The following is a list of episodes from PBS series POV, a production of American Documentary, Inc. Since 1988, POV has presented over 400 independently produced documentary films to public television audiences across the country.POV at a glance, POV Website The series began its 35th season on PBS in 2022.
__NOTOC__ ContentsSeasons: 1 (1988) • 2 • 3 (1990) • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 (2000) • 14 • 15 • 16 • 17 • 18 • 19 • 20 • 21 • 22 • 23 (2010) • 24 • 25 • 26 • 27 • 28 • 29 • 30 • 31 • 32 • 33 (2020) • 34 • 35 • 36 • 37 • 38 • • References • External links
Season 1 (1988) Title Premiere Director Synopsis American Tongues July 5, 1988 Louis Alvarez and Andrew Kolker A survey of the many dialects and accents in the American English language and the perceptions around them.https://www.pbs.org/pov/films/americantongues/ Acting Our Age July 5, 1988 Michal Aviad Six women between the ages of 65-75 share their thoughts on body image, sexuality, family dynamics, and mortality.https://www.wmm.com/catalog/film/acting-our-age-a-film-about-women-growing-old/ Fire From the Mountain July 12, 1988 Deborah Shaffer A look into Omar Cabezas' life as a student activist, to a guerrilla fighter, to ultimately finding a place in government.https://www.nytimes.com/1987/10/10/movies/film-festival-fire-from-mountain-on-nicaragua.html Living With AIDS July 19, 1988 Tina DiFeliciantonio A community comes together to support a 22-year-old AIDS patient.https://www.amdoc.org/watch/livingwithaids} Knocking on Armageddon's Door July 19, 1988 Torv Carlsen, John Magnus Spokespeople for the survivalist movement reveal their way of thinking, the way they play, and the way they prepare for the next world war.https://www.nytimes.com/1988/07/19/arts/review-television-of-survivalism-and-the-aids-crisis.html Rate It X July 26, 1988 Paula de Koenigsberg Fifteen years post the women's movement, two filmmakers survey an array of men to reveal their feelings toward women.https://www.wmm.com/catalog/film/rate-it-x/ The Mothers of Plaza de Mayo August 2, 1988 Susana Munoz, Lourdes Portillo In the late 1970s, a group of Argentinian mothers staged weekly demonstrations in response to kidnappings taking place by the government to demand the release of their children.https://www.nywift.org/las-madres-the-mothers-of-plaza-de-mayo-1985/ The Good Fight August 9, 1988 Noel Buckner, Mary Dore, Sam Sills 50 years since volunteering to go to Europe from the United States to fight the spread of fascism, participants recount their experiences as young people during those years and what has taken place since.https://www.pbs.org/pov/films/thegoodfight/ Metropolitan Avenue August 16, 1988 Christine Noschese A group of "traditional" homemakers in Brooklyn rises to the challenge to become leaders in the effort to save their community, as they combine new roles with old values in a rapidly changing society.https://www.christinefilms.com/metave Louie Bluie August 23, 1988 Terry Zwigoff A portrait of 76-year-old Harold "Louie Bluie" Armstrong, musician, artist, raconteur and rogue.https://www.criterion.com/films/27509-louie-bluie?srsltid=AfmBOopokXDJEzjkSgDOcPPl5j1_tUlhoW29evMEJ6K2XBFrZXcILgxX Gates of Heaven August 30, 1988 Errol Morris At first, a story of pet cemeteries and their proprietors, this film takes a turn into exploring ideas of love, immorality, failure, and the American Dream.https://www.documentary.org/column/playback-errol-morris-gates-heaven Best Boy September 6, 1988 Ira Wohl Philly, a 53-year-old person with a mental disability, adapts to an independent life away from his elderly parents.https://bestboythemovie.com/
Season 2 (1989) Title Premiere Director Synopsis Who Killed Vincent Chin? July 16, 1989 Christine Choy, Renee Tajima Ronald Ebens fatally assaults a Chinese-American engineer during a hot summer in Detroit but never spent a day in jail after confessing, launching a look into implications of Murder in the streets of the city. Coming Out July 23, 1989 Ted Reed Miss Mary Stuart Montague Price founder of the annual Debutante Cotillion in Washington, DC, shows the debutant tradition is alive and well.https://store.cinemaguild.com/nontheatrical/product/1663.html Wise Guys! July 23, 1989 David Hartwell A stamp dealer from Los Angeles, a former school teacher form Miami, a born again Christian from Las Vegas and a whiz kid law student square off in the Jeopardy! $100,000 Tournament of Champions. The Family Album July 30, 1989 Alan Berliner Alan Berliner spent years blending home movies and tape recordings collected from 60 different American families to assemble a composite lifetime which moves from childhood to adulthood, from innocence to experience.https://film-makerscoop.com/catalogue/alan-berliner-family-album-the Dark Circle August 6, 1989 Christopher Beaver, Judy Irving, Ruth Landy An investigation into how The Bomb is claiming the lives of everyday Americans, and the impact of the Nuclear age. Jack Levine: Feast Of Pure Reason August 13, 1989 David Sutherland David Sutherland follows Social Realist painter Jack Levine on his day to day of challenging politicians, raging over social injustices, and satirizing humankind. No Applause, Just Throw Money August 20, 1989 Karen Goodman On the streets and subways of New York, 101 itinerant performers whirl firesticks, mimic passers-by, imitate Stevie Wonder, tap dance and perform classical music. Whatever Happened to Zworl Quern? August 20, 1989 Deborah Matlovsky Friends and family tell stories about "Zworl Quern" epithetically known as Janet Wolfe who fearlessly traveled the world in search of love, art and adventure. Partisans Of Vilna August 27, 1989 Aviva Kempner The untold story of a handful of Jewish youth who organized an underground resistance against the Nazis in the Vilna Ghetto.https://jfi.org/programs/jfi-film-archive/the-partisans-of-vilna The Fighting Ministers September 3, 1989 Bill Jersey, Richard Wormser A group of ministers in Pittsburgh begin to confront the city's government and powerful corporations. Their passionate, controversial and unorthodox actions lead to profound soul-searching, Church rejection and imprisonment. Binge September 17, 1989 Lynn Hershman Videomaker Lynn Hershman places herself center-screen for an intimate and humorous narrative about her efforts to control her weight.https://www.artforum.com/events/lynn-hershman-219965/ Cowboy Poets September 17, 1989 Kim Shelton A portrayal of Cowboys as modern poet lariats who uphold their legacy through writings of life and the land they love. Doug And Mike, Mike And Doug September 17, 1989 Cindy Kleine Cindy Kleine probes the inner and outer lives of identical twins Doug and Mike Starn, whose collaborative painting and photographic work is rapidly gaining acclaim in the art world. Lost Angeles September 24, 1989 Tom Seidman An intimate look at the lives and struggles of a group of homeless people who've been moved into an "urban campground" in Los Angeles. Girltalk November 15, 1989 Kate Davis A portrait of three runaway girls with histories of abuse and neglect. Music, humor, and intimate conversations play against the reality these girls' live.
Season 3 (1990) Title Premiere Director Synopsis Through the Wire June 26, 1990 Nina Rosenblum Three women, found guilty of nonviolent political acts in 1986, are confined to a secret underground prison in Lexington, KY as they endure perpetual light, constant surveillance, and frequent strip searches. Police Chiefs June 30, 1990 Alan Raymond, Susan Raymond Crime prevention strategies vary among three city police chiefs. Daryl Gates, LAPD's SWAT pioneer; Anthony Bouza, who stirred Minneapolis; Lee P. Brown, Houston-NYC move, exhibit divergent philosophies on crime's roots and remedies. Metamorphosis: Man Into Woman July 3, 1990 Lisa Leeman A 39-year-old animation artist and devout Christian, pursues a lifelong dream — to become a woman. Larry Wright July 10, 1990 Ari Marcopoulos, Maja Zrnic Self-taught 14-year-old drummer Larry Wright performs on a subway platform with a plastic can as his instrument celebrating Harlem's vibrant culture. On Ice July 10, 1990 Grover Babcock and Andrew Takeuchi Cryonics takes center stage in this examination of freezing humans post-mortem for potential revival. Letter To The Next Generation July 17, 1990 Jim Klein Jim Klein, a former 60's radical, reevaluates this notion two decades after the Kent State incident. Collaborating with various individuals, including ex-activists-turned-professors and an ROTC captain, Klein delves into campus dynamics and societal shifts of the 90's. Salesman July 24, 1990 Albert Maysles, David Maysles, Charlotte Zwerin Four door-to-door Bible salesmen navigate the delicate balance between exuberance and desolation. Kamala And Raji August 7, 1990 Michael Camerini Michael Camerini captures the intricacies of everyday life in India through the narratives of two impoverished women striving to change their circumstances. Golub August 14, 1990 Jerry Blumenthal and Gordon Quinn A portrait of Painter Leon Golub, renowned for thought-provoking canvases intertwining themes of media, society, responsibility, creativity, and the relationship between art and information. Days of Waiting August 15, 1990 Steven Okazaki Recreated from Estell Peck Ishigo's own memoirs, photos and paintings, this film reveals the shattering relocation experience from an "outsider's" perspective of Japanese internment camps during World War II.https://www.pbs.org/pov/films/daysofwaiting/ Going Up (TV episode) August 21, 1990Gary Pollard Gary Pollard combines time-lapse photography, construction banter, and worker coordination, choreographed as he reimagines skyscraper construction as a stunning visual spectacle. Green Streets August 21, 1990 Maria De Luca Maria De Luca, showcases the organic growth of community gardens in New York City. It explores how these gardens foster neighborhood pride, racial harmony, and newfound hope among passionate urban gardeners. Motel August 28, 1990 Christian Blackwood Filmmaker Christian Blackwood delves into the hidden lives within three Southwest motels. Passion, loyalty, adventure, and destiny converge, revealing the essence of individuals within a distinct American subculture. ¡Teatro! September 4, 1990 Ed Burke and Ruth Shapiro A grassroots theater troupe brings its performances to the rugged paths of Honduras, aiming to enlighten and uplift impoverished villagers in the rural regions. Ossian: American Boy, Tibetan Monk September 4, 1990 Thomas R. Anderson Ossian Maclise has spent his life in a Tibetan Buddhist monastery since age four. Remarkably, at seven, his monastic community identified him as a tulku, signifying his status as the reincarnation of a revered Tibetan lama. People Power September 11, 1990 Ilan Ziv Israeli-born producer Ilan Ziv embarked on journeys to Chile, the Philippines, and the West Bank to delve into the emergence of "People Power" movements and to reevaluate his longstanding belief in the essential role of violence to overthrow oppressive regimes.
Season 4 (1991)