In the wake of the mass killings at Sandy Hook Elementary School, FRONTLINE investigates a young man and the town he changed forever. Adam Lanza left behind a trail of death and destruction, but little else. He left no known friends, no diary. He destroyed his computer and any evidence it might have provided. His motives, and his life, remain largely a mystery. In collaboration with The Hartford Courant, FRONTLINE looks for answers to the central-and so far elusive-question: who was Adam Lanza? Also this hour: In the aftermath of the tragedy, President Obama called for a national conversation about guns in America. Nowhere is that conversation more intense than in Newtown, where FRONTLINE finds a town divided and explores how those closest to the tragedy are now wrestling with our nation’s gun culture and laws.
Producers: PBS Distribution
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Independent Lens: P-Star Rising – Home Use
In the early ’80s, Jesse Diaz was a rising star in the hip-hop world. Now he’s a struggling single father living in a Harlem shelter with two children to support. But Jesse finally found a shot at redemption in his nine-year-old daughter Priscilla, a precocious, adorable, and immensely talented rapper. Along with older daughter Solsky, the family’s quiet cheerleader, Jesse and Priscilla look to parlay “P-Star’s” talent into victory for the whole family. P-STAR RISING follows this father-daughter duo through four years, capturing all the grit and glamour of the music industry: late nights in the studio, performances around the world, music label negotiations, home schooling, and ultimate financial salvation. But as Priscilla’s star really begins to rise, it taxes all the relationships in her life and tests Jesse as a father in ways he never expected.
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Independent Lens: P-Star Rising – Public Performance
In the early ’80s, Jesse Diaz was a rising star in the hip-hop world. Now he’s a struggling single father living in a Harlem shelter with two children to support. But Jesse finally found a shot at redemption in his nine-year-old daughter Priscilla, a precocious, adorable, and immensely talented rapper. Along with older daughter Solsky, the family’s quiet cheerleader, Jesse and Priscilla look to parlay “P-Star’s” talent into victory for the whole family. P-STAR RISING follows this father-daughter duo through four years, capturing all the grit and glamour of the music industry: late nights in the studio, performances around the world, music label negotiations, home schooling, and ultimate financial salvation. But as Priscilla’s star really begins to rise, it taxes all the relationships in her life and tests Jesse as a father in ways he never expected.
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Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes (Home Use)
Take a fearless look at manhood, sexism, and homophobia in today’s hip-hop culture. Conceived as a “loving critique” of disturbing trends in rap music, this acclaimed documentary pays tribute to hip-hop while challenging the rap music industry for glamorizing destructive stereotypes.
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Frontline: College Inc. – Home Use
The business of higher education is booming. It’s a $400 billion industry fueled by taxpayer money. But what are students getting out of the deal? Critics say a worthless degree and a mountain of debt. Investors insist they’re innovators, widening access to education. FRONTLINE follows the money to uncover how Wall Street and a new breed of for-profit universities are transforming the way we think about college in America.
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FRONTLINE: The Merchants of Cool
Today’s teenagers have money and independence, their lives the object of obsessive focus by corporate America. FRONTLINE explores the culture of today’s teenagers and how they view themselves and their parents. Teenage tastes, attitudes, and aspirations are endlessly sampled by marketers to determine exactly what they want, while Hollywood and Madison Avenue tell a carefully tailored version of teenage life in movies, TV, music and advertising.