Plot Synopsis

POV SHORTS is a series of independent short-form documentaries, sourcing films through a variety of channels, including through its open call for entries page (cfe.pov.org), individual pitches from filmmakers as well as films at festivals and from other distributors. POV SHORTS launched on October 1, 2018 with eight films that are packaged thematically with one to three films for each theme. All films were made available on amdoc.org/watch on October 1, and these docs were then made available to PBS programmers on select dates through November 2018. The first four themes (and eight films) include:

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POV Shorts: Money Rules
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Two short docs talk about cities and money: court fees and fines lead to cycles of incarceration for the poor; an experiment in democracy is underway as neighbors decide how to spend part of a public budget. (Release date on PBS television stations: Nov. 5, 2018)

"A Debtors Prison": In the hometown of police shooting victim Michael Brown and the surrounding municipalities, a practice with historical antecedents has become systematic: the operation of modern-day debtors' prisons. A Debtors' Prison follows two plaintiffs in an unfolding court case, Samantha Jenkins and Meredith Walker, as they describe the matrix of controls that subjected them to incarceration for being poor.

"Public Money": Across New York City, a bold experiment in participatory democracy is underway. Since 2012, the city council has steadily increased investment in a process called "Participatory Budgeting", wherein community members gain a role in deciding how to spend part of a public budget. Following the process over one year in Brooklyn's Sunset Park -- a diverse neighborhood of Mexican immigrants, Chinese immigrants and predominantly white gentrifiers -- this quietly observed, verite documentary asks, what happens when community members come together to discuss and decide what development should look like in their neighborhood?

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POV Shorts: Hindsight is 20/20
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Three short docs ruminate on America's past: a world record attempt ends with unexpected outcomes; a (un)historic gathering of 22,000 people proceeds; and Georgia's deep ties to the Confederacy loom. (Release date on PBS television stations: Nov. 5, 2018)

"Balloonfest": In 1986, the aging city of Cleveland attempted a world record: to release the most balloons at once. Watch as an attempt to regain past glory and fame turns awry in Balloonfest.

"A Night at the Garden": In 1939, 20,000 Americans rallied in New York's Madison Square Garden to celebrate the rise of Nazism -- an event largely forgotten from American history. A Night At the Garden uses striking archival fragments recorded that night to transport modern audiences into this gathering and shine a light on the disturbing fallibility of seemingly decent people.

"Graven Image": Using over 100 years of archival footage, director Sierra Pettengill explores the history of the largest Confederate monument, Georgia's Stone Mountain.

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POV Shorts: Positive Images
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Two short docs explore the history and memory of African-American communities: the creator of an archive of black excellence fights to make it permanent; and a family's audiovisual legacy, identities, and relationships are revisited. (Release date on PBS television stations: Nov. 12, 2018)

"GIVE": Challenging traditional documentary practices with experimental approaches to editing and sound, GIVE explores Roland Gordon's motivations to create a monumental visual archive displaying centuries of black agency and achievements, in the United States and beyond. Roland's collage, 'Cloud of Witnesses', is comprised of thousands of photographic portraits, newspapers, and magazines cutouts, presenting an alternative visual history to empower the black community. The film explores collective representations of history, memory, and culture; where pasts, presents, and futures are modeled by the blending of imagination, facts, and love.

"Into My Life": Growing up in the largest affordable housing cooperative in Brooklyn, Cassandra's world was artfully framed by her mother's Super-8 camera. Today, still living in the same place, Cassandra examines and edits these remarkable films, gaining insight into the challenges her mother faced as a creative black woman and the importance of her vision.

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POV Shorts: Earthrise
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Episode Description: This film tells the story of the first image captured of the Earth from space in 1968. Told solely by the Apollo 8 astronauts, it recounts their experiences and explores the beauty and grandeur of the Earth against the blackness of space. (Release date on PBS television stations: Nov. 19, 2018)

"Earthrise"": Earthrise tells the story of the first image captured of the Earth from space in 1968. Told solely by the Apollo 8 astronauts, the film recounts their experiences and memories and explores the beauty, awe, and grandeur of the Earth against the blackness of space. This iconic image had a powerful impact on the astronauts and the world, offering a perspective that transcended national, political, and religious boundaries. Told 50 years later, Earthrise compels us to remember this shift and to reflect on the Earth as a shared home.