With travel on just about everyone’s minds this summer, it’s difficult to not daydream about stepping onto a plane and landing somewhere unlike home. For those of us waiting for that moment to arrive, are in need of inspiration or intrigued by global affairs, tour the world – from Asia to the Middle East and across the border – with our international documentary series, Doc World. This month, we’re featuring impactful films from past seasons like Crossings, in which women peacemakers call for an end to a war that has divided the Korean peninsula and its people, and Facing the Dragon, a look at the retreat of American forces in Afghanistan from 2013 to 2017.
Meanwhile, Stories from the Stage brings you love, summer adventures, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences – watch Mondays and on our YouTube channel for more stories.
This August, soak up the summer from every corner of the world.
STREAMING DURING THE PARIS OLYMPICS
Road Runners | Doc World
Available online & on the PBS app through August 12 | Available on PBS Passport, Apple TV+ and Prime Video
In Montego Bay, Jamaica, three athletes from Spot Valley High School prepare to compete in the island’s greatest sporting event: Champs. ROAD RUNNERS follows the students over a year while highlighting the historic and contemporary issues of the island. See what it means to grow up in Jamaica, and learn why these young athletes are striving for success that could determine the rest of their lives. Find more competition films in our Olympics viewer’s guide.
Surf Nation | Doc World
Available online, on YouTube & on the PBS app
In Hainan, China’s southernmost province, hundreds of athletes as young as 9-years-old train as part of the Chinese National Surf team. The young recruits, who have left their families, feel the pressure of failure. Over the course of two years, the film follows two of the country's top surfers, Alex, 17, and Lolo, 22, as they train, compete, and discover what they want their lives to be. Find more competition films in our Olympics viewer’s guide.
WATCH LIVE
Crossings | Doc World
August 1 on TV, online, the PBS app & YouTube (also with Korean subtitles) | Available on PBS Passport, Apple TV+ and Prime Video
A group of international women peacemakers sets out on a risky journey across the DMZ between North and South Korea, calling for an end to the 70-year war that has divided the peninsula and its people. Comprised of Nobel Peace Laureates and renowned activists, the team faces daunting logistical and political challenges as they forge a path with their Korean sisters toward peace and reconciliation. Watch a Meet the Makers conversation with filmmaker Deann Borshay Liem and Women Cross DMZ's Christine Ahn and Aiyoung Choi.
Fauna | POV
August 7 on TV, online & on the PBS app
An old shepherd and his flock live alongside a high-tech laboratory for animal experimentation. Two worlds that are two sides of the same coin. While the shepherd, afflicted with a bone disease, witnesses his profession disappearing, scientists are busier than ever researching the COVID vaccine. FAUNA explores the relationship between humans, animals and science in post-pandemic times.
The Accused: Damned or Devoted? | Doc World
August 8 on TV, online, the PBS app & YouTube | Available now on PBS Passport, Apple TV+ and Prime Video
Powerful cleric Khadim Rizvi has one mission: to preserve blasphemy laws in Pakistan - they prescribe a death sentence for disrespecting the Prophet Muhammad. He is running for the country's highest office to carry out his goal, silencing anyone who tries to change the law with death. The film follows the rise of Rizvi’s push for power as people who have been accused, are just pawns in his game. Go Beyond the Lens with award-winning filmmaker Mo Naqvi.
A Boston (R)evolution
August 14 on TV | Available now on the PBS app
Examine a racially complicated American city as it confronts both its past and future. Boston’s acting mayor, a Black woman once bussed as a child to hostile neighborhoods, breaks 200 years of white male mayors and ushers in the historic 2021 mayoral race.
Ganden: A Joyful Land | Doc World
August 15 on TV, online, the PBS app & YouTube | Available now on PBS Passport, Apple TV+ and Prime Video
Likened by Buddhists to the Vatican City, Ganden is considered the most influential monastery of Tibetan Buddhism. Monks lived in the monastery for more than 500 years before a brutal invasion drove them to India. GANDEN: A JOYFUL LAND is a look at the lives and remembrances of the remaining generation of monks to have studied at the monastery in Tibet where the Dalai Lama’s lineage began.
Facing the Dragon | Doc World
August 22 on TV, online & on the PBS app
As American forces and foreign aid leave Afghanistan, the country's fragile democracy and the recent gains for women hang in the balance. Trapped in the uncertainty are Nilofar and Shakila, who are forced to choose between motherhood and their devotion to reform. FACING THE DRAGON exposes the day-to-day realities of Afghan women on the front lines struggling to maintain their hard-won rights. Hear more from filmmaker Sedika Mojadidi.
The Guardians | Doc World
August 29 on TV, online, the PBS app & YouTube
Iconic monarch butterflies and an indigenous Mexican community both depend on the same ancient forest for their survival, but they face uncertainty. Once loggers of the Oyamel forest, the people of Donaciano Ojeda have made the radical decision to stop and regrow it. Now, they must carve out a sustainable future in their ancestral lands that are part of the protected Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve.
WATCH ONLINE
Afghanistan: The Wounded Land | Doc World – Parts 1 through 4 available on YouTube
An old shepherd and his flock live alongside a high-tech laboratory for animal experimentation. Two worlds that are two sides of the same coin. While the shepherd, afflicted with a bone disease, witnesses his profession disappearing, scientists are busier than ever researching the COVID vaccine. FAUNA explores the relationship between humans, animals and science in post-pandemic times.
Sounds Like Summer | Stories from the Stage
August 5 on TV | Available online & on the PBS app
In honor of the season, tales of joy and disaster under the summer sun. Caroline becomes a Pilgrim and finds herself curious about the lives of its tourists; Colin battles his fear of sharks with scuba diving lessons; as a Peace Corps volunteer, Theresa breaks the rules to go on a rafting adventure.
Love Calls | Stories from the Stage
August 12 on TV | Available online & on the PBS app
An unlikely pair meets for an even less likely reason, and against all odds, a relationship blooms. Micaela’s long search for beauty ends in a surprising revelation; Max learns to interpret the secret language of love; and Amanda discovers that a broken romance can be healed by a chance meeting.
You Only Live Once | Stories from the Stage
August 19 on TV | Available online & on the PBS app
What is a life worth living? A life well lived...because it only happens once. Gianmarco goes on a skydiving trip and realizes that sometimes in love we jump too late; at 15, Brendyn’s dream of a first kiss finally comes true; and Alison and her family celebrate life & death in wonderful and unique ways.
The Cost of Inheritance: An America ReFramed Special
August 24 on TV | Available online, on the PBS app, Apple TV+ and Prime Video
Explore the complex issue of reparations in the U.S. through a thoughtful approach to history, historical injustices, systemic inequities, and critical dialogue on racial conciliation. Using personal narratives, community inquiries, and scholarly insights, the film aims to inspire understanding of the scope and rationale of the reparations debate.
All Dressed Up | Stories from the Stage
August 26 on TV | Available online & on the PBS app
Our relationship with clothes encompasses a whirlwind of emotions. Marvin thinks he dressed up for nothing until a visitor surprises him; Rilda finds out adulthood is filled with decisions, and wearing a suit gives us the courage to make them; and Chandreyee gets stood up but a noble gesture heals her broken heart.
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