Watch The City Dark on the PBS Mobile App for iPhone or iPad »

POV presents the broadcast premiere of Ian Cheney’s The City Dark, a film that explores the physical and psychological effects of light pollution. The City Dark is a portrait of the world after dusk, and a meditation on the human relationship to the stars.

Still image from Ian Cheney's 'The City Dark'
'The City Dark' asks what we lose when we lose the night sky. Premieres July 5, 2012, on POV.

Watch the documentary on PBS stations starting this Thursday, July 5, 2012 at 10 PM. Check your local listings ».

When filmmaker Ian Cheney moves from rural Maine to New York City and discovers streets awash in light and skies devoid of stars, he embarks on a journey to America’s brightest and darkest corners, asking astronomers, cancer researchers and ecologists what is lost in the glare of city lights. Blending a humorous, searching narrative with poetic footage of the night sky, The City Dark The City Dark provides a fascinating introduction to the science of the dark and an exploration of our relationship to the stars.

View the trailer for the documentary The City Dark.
U.S. Broadcast Premiere: Thursday, July 5, 2012, on POV.

You can watch the film now, before it airs on PBS stations, on POV’s website and on PBS’s mobile apps for iPad or iPhone, then watch the film online, for a limited time, starting Friday, July 6, 2012.

Whether you watch the film on your mobile device, on our website or on television, visit POV’s The City Dark companion site for more interactive features — watch additional video, learn more about the effects of light pollution, download classroom and event resources, and gain insight into the documentary production process with director Ian Cheney.

What’s your point of view? Share your reactions on the POV companion site for The City Dark, on Facebook or on Twitter.

Did you know? Many POV films are available free to stream online and on mobile devices. Visit POV’s Watch Video page or download the PBS mobile app for iPhone or iPad, and see which films are available today!

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Published by

POV Staff
POV Staff
POV (a cinema term for "point of view") is television's longest-running showcase for independent non-fiction films. POV premieres 14-16 of the best, boldest and most innovative programs every year on PBS. Since 1988, POV has presented over 400 films to public television audiences across the country. POV films are known for their intimacy, their unforgettable storytelling and their timeliness, putting a human face on contemporary social issues.