POV returns to PBS on Monday, July 5th with its 34th season, a slate of films that reaffirm public media’s vital role as a platform for the people and in sparking national dialogue. America’s longest-running documentary series’ newest season follows artists, activists, elders, comedians, frontline workers and politicians across the globe as they navigate their personal stories and the larger histories under which they take shape.
“Since POV’s inception nearly 35 years ago, the series’ mission has been simple: to use public television to meet the moment; to program the stories and voices that speak to the present and to the future of nonfiction film; and to ensure that a wide diversity of perspectives is represented both in front of and behind the camera,” said Erika Dilday, the incoming executive director of American Documentary and new executive producer of POV. “These are films that are unafraid to confront the issues at the heart of their communities.”
POV is one of the most highly-acclaimed documentary series on television. In the last year alone, the series received eight News & Documentary Emmy nominations, and earned the 2020 Best Documentary award for The Silence of Others (POV Season 32). In addition to its Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Feature, The Mole Agent (POV Season 33) was also shortlisted for Best International Feature. Four POV films were awarded Peabody Awards in 2020.
The season kicks off with writer and comedian CJ Hunt’s directorial debut, The Neutral Ground, on Monday, July 5. All films are accompanied by educational resources and will be available to stream on all PBS platforms, including PBS.org and the PBS Video App. Premieres continue through fall 2021, with primetime specials in early 2022.
POV SEASON 34 LINEUP
The Neutral Ground directed by CJ Hunt
Broadcasts July 5, 2021
CJ Hunt investigates why a losing army from 1865 still holds so much power in America. A co-production of POV and ITVS, in association with the Center for Asian American Media. A co-presentation of Black Public Media and the Center for Asian American Media. Official Selection Tribeca Film Festival.
Landfall directed by Cecilia Aldarondo
Broadcasts July 12, 2021
Shard-like glimpses of post-Hurricane María Puerto Rico examine a transformed world. A co-production of POV and ITVS, in association with Latino Public Broadcasting. Official Selection Tribeca Film Festival and Winner Viewfinders Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary DOC NYC Film Festival.
Stateless directed by Michèle Stephenson
Broadcasts July 19, 2021
An attorney advocates for Dominicans of Haitain descent who have been stripped of their citizenship. A co-production of POV, Latino Public Broadcasting and Black Public Media. Winner Best Feature Documentary BlackStar Film Festival and Special Jury Prize Hot Docs Film Festival. Official Selection Tribeca Film Festival.
Mayor directed by David Osit
Broadcasts July 26, 2021
Musa Hadid is the mayor of Ramallah, the de facto capital of Palestine. Winner Grand Jury Award Full Frame Documentary Film Festival.
Pier Kids directed by Elegance Bratton
Broadcasts August 2, 2021
In New York City, queer and trans youth of color make the Christopher Street Pier their own. Winner Truer Than Fiction Award at the Independent Spirit Awards.
The Song of the Butterflies directed by Núria Frigola Torrent
Broadcasts August 30, 2021
Rember, an Indigenous artist in Peru, journeys home to the Amazonian land of his ancestors. A co-presentation of Latino Public Broadcasting and Vision Maker Media. Official Selection Hot Docs Film Festival and Winner Best Ibero-American Documentary Guadalajara International Film Festival.
Fruits of Labor directed by Emily Cohen Ibañez
Broadcasts October 4, 2021
In central California, a Mexican-American teen goes to work when ICE raids threaten her family. A co-production of POV and Latino Public Broadcasting, co-presented by POV and VOCES. Official Selection SXSW Film Festival.
La Casa de Mama Icha directed by Oscar Molina
Broadcasts October 18, 2021
Mama Icha returns home to Colombia, finding heartbreak and joy after decades in the U.S.
A co-presentation of Latino Public Broadcasting.
Things We Dare Not Do directed by Bruno Santamaría, produced by Abril López Carillo
Broadcasts October 25, 2021
In a Mexican coastal village, 16-year-old Ñoño has a secret that defies gender norms. Official Selection, Hot Docs Film Festival. Official Selection DOC NYC FilMFestival.
North by Current directed by Angelo Madsen Minax
Broadcasts November 1, 2021
Director Angelo Madsen Minax returns home to rural Michigan after the death of his niece.
A co-production of POV. Official Selection Berlinale. Official Selection Tribeca Film Festival.
Unapologetic directed by Ashley O’Shay
Broadcasts December 27, 2021
After two police killings, Black abolitionists fight to hold Chicago officials accountable. Official Selection DOC NYC Film Festival and Winner Breakthrough Award Athena Film Festival.
Not Going Quietly directed by Nicholas Bruckman, produced by Amanda Roddy
Broadcasts January 24, 2022
After being diagnosed with ALS, Ady Barkan launches a national movement for healthcare. Official Selection, SXSW Film Festival and Winner, Audience Award for Documentary Feature and the Special Jury Recognition for Humanity in Social Action.
On the Divide directed by Maya Cueva and Leah Galant
Broadcasts Spring 2022
The lives of three Latinx people intersect at the last abortion clinic on the border. A co-production of POV and Latino Public Broadcasting. Official Selection Tribeca Film Festival.
About POV
Produced by American Documentary, POV is the longest-running independent documentary showcase on American television. Since 1988, POV has presented films on PBS that capture the full spectrum of the human experience, with a long commitment to centering women and people of color in front of, and behind, the camera. It was on POV that American television audiences were introduced to groundbreaking works like Tongues Untied, The Act of Killing and American Promise and innovative filmmakers including Jonathan Demme, Nanfu Wang, and Laura Poitras. In 2018, POV Shorts launched as one of the first PBS series dedicated to bold and timely short-form documentaries.
Over a generation, POV has championed accessibility and innovation in nonfiction storytelling. POV Engage works with educators, community organizations and PBS stations to present hundreds of free screenings every year, inspiring dialogue around today’s most pressing social issues. The series’ interactive arm, POV Spark, creates and advances experiential forms of storytelling and programming, redefining U.S. public media to be more inclusive of emerging technologies and interactive makers.
POV films and projects have won 42 Emmy Awards, 25 George Foster Peabody Awards, 14 Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards, three Academy Awards and the first-ever George Polk Documentary Film Award. Learn more at pbs.org/pov and follow @povdocs on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
About American Documentary, Inc.
American Documentary, Inc. (AmDoc) is a multimedia company dedicated to creating, identifying and presenting contemporary stories that express opinions and perspectives rarely featured in mainstream media outlets. AmDoc is a catalyst for public culture, developing collaborative strategic engagement activities around socially relevant content on television, online and in community settings. These activities are designed to trigger action, from dialogue and feedback to educational opportunities and community participation.
Major funding for POV is provided by PBS, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Wyncote Foundation, Reva & David Logan Foundation, Open Society Foundations, Perspective Fund and the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional funding comes from Nancy Blachman and David desJardins, Bertha Foundation, The Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s Charitable Trust, Park Foundation, Sage Foundation, New York State Council on the Arts, public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, Chris and Nancy Plaut, Abby Pucker, Ann Tenenbaum and Thomas H. Lee and public television viewers. POV is presented by a consortium of public television stations, including KQED San Francisco, WGBH Boston and THIRTEEN in association with WNET.ORG.
