Independent Lens backdrop
Documentary

The Best Episodes of Independent Lens Season 27

Every episode of Independent Lens Season 27 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Independent Lens Season 27!

This acclaimed Emmy Award-winning anthology series features documentaries and a limited number of fiction films united by the creative freedom, artistic achievement and unflinching visions of their independent producers and featuring unforgettable stories about a

Airs on
PBS
BestEpisodes
WorstEpisodes
BestSeasons
AllEpisodes

Seasons27

All123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627

Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    Independent Lens Season 27 Episode 1 - Cracking the Code: Phil Sharp and the Biotech Revolution
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #1 - Cracking the Code: Phil Sharp and the Biotech Revolution

    S27:E1

    Phil Sharp's RNA discovery reshaped science, medicine, and the global biotech industry.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  2. Independent Lens Season 27 Episode 2 - Ratified
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #2 - Ratified

    S27:E2

    A bipartisan coalition continues a century-long fight to add gender equality into the Constitution.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  3. Independent Lens Season 27 Episode 3 - Life After
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #3 - Life After

    S27:E3

    Disabled filmmaker Reid Davenport investigates assisted dying and uncovers how ableism, policy, and systemic failures can make death seem like the only option. Who gets real choice -- and who doesn't -- in life and death?

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  4. Independent Lens Season 27 Episode 4 - Vivien's Wild Ride
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #4 - Vivien's Wild Ride

    S27:E4

    When her eyesight begins to fade, a film editor reimagines belonging and what it truly means to see.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  5. Independent Lens Season 27 Episode 5 - The Librarians
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #5 - The Librarians

    S27:E5

    Librarians across the U.S. examine how restrictions on library content are shaping communities. Drawing on historical context, the film explores the broader implications for education and public life.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  6. Independent Lens Season 27 Episode 6 - The Inquisitor
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #6 - The Inquisitor

    S27:E6

    Barbara Jordan was a groundbreaking Texas congresswoman whose sharp intellect and moral clarity transformed U.S. politics. From Nixon's impeachment to civil rights battles, her voice demanded accountability, while she privately faced struggles few ever knew of.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

    7. Trending NowTRENDING NOW

    The 20 BEST Episodes of Independent Lens

    READ
  7. Independent Lens Season 27 Episode 7 - Keep Quiet and Forgive
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #7 - Keep Quiet and Forgive

    S27:E7

    Three decades after her assault, Lizzie confronts her Amish community’s silence around sexual abuse. She leads a movement to support fellow Amish and Mennonite survivors as they navigate trauma, faith, and family ties. With rare access, Keep Quiet and Forgive follows Lizzie and other survivors as they fight to replace “forgive and forget” with healing and justice.

    Director:Sarah McClure
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  8. Independent Lens Season 27 Episode 8 - The Tallest Dwarf
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #8 - The Tallest Dwarf

    S27:E8

    The Tallest Dwarf follows filmmaker Julie Forrest Wyman as she searches for her place in the little people community and unpacks rumors of dwarfism in her own family. Through intimate stories, creative collaborations, and archival history, the film delves into identity and medicine, asking whether society should change people or the structures that limit them.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  9. Independent Lens Season 27 Episode 9 - BACKSIDE: The Unseen Hands of Horse Racing
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #9 - BACKSIDE: The Unseen Hands of Horse Racing

    S27:E9

    Immigrant grooms work year-round on the hidden “backside” of Churchill Downs. Rising before dawn, they care for some of the world’s most prized Kentucky Derby racehorses, revealing how race, labor, and class shape an elite American industry. BACKSIDE: The Unseen Hands of Horse Racing honors the resilience that’s behind the spectacle.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

Season 27 Ratings Summary

"Cracking the Code: Phil Sharp and the Biotech Revolution" is the best rated episode of "Independent Lens" season 27. It scored /10 based on 0 votes. Directed by Unknown and written by Unknown, it aired on 10/6/2025. This episode is rated 0.0 points higher than the second-best, "Ratified".