Culture

“I felt like we were just going back to a dark time and regressing, and I just wondered, ‘What is going on in that country?’” says the native Filipino filmmaker of A Thousand Cuts, which follows journalist Maria Ressa as she faces intimidation from the government of the Philippines.

Enjoy Playlist's top ten stories published this year, from drama and mystery recaps to features on Polish food and comedy, as well as some bonus popular stories from 2020.

On December 31, 1862, free Blacks and Black slaves gathered to await the enactment of the Emancipation Proclamation on New Year's Day. The Black community has continued to celebrate Watch Night or Freedom's Eve ever since.

A series exploring the response to natural disasters, a self-portrait of America, a new British mystery as well as a remake of a classic, more Finding Your Roots, and more.

To make sense of this remarkable year, WTTW sought to address some of the most important issues of our time with our content, while educating and entertaining children and families. Our Vice President of Community Engagement shares some of his favorites.

Through storytelling and songs, I Am Ireland examines Ireland’s long struggle for freedom with traditional Irish tenor Paddy Homan performing from the perspective of some of Ireland's prominent leaders.

Pandemic, protests, polls: as you've heard a million times since March, this has been an unprecedented year. Throughout, Frontline has tried to help you make sense of it all. Revisit their investigative journalism and films from this year of upheaval.

The three-part, six-hour Hemingway from Ken Burns and Lynn Novick comes to WTTW and PBS in April, featuring the voices of Jeff Daniels and Meryl Streep among others, as well as authors Edna O'Brien, Mario Vargas Llosa, Tobias Wolff, and more.

Little about 2020 has been normal, but the holidays are still here to be enjoyed and celebrated, albeit in an adapted, safe manner. WTTW has as much holiday cheer as you need this December, in the form of PBS KIDS specials, holiday concerts, festive travel shows, and more. 

By blending a lowbrow style and the use of ledger art, Kanza artist Chris Pappan uses his art to undo the erasure of Native peoples' histories and identities.

As the holidays approach, we have warming holiday specials full of music and cheer, plus a look back on a tumultuous year with WTTW News, a documentary on Chicago's candied history, and more. 

2020 has been a year unlike any other in memory, with a worldwide pandemic, a recession, racial reckoning, and a presidential election. As COVID-19 turned life upside down, Chicagoans were left with more questions than answers, and WTTW News had to innovate as they tried to provide them.

The holidays are going to look different this year. But there are still ways to safely get a healthy dose of holiday cheer both in person and virtually in Chicago.

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving airs Sunday, November 22 at 6:30 pm. A Charlie Brown Christmas airs Sunday, December 13 at 6:30 pm.