The Big Screen

In 2014 a white, Methodist minister set himself on fire as a protest against racism in his home town of Grand Saline, about an hour east of Dallas. This week, we talk with Joel Fendelman, the director of a new documentary about the incident and how it's forced the town to reconcile its past and present.

"Man on Fire" begins streaming on PBS.org on Tuesday and will air on KERA-TV in January.

It's been three years since a traffic stop in Waller County, Texas, erupted into a physical confrontation between a white officer and black motorist and ended with her death while in custody. This week, we talk about a new documentary that tells the story of Sandra Bland's death and her family's search for justice.

"Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland" is currently airing on HBO.

In "Boy Erased," a young, gay man is forced by his deeply religious parents into what's known as conversion therapy. Growing up in Oklahoma, Curtis Smith went through years of similar therapy before he was able to accept who he is. And today, he's pastor of Trinity Metropolitan Community Church in Grand Prairie, which serves the LGBT community. This week, Smith joins us to talk about how "Boy Erased" handles a practice that leaves some scarred for life.

In a new documentary, seven veterans mostly from Texas detail their experiences in Vietnam - from the draft to boot camp, battle and back home. This week, we talk with the editor of "The Mark of War," who searched through thousands of hours of footage from the war to tell a personal story of people who served. Humanities Texas hosts a free screening of the film Thursday night at the Angelika Film Center in Dallas.

The Lone Star Film Festival begins five days of films Wednesday in Fort Worth. And Gregory Beck is going to be busy. The Fort Worth director has not one but TWO shorts in the fest. His documentary "Buck 'Em" tells the story of a North Texas bullrider making a living on the rodeo circuit. And his narrative film "You're Served" centers on a process server with a unique sense of humor. Plan your festival going and report back on what you see.

In the film "1985," a young man returns home for the holidays burdened with how he'll tell his family that he's dying of AIDS. It's the latest from Austin resident and former North Texas director Yen Tan, who talks with us about how a story set in the past can inform the present. The film previously played at SXSW and the Dallas International Film Festival in the spring and opens at the Texas Theatre on Friday.

When we watch horror movies, it's the creepy music that sets us up for the big scares. So it's notable that one of the original horror movies -- 1931's "Frankenstein" – doesn't have any music at all. That changes next week when the Dallas Winds perform a newly conceived score alongside the film. This week we talk about how music works to put us on edge with Jerry Junkin, who will conduct the score.

Oct. 17-21, Moviegoers in Fort Worth will get an early look at some films that will soon be vying for Oscars. This week, we preview Modern Cinema, which runs through Sunday at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. Joining us is Christopher Kelly, the former Fort Worth Star-Telegram movie critic who curated the lineup.

Robert Redford has said that his new movie, "The Old Man and the Gun," will be his last. And if that's true, it means a Dallas director will guide his final performance (which is getting great reviews, BTW). This week, we talk about the experience with the film's director, David Lowery.

Ted Cruz and challenger Beto O'Rourke are in the home stretch in their campaign for the U.S. Senate. And while many Texans have their minds made up, a new documentary is taking a nonpartisan look at the race to educate the undecided. This week, we talk with Steve Mims, director of "Run Like the Devil," which screens Oct. 12 as part of Docufest.