Twenty years ago, on July 15, 1997, at precisely 8pm Central time, I took my dog out for a walk.

The Genius of Marian, which broadcast on POV in 2014, is an intimate, visually rich and emotionally complex story told through the eyes of director Banker White and his wife Anna Fitch as Banker's mother, Pam White, is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's.

In 1990, my last name — the prosaic-in-China but seemingly obscure-in-America “Xu” — was the 10,540th most common name in America. In 2000, my last name had made an incredible leap — it climbed more than 7,000 spots to become the 2,701st most common name in America. What a difference a decade makes! How common […]

Filmmaker Gary Weimberg is a two-time POV alum. His film, Soldiers of Conscience, premiered on POV in 2008. An earlier film, The Double Life of Ernesto Gomez Gomez, was on POV in 1999. Gary writes in with a moving update on the lives of the characters from that film and reminds us about the power […]

Photojournalist Pirkle Jones passed away on March 15, 2009 at the age of 95 in Mill Valley, California. The New York Times calls Jones “one of the most admired photographers of his generation.” One of the highlights of his career is a series of photographs that he and his wife took of Bay Area Black […]

Earlier this month, filmmaker Leah Mahan shared her memories of Howard “Louie Bluie” Armstrong, the subject of her 2002 POV film Sweet Old Song, in celebration of what would have been his 100th birthday on March 4. Armstrong passed away in 2003. Last week, she received news that John Cephas, one of the musicians featured […]

Acclaimed musician Howard “Louie Bluie” Armstrong was the subject of not one, but two POV films over the years, Louie Bluie (1988) by Terry Zwigoff and Sweet Old Song (2002) by Leah Mahan. Armstrong passed away at the age of 94 in 2003. He would have celebrated his 100th birthday today. Over the course of […]

Acclaimed musician Howard “Louie Bluie” Armstrong is renowned for a lifetime of jazz, blues, folk and country music. Armstrong was the subject of not one, but two POV films over the years, Louie Bluie (1988) by Terry Zwigoff and Sweet Old Song (2002) by Leah Mahan. Armstrong’s roots in America’s musical past, his accomplished musicianship […]

Acclaimed musician Howard “Louie Bluie” Armstrong is renowned for a lifetime of jazz, blues, folk and country music. Armstrong was the subject of not one, but two POV films over the years, Louie Bluie (1988) by Terry Zwigoff and Sweet Old Song (2002) by Leah Mahan. Armstrong’s roots in America’s musical past, his accomplished musicianship […]

In honor of Independence Day in the Dominican Republic, POV is proud to share a film that highlights some of the rich diversity of the Dominican immigrant experience in New York City. My American Girls (POV 2001), by director Aaron Matthews, is now streaming in its entirety on the POV website through April 2, 2009. […]

September 15 – October 15 is Hispanic Heritage month! Started in 1968 (as Hispanic Heritage Week), the now month-long observation recognizes the contributions of Hispanic Americans to the United States. September 15th is the anniversary of independence for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Gautemala, Honduras and Nicaragua; Mexico and Chile also celebrate their independence days in […]

In 2005, POV aired Jessica Yu‘s film In the Realms of the Unreal. The film is the astounding tale of outsider artist Henry Darger, who, unbeknownst to anyone, had created a 15,000-page novel and hundreds of illustrations that have inspired artists and viewers since their discovery. Three years later, Darger continues to fascinate and astound, […]

One of the things that always strikes me as I watch documentaries is that the stories don’t end as the credits start to roll. After they’ve given us a glimpse into their lives, documentary subjects go on living, usually out of the spotlight — and we, the viewers who have come to care about them, […]

Yance Ford, POV’s series producer, muses on Tongues Untied, a landmark POV film — and one of the most controversial. The film has just been released on DVD by Strand Releasing. Brother to Brother. Brother to Brother. Brother to Brother. Brother to Brother. Five men recite this phrase in staccato rhythm during the hypnotic opening […]

March is National Women’s History Month, so why not curl up with some films from the POV archives that celebrate amazing, courageous women from around the country? The women showcased in these three POV films — an African-American Congresswoman running for president; a Christian teenager from Lubbock, Texas; and an Asian-American architect — are very […]

Who says Valentine's Day has to be all about flowers and candy?

I ran into Shelby Knox, a passionate young activist, recently in Manhattan. We first got to know each other in 2005 when POV broadcasted The Education of Shelby Knox. Still one of our most requested films by communities across the country — the film follows Shelby, a Southern Baptist high school student from a politically […]

If you’re looking for a story of music, love, art and family this holiday season, look no further than Leah Mahan‘s Sweet Old Song. The film tells the story of acclaimed musician Howard "Louie Bluie" Armstrong, who is renowned for a lifetime of jazz, blues, folk and country music. Armstrong’s roots in America’s musical past, […]