmekhol discovers her father’s architectural masterpiece in São Paulo—a 24-story tall modernist icon known as “Pele de Vidro” (Skin of Glass)—is inhabited by hundreds of unhoused people. But after getting to know these occupants, what started as a personal quest becomes something much bigger.

  • The In Between: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    The In Between

    S26 E11 - 1h 23m

    Following her brother's death, a filmmaker returns to Eagle Pass, the Texas bordertown where she grew up, to document the places that shaped their family. She finds a treasure trove of his own footage that brings him back to life, sparking a reflection on growing up Mexican American along the U.S.-Mexico border. She rediscovers the beautiful mysteries of their complex hometown.

  • The Strike: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    The Strike

    S26 E10 - 1h 24m

    The high-security Pelican Bay prison was designed for mass-scale solitary confinement, often for a decade or more, and with little due process. In 2013, 30,000 prisoners went on a hunger strike that spread into a feat of unity across California prisons. The Strike follows these solitary survivors who fought to abolish indefinite isolation.

  • Without Arrows: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Without Arrows

    S26 E9 - 1h 25m

    After 13 years living in Philadelphia, Delwin Fiddler Jr., a champion grass dancer, embraces indigenous culture by returning to his ancestral home on the Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota. Leaving his big city life behind, Delwin aims to protect his centuries-old Lakota heritage and heal from family tragedy, through his passion for dance.

  • Minted: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Minted

    S26 E8 - 1h 16m

    An insider’s look at the rise and fall of the NFT (non-fungible token) phenomenon and how technology transformed the traditional art world, for better and worse. Featuring verité footage and candid interviews with groundbreaking artists—like Beeple, Latasha Alcindor, and Loish— at the center of this phenomenon, Minted delves into the complex world of the $40 billion NFT digital art market.

  • Dallas, 2019 | Episode 5: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Dallas, 2019 | Episode 5

    S26 E7 - 48m 3s

    Featuring intimate stories of workers and young people—the chief medical examiner, a hospital worker, an auto body shop owner, and a high school senior—who all in their own ways make Dallas what it is, the final episode of Dallas, 2019 poses the question: What does it mean to be alive?

  • Dallas, 2019 | Episode 4: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Dallas, 2019 | Episode 4

    S26 E6 - 54m 56s

    Meet a criminal district attorney bringing reform to a complex and disparate justice system; a judge who is dedicated to breaking cycles of incarceration and knows what it's like to have a loved one in the system; the unapologetic owner of the largest bail bonds company in Dallas; and a community organizer with a mighty voice and warrior spirit.

  • Dallas, 2019 | Episode 3: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Dallas, 2019 | Episode 3

    S26 E5 - 50m 23s

    Three spirits with longstanding Texas roots struggle with their place in the world: a transgender woman working at an LGBTQ organization lives her full truth; a Dallas County Court commissioner has given 40 years of his life to his work but questions his role and identity; and the director of Health and Human Services wrestles with his new role while reflecting on his Asian American roots.

  • Dallas, 2019 | Episode 2: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Dallas, 2019 | Episode 2

    S26 E4 - 51m 41s

    Dreaming of a brighter future through the eyes of three people: a graduating high school student prepares to navigate the real world; Dallas Superintendent Michael Hinojosa reflects on sacrifices he's made in his career for a failing system; and Dallas County Sheriff Marian Brown looks for respect while questioning the future of law enforcement amidst a seemingly endless cycle of incarceration.

Extras + Features

  • Trailer | Matter of Mind: My Alzheimer's: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Trailer | Matter of Mind: My Alzheimer's

    S26 E17 - 30s

    Matter of Mind: My Alzheimer’s is an intimate portrayal of three families confronting the unique challenges of Alzheimer’s and how this progressive neurodegenerative disease transforms roles and relationships. Whether it's a partner caring for a loved one or an adult child shifting into being their parent's caregiver, these stories show how families evolve when a loved one is diagnosed.

  • Trailer | Who Is Michael Jang?: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Trailer | Who Is Michael Jang?

    S26 E19 - 30s

    After a long career as a commercial and portrait photographer, mischievous San Francisco artist Michael Jang sat for decades on a hidden treasure of pictures taken in his 20s—both candid celebrity shots and a down-to-earth cross-section of Chinese American family life rarely captured so playfully. Then, during the pandemic, Jang set out to share his work with the world, street guerilla-style.

  • Trailer | And So It Begins: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Trailer | And So It Begins

    S26 E18 - 30s

    And So It Begins follows the Philippines’ turbulent 2022 presidential race, with the son of ousted former dictator Ferdinand Marcos waging a combative social media campaign against his more progressive opponent, incumbent Vice President Leni Robredo. Following it all is independent journalist and Nobel-winner Maria Ressa, with an eye toward the specter of increasing autocracy.

  • Trailer | Free For All: The Public Library: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Trailer | Free For All: The Public Library

    S26 E16 - 30s

    Free For All: The Public Library tells the story of how a simple idea shaped a nation and the quiet revolutionaries who made it happen. From pioneering women behind the “Free Library Movement” to today's librarians who service the public despite working in a contentious age of closures. Free for All shows how libraries have always been a sanctuary for generations of Americans.

  • Trailer | WE WANT THE FUNK!: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Trailer | WE WANT THE FUNK!

    S26 E15 - 30s

    We Want the Funk is a syncopated voyage through the history of funk music, spanning from African, soul, and early jazz roots, to its rise into the public consciousness. Featuring James Brown's dynamism, the extraterrestrial funk of George Clinton's Parliament Funkadelic, transformed girl group Labelle, and Fela Kuti's Afrobeat, the story also traces funk's influences on both new wave and hip-hop.

  • Home Court Advantage Ep 4: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Home Court Advantage Ep 4

    S26 E14 - 8m 2s

    Flintridge Prep basketball coach Jayme Kiyomura Chan leads with compassion and genuine concern for the well-being of her players both on and off the court. She effortlessly epitomizes what it means to be both coach and family. We met Jayme at a basketball court in LA to run some of the challenging basketball drills that Ashley Chea does in the PBS doc Home Court.

  • Home Court Advantage Ep 3: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Home Court Advantage Ep 3

    S26 E14 - 5m 30s

    The Oakland Roots and Soul Sports Club's co-founder, Edreece Arghandiwal, takes to heart the soccer teams' motto, "Know Your Roots." The pride, pressure, and empathy required to lead a team are supported by his Afghan heritage and humble attitude in the face of success. We ran a series of drills that proved a good coach can motivate even a soccer noob into self-confidence.

  • Home Court Advantage Ep 2: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Home Court Advantage Ep 2

    S26 E14 - 5m 10s

    What happens when a novice basketball player is challenged to a game of HORSE by Brian Bell, three-time Paralympic gold medalist in wheelchair basketball? We get the opportunity to learn about his journey as an athlete and see some of his best shots! From the coaches who believed in him, to becoming a mentor to youth himself, Brian reveals sports lessons that double as life lessons.

  • Home Court Advantage Ep 1: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Home Court Advantage Ep 1

    S26 E14 - 6m 7s

    Southern Californian basketball player-turned-expert crossfit trainer Jamie Hagiya puts our hosts through the wringer with five increasingly challenging, sweat-inducing exercises while telling the story of her journey to become a formidable force in fitness.

  • Trailer | Home Court: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Trailer | Home Court

    S26 E14 - 30s

    Home Court is the coming-of-age story of Ashley Chea, a Cambodian American basketball prodigy in Southern California. As her high school career crescendos, her life intensifies amid recruitment, injury, and triumph as her natural talent inspires the support of those around her.

  • Spring 2025 Sneak Peak: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Spring 2025 Sneak Peak

    S26 E20 - 1m

    Get ready for our upcoming documentaries: WE WANT THE FUNK!, Who is Michael Jang?, Matter of Mind: My Alzheimer's, and Free for All: The Public Library.
    INDEPENDENT LENS returns with a season of powerful stories that celebrate resilience and connection. Watch the new films on the PBS app this Spring!

  • Trailer | Bike Vessel: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Trailer | Bike Vessel

    S26 E13 - 30s

    Knowing his dad miraculously recovered from three open-heart surgeries after discovering a passion for cycling, filmmaker Eric D. Seals proposes an ambitious idea: Bike together from St. Louis to Chicago. 350 miles. 4 days. On their journey, the two push each other as they find a deeper connection and a renewed appreciation of their quests for their own health and to reimagine Black health.

Schedule

  • Image
    Independent Lens: Three Chaplains: TVSS: Iconic

    Independent Lens

    Three Chaplains

    Saturday
    Apr 26

    1 Hour

    How Muslim chaplains in the armed forces vow to protect the right of every service member to practice their faith freely.
  • Image
    Independent Lens: Three Chaplains: TVSS: Iconic

    Independent Lens

    Three Chaplains

    Sunday
    Apr 27

    1 Hour

    How Muslim chaplains in the armed forces vow to protect the right of every service member to practice their faith freely.
  • Image
    Independent Lens: Free for All: The Public Library: TVSS: Iconic

    Independent Lens

    Free for All: The Public Library

    Tuesday
    Apr 29

    1 Hour 30 Minutes

    The women behind the "Free Library Movement" to the librarians who service the public amid an age of closures and book bans, creating a civic institution that is free and open to all.
  • Image
    Independent Lens: Free for All: The Public Library: TVSS: Iconic

    Independent Lens

    Free for All: The Public Library

    Tuesday
    Apr 29

    1 Hour 30 Minutes

    The women behind the "Free Library Movement" to the librarians who service the public amid an age of closures and book bans, creating a civic institution that is free and open to all.
  • Image
    Independent Lens: Free for All: The Public Library: TVSS: Iconic

    Independent Lens

    Free for All: The Public Library

    Wednesday
    Apr 30

    1 Hour 30 Minutes

    The women behind the "Free Library Movement" to the librarians who service the public amid an age of closures and book bans, creating a civic institution that is free and open to all.
  • Image
    Independent Lens: Free for All: The Public Library: TVSS: Iconic

    Independent Lens

    Free for All: The Public Library

    Wednesday
    Apr 30

    1 Hour 30 Minutes

    The women behind the "Free Library Movement" to the librarians who service the public amid an age of closures and book bans, creating a civic institution that is free and open to all.
  • Image
    Independent Lens: Free for All: The Public Library: TVSS: Iconic

    Independent Lens

    Free for All: The Public Library

    Thursday
    May 1

    1 Hour 30 Minutes

    The women behind the "Free Library Movement" to the librarians who service the public amid an age of closures and book bans, creating a civic institution that is free and open to all.
  • Image
    Independent Lens: Free for All: The Public Library: TVSS: Iconic

    Independent Lens

    Free for All: The Public Library

    Thursday
    May 1

    1 Hour 30 Minutes

    The women behind the "Free Library Movement" to the librarians who service the public amid an age of closures and book bans, creating a civic institution that is free and open to all.
  • Image
    Independent Lens: Free for All: The Public Library: TVSS: Iconic

    Independent Lens

    Free for All: The Public Library

    Saturday
    May 3

    1 Hour 30 Minutes

    The women behind the "Free Library Movement" to the librarians who service the public amid an age of closures and book bans, creating a civic institution that is free and open to all.
  • Image
    Independent Lens: Free for All: The Public Library: TVSS: Iconic

    Independent Lens

    Free for All: The Public Library

    Sunday
    May 4

    1 Hour 35 Minutes

    The women behind the "Free Library Movement" to the librarians who service the public amid an age of closures and book bans, creating a civic institution that is free and open to all.
  • Image
    Independent Lens: TVSS: Banner-L1

    Independent Lens

    Matter of Mind: My Alzheimer's

    Monday
    May 5

    1 Hour

    A portrayal of three families confronting the unique challenges of Alzheimer's and how the disease transforms roles and relationships.
  • Image
    Independent Lens: TVSS: Banner-L1

    Independent Lens

    Matter of Mind: My Alzheimer's

    Tuesday
    May 6

    1 Hour

    A portrayal of three families confronting the unique challenges of Alzheimer's and how the disease transforms roles and relationships.
  • Image
    Independent Lens: TVSS: Banner-L1

    Independent Lens

    Matter of Mind: My Alzheimer's

    Wednesday
    May 7

    1 Hour

    A portrayal of three families confronting the unique challenges of Alzheimer's and how the disease transforms roles and relationships.
  • Image
    Independent Lens: TVSS: Banner-L1

    Independent Lens

    Matter of Mind: My Alzheimer's

    Thursday
    May 8

    1 Hour

    A portrayal of three families confronting the unique challenges of Alzheimer's and how the disease transforms roles and relationships.
  • Image
    Independent Lens: TVSS: Banner-L1

    Independent Lens

    Matter of Mind: My Alzheimer's

    Thursday
    May 8

    1 Hour

    A portrayal of three families confronting the unique challenges of Alzheimer's and how the disease transforms roles and relationships.

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