Movie Minute - The Gas Station Attendant

POV continues its 39th season with “The Gas Station Attendant,” directed by Karla Murthy (The Place That Makes Us) and produced by Murthy and POV Alum Rajal Pitroda (How To Have An American Baby). A co-presentation with CAAM, the deeply personal documentary explores migration, identity and the complexities of family through decades of home movies and recorded phone conversations tracing Murthy’s father’s unlikely journey from the streets of India to building a life in America.

Praised by Alissa Wilkinson of The New York Times as “engrossing because of the rich tapestry of sources she draws on," “The Gas Station Attendant” will make its national broadcast premiere on POV on PBS Television on Monday, August 3, 2026 at 10pm/9C (check local listings), and will be available to stream until October 3, 2026. POV is America's longest-running nonfiction series, bringing award-winning independent documentaries and their creators to audiences for nearly four decades.

Drawing from years of family archives, Murthy traces her father H. N. Shantha Murthy's hard-won journey from the streets of India to working at a gas station in Texas as he sought to build a life in America. Rather than telling a familiar story of achieving the American Dream, “The Gas Station Attendant” offers a more nuanced portrait of the immigration experience—one that explores sacrifice, aspiration and the pursuit of a meaningful life on one's own terms. Through her family’s archival footage, Murthy reveals her father not as a symbol of the immigration experience, but as a fully realized person whose dreams, disappointments and resilience reflect the complexities of family and belonging.

As Murthy reflects on her own experiences as the daughter of immigrants and, later, as a mother herself, the film becomes both an exploration of intergenerational expectations, identity and the reckoning of a complicated father-daughter relationship shaped by love, financial hardship and the grief of an unfinished goodbye. The result is a moving portrait of one family’s story that resonates far beyond it.

“This film grew from a longing to understand my father's life and to return to the stories I heard throughout my childhood about his journey to America,” said Karla Murthy, director of The Gas Station Attendant. “As an adult searching for my own path, and now as a mother, I found myself listening to those stories in an entirely new way, trying to understand not only where he came from, but how his journey continues to shape my own.

“I wanted to tell an immigrant story that moves beyond familiar narratives of resilience or success to reveal a full human life—one defined by dreams, contradictions, love and loss as much as by work. My hope is that audiences come away seeing not just my father, but the people we pass every day, with greater curiosity, empathy and compassion. I also wanted my film to remind us of our shared humanity and how the power of kindness can profoundly alter the course of someone’s life. At a time when immigrant lives are too often reduced to headlines and political rhetoric, public media creates space for nuance, connection and the kinds of stories that invite us to see one another not as symbols or statistics, but as parents, children, dreamers, and neighbors.”

“The Gas Station Attendant lives in the space between the stories families tell and the ones left unsaid,” said Chris White, Executive Producer of POV and American Documentary. "Drawing from decades of memories and a trove of home movies, Karla Murthy honors her father's journey without simplifying it, creating a film that is as much about family and memory as it is about immigration. In doing so, she asks us to rethink what success looks like, who gets to define it and the stories we tell ourselves about the American Dream. It's a powerful reminder that every life is far more complex than the narratives we often assign to it."

“The Gas Station Attendant” will be available for streaming concurrently with broadcast on all station-branded PBS platforms, including PBS.org and the PBS Video App, available on iOS, Android, Roku streaming devices, Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung Smart TV, Chromecast and VIZIO. PBS station members can view many series, documentaries and specials via PBS Passport. For more information about PBS Passport, visit the PBS Passport FAQ website. In addition to standard closed captioning for the film, POV, in partnership with audio description service DiCapta, provides real-time audio interpretations for audiences with sensory disabilities. 

 

About POV
Building on five 2026 News & Documentary Emmy® nominations, POV remains one of the most highly-acclaimed documentary series in broadcast and streaming. Recent honors include a 2026 Emmy® win for The Ride Ahead (POV Season 38), a 2024 Emmy® win for Eat Your Catfish (POV Season 37), a 2023 Emmy® win for The Last Out (POV Season 36), and a Peabody Award for While We Watched (POV Season 36), marking the eleventh consecutive year a POV film has been nominated for a Peabody and its 28th win. Additional recognition includes an IDA Documentary Award win for Best Curated Series in 2022 and nominations in that category for three consecutive years (2023, 2024, 2025) and the inclusion of seven POV films in Indiewire’s “The 50 Best Documentaries of the 21st Century”: Faya Dayi (2021), The Mole Agent (2020), Minding The Gap (2018), Cameraperson (2016), The Look of Silence (2015), The Act of Killing (2013) and After Tiller (2013). Across its history, POV films and projects have garnered more than 108 News & Documentary Emmy® nominations and won 53 Emmy Awards®, 29 Peabody Awards, 17 Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards, three Academy Awards® and the first-ever George Polk Documentary Film.

Produced by American Documentary, POV is the longest-running independent documentary showcase on American television presenting films on PBS since 1988 that capture the full spectrum of the human experience, with a long commitment to centering women and people of color in front of and behind the camera. The series has introduced generations of viewers to groundbreaking work from filmmakers including  Laura Poitras, Jonathan Demme, Nanfu Wang, Frederick Wiseman, Emiko Omori, Janus Metz Pedersen and Ava DuVernay, and to landmark films such as Tongues Untied (1989), Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse (1992), Rabbit in the Room (1999), Of Civil Wrongs & Rights: The Fred Korematsu Story (2001), Made in L.A. (2007), American Promise (2013), Not Going Quietly (2021), A House Made of Splinters (2022) and the mini-series And She Could be Next (2020).  Since its launch in 2018, POV Shorts has expanded the series’ commitment to short-form storytelling, with films including A Broken House recognized on the Academy Award® shortlist. Extending beyond broadcast, POV engages audiences through streaming on PBS platforms, free educational resources and a nationwide community network that sparks dialogue around urgent social issues. Award. Learn more at pbs.org/pov and follow @povdocs on social media.

About PBS
PBS, with more than 330 member stations, offers all Americans the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and digital content. Each month, PBS reaches over 36 million adults on linear primetime television, 16 million users on PBS-owned streaming platforms, 56 million viewers on YouTube, and 10 million followers on social media, inviting them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature, and public affairs and to take front-row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS’s broad array of programs has been consistently honored by the industry’s most coveted award competitions. As the number one educational media brand, PBS KIDS helps children 2-8 build critical skills, enabling them to find success in school and life. Delivered through member stations, PBS KIDS offers high-quality content on TV — including a PBS KIDS channel — and streaming free on pbskids.org and the PBS KIDS Video app, games on the PBS KIDS Games app, and in communities across America. Teachers of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS LearningMedia for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. More information about PBS is available at PBS.org, one of the leading dot-org websites on the internet, Facebook, Instagram, or through our apps for mobile and connected devices. Specific program information and updates for press are available at pbs.org/pressroom or by following PBS Communications on X.

About American Documentary, Inc.
American Documentary, Inc. (AmDoc) is a multimedia organization dedicated to creating, identifying and presenting contemporary stories that express opinions and perspectives rarely featured in mainstream media outlets. A catalyst for public culture, AmDoc develops collaborative strategic engagement initiatives around socially relevant content across television, digital platforms and in community settings, from dialogue and feedback to educational opportunities and civic participation. AmDoc’s programming includes its multi–Emmy®, Oscar®, and Peabody Award–winning flagship series POV,  the Oscar® and Emmy® winning POV Shorts, and America ReFramed. As part of its ongoing digital expansion, AmDoc is extending the reach of its work through expanded documentary programming on YouTube, connecting independent documentary storytelling with broader audiences and evolving how public media reaches viewers today. Follow @americandocumentary on social media.

Major funding for POV is provided by the Open Society Foundations, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Wyncote Foundation, Park Foundation, and Perspective Fund. Additional funding comes from PBS, the National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts, public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, Acton Family Giving, and public television viewers. POV is presented by a consortium of public television stations, including KQED San Francisco, WGBH Boston and THIRTEEN in association with WNET.ORG.

Tech Time - Vivid-Pix Memory Station Software

Vivid-Pix, a leader in AgeTech dedicated to helping people relive and preserve memories, announced today powerful new updates to Memory Station Software to help individuals and organizations easily scan, organize, enhance, describe, and share photos and videos, turning life’s cherished moments into easily searchable, archival quality, vibrant memories, printed keepsakes, and beautifully crafted video stories. Vivid-Pix Memory Station Software features add a new layer of creativity and realism to Memory Station Stories,  including the ability to play voiceover and other audio in the background of individual memories to narrate the story; integrate digitized movies and video clips directly into Stories; new Story Builder capabilities to seamlessly combine photos, videos, and audio recordings; and even the ability to combine Story presentations, adding an emotional layer that transforms treasured moments into unforgettable experiences. Memory Station Software is available at: https://www.vivid-pix.com/memorystationsoftware/. Memory Station Scanner/Software Bundles are available at: https://vivid-pix.com/memorystation. The software and scanner bundle’s simple, intuitive design allows older adults and technology-nervous individuals to scan, restore, and record audio memories, saving photos, documents, and memorabilia for their use and for future generations.

Travel Tidbits - East African Safaris

How do you get the kids off of their devices? You put them in a world of wonder where there is no other option but to engage in wonder and fixate a gaze on something otherworldly. That happens in East Africa. Kenya and Tanzania stand out as one of the most powerful family bonding experiences in travel and it's no wonder. Here, it's about spending days disconnected, where spotting a lion is far more probable than catching a wi-fi hotspot and that's the whole point. Here's what happens: YOU SHARE ONCE IN A LIFETIME EXPERIENCES- Think walking safaris, trekking through forests, adventures that require teamwork, curiosity and a strong bond. YOU CONNECT WITH OTHER FAMILIES- A wealth of opportunities to engage with local communities to share meals, learn about different traditions and engage with cultural exchanges that help children and parents gain new perspectives. YOU LEARN IN A NATURAL CLASSROOM- East Africa is a living teaching space where kids learn about ecosystems, conservation, and wildlife behavior while exploring places like Ngorongoro Crater, one of the most extraordinary wildlife habitats on Earth. UNPLUGGED QUALITY TIME- Limited wi-fi means less screen time and endless natural beauty, families reconnect with one another sharing stories around the campfire, watching sunsets over the savannah, and experiencing the rhythm of nature together. The team at Classic Safaris has a beautiful array of journey suggestions that are amazingly family focused.

TV Time - The Chosen in the Wild with Bear Grylls

Prime Video released the official trailer and key art for The Chosen in the Wild with Bear Grylls, offering the first extended look at the cast and creator of The Chosen as audiences have never seen them before.

Jonathan Roumie (Jesus), Paras Patel (Matthew), Elizabeth Tabish (Mary Magdalene), Noah James (Andrew), Luke Dimyan (Judas), and series creator and executive producer Dallas Jenkins trade the set for the wilderness as they leap from planes, scale cliffs, eat scorpions, zipline over canyons, and navigate some of the country’s most rugged terrain under the guidance of renowned adventurer Bear Grylls. 

The series premieres August 9, 2026, on Prime Video, with all six episodes available at launch in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Latin America, the UK, and Sub-Saharan Africa. 

For decades, Bear has survived dangerous expeditions around the globe, anchored by his faith in Jesus. Now he's taking the stars of the global hit series on missions into the unknown. Across challenging environments ranging from Utah's Castle Valley and Canyonlands to the Ausable River, the Colorado River, the Great Basin Desert, and the Adirondack Forest, Bear pushes his guests beyond their comfort zones while exploring what makes them tick and drawing out deeply personal conversations about faith and spirituality. 

In addition to being a renowned adventurer, survivalist, and creator of the nonfiction hit series Man vs. Wild, Running Wild with Bear Grylls, and The Island with Bear Grylls, Bear Grylls is the author of the faith-based bestseller Soul Fuel and the recent The Greatest Story Ever Told — a retelling of the life of Jesus reflecting his own deep faith and Christian beliefs.

The Chosen in the Wild with Bear Grylls is produced by 5&2 Studios, alongside The Natural Studios and Workerbee. Executive producers include Bear Grylls, Dallas Jenkins, Brad Pelo, Katherine Warnock, Ben Simon, Delbert Shoopman, Ben Mitchell, Rick Murray, Brent Ryan Green, Ryan Swanson, and Tyler Thompson. All six episodes are directed by Robert Austin Vanover.

In 2025, Amazon MGM Studios inked a first-look, multi-faceted deal with 5&2 Studios. The wide-ranging deal provides streaming rights to the first five seasons of The Chosen, as well as The Chosen in the Wild with Bear Grylls, The Chosen Adventures, and Joseph of Egypt for Prime Video. The pact also includes theatrical and streaming rights to The Chosen's upcoming final two seasons, which will follow the Crucifixion (Season Six) and the Resurrection (Season Seven). Lionsgate handles global distribution for The Chosen and The Chosen in the Wild with Bear Grylls.

House & Home - Weekend Home Maintenance: Small Tasks That Help Protect the Joy of Homeownership

Owning a home comes with pride, comfort, and a sense of accomplishment - but it also comes with an ongoing list of responsibilities. For many homeowners, weekends become an opportunity to tackle small maintenance tasks that can prevent bigger, more expensive problems down the road.

 

As per Hippo’s weekend maintenance guidance, staying on top of routine upkeep - from checking HVAC systems and plumbing to inspecting gutters, windows, and outdoor spaces - can help homeowners protect their investment and keep their homes running smoothly.

 

The key takeaway for homeowners:

 

Home maintenance doesn’t have to mean spending every weekend on repairs. Small, consistent actions can make homeownership feel more manageable, reduce unexpected stress, and help families continue enjoying the comfort and security their homes provide.

 

For families, the goal is simple: a well-maintained home is not just about preventing problems - it’s about creating a safer, more comfortable space to live and make memories.

Healthy Habits - My Kid’s Tooth Was Knocked Out – Can it Be Saved?!

4 Tips to Save a Knocked-Out Tooth by Dr. W. Craig Noblett, President of the American Association of Endodontists

More than five million teeth are knocked out each year, and children under 10 years of age are

extremely susceptible to this injury. Many parents don’t know that a knocked-out tooth can often be saved if treated quickly by a dental specialist. Nothing looks, feels, or functions like natural teeth, and endodontists are the experts in saving teeth.

 

I want to share important steps parents can take to quickly save their child’s natural tooth in an

emergency.

 

1.  Locate the tooth immediately; don’t leave it at the site of the accident. Pick it up by the crown (the chewing surface), not the root, and handle it carefully. To minimize injury to the root, touch only the crown. If the tooth is dirty, gently rinse it with water only.

2.  Insert the tooth back into its socket immediately, if possible. The sooner the tooth is back in its socket, the greater the likelihood it will survive. To insert the tooth, gently push the tooth into the socket with your fingers. Hold the tooth in place with your fingers or have the injured person gently bite down on it. A gauze can be used to bite on as well.

 

3.  Keep the tooth moist at all times. The tooth must not be left outside the mouth to dry. If it cannot be placed back in the socket, place the tooth in an emergency tooth preservation kit or milk. If none of these options are practical, use water.

 

4.  Seek professional help immediately. Dial 911 if there are other injuries to tend to. You may wish to see an endodontist or the nearest available dentist within 30 minutes or as quickly as possible. Endodontists, dentists who specialize in saving teeth through techniques and technologies including root canals and pain diagnosis, are often available on short notice. Their advanced training makes them ideally suited to saving a knocked-out tooth in many cases. To find one in your area visit Find My Endodontist. Many of these injuries are sports related, so if you are a parent of a basketball, hockey, lacrosse, or field hockey player, you should consider having an endodontist in your phone contacts to facilitate getting care should the need arise. I’d recommend sharing this information with your child’s coach or team manager as well.

Music Minute - South Coast Jazz Festival (Ontario, Canada, 8/14-8/16)

Website I Facebook I Instagram I Eventbrite 

South Coast Jazz Festival is marking thirteen years of bringing world class music to rural Ontario with a 2026 edition that stands as one of its most ambitious yet, anchored by the world premiere of previously unreleased music by legendary Canadian jazz pianist Gene DiNovi and a full weekend of performances spanning jazz, blues, folk, Indigenous music, and French and English programming. Recognized by The Wall Street Journal as one of the world's notable travel worthy festivals, South Coast Jazz has grown from a single community event into a cornerstone of Ontario's cultural calendar, generating more than one million dollars in tourism spending and partnering with hundreds of annual community organizations over its history.

"After thirteen years, South Coast Jazz has become so much more than a music festival," said founder, executive and artistic director Juliann Kuchocki. "It's a celebration of community, culture, collaboration and Canadian excellence. This year's festival is particularly meaningful because we're bringing together legendary artists, emerging talent, Indigenous programming, youth workshops, internationally acclaimed musicians in one weekend that truly reflects who we are as Canadians."

"Canada's story is one of many cultures, traditions and musical voices," Kuchocki said. "Jazz has always embraced collaboration and diversity, so it felt natural to bring together Indigenous artists, French and English performances, folk traditions, blues, Latin influences and contemporary jazz into one festival. When audiences experience different cultures together, barriers disappear and communities grow stronger."

The festival unfolds across three days, opening August 14 with the Jazzin’Juniors Youth workshops, already sold out and a reflection of the growing demand for the festival's educational programming. The main event takes place August 15 at the Port Dover Community Centre beginning at 5 PM, followed by an afternoon of programming August 16 at Glenhyrst Gardens in Brantford starting at 1 PM, featuring Le Trio Parisien with acclaimed vocalist Juliet Dunn alongside special guest opening act Thom Atkins.

Throughout the weekend, South Coast Jazz continues its commitment to accessibility and inclusion, with fully accessible venues, ASL interpretation on television editions, and a complimentary designated driver shuttle service (by email request.)

Downloading advance tickets are strongly recommended, with Free GA and VIP seating limited and the first 100 VIP ticket holders receiving reserved table seating. Tickets and the complete festival schedule are available at SouthCoastJazz.com and Eventbrite.

Festival Dates

August 14, 2026, Jazzin’ Juniors. Youth Showcase, Brantford , ON (Sold Out)

August 15, 2026, Main Event, Port Dover Community Centre, Port Dover, ON, 5 PM

August 16, 2026, Glenhyrst Gardens, Brantford, ON, 1 PM

Healthy Habits - Handzies

The back-to-school season is all about getting organized, and adding a simple hand-cleaning solution to your family's routine can make a big difference.

 

From paint-covered fingers after art projects to dirty hands after soccer practice,Handzies delivers a true soap-and-water clean in a convenient wipe. Made with natural castile soap, water, and essential oils, Handzies helps keep hands fresh and clean throughout busy school days and after-school activities.

 

Handzies wipes are made without alcohol, BZK, triclosan, artificial fragrances, or dyes. Plus, they're compostable, biodegradable, vegan, and non-GMO because effective clean should also be gentle on people and the planet.

Whether you're packing backpacks, preparing for creative classroom projects, or heading straight from school to sports practice, Handzies makes it easy to clean up messy hands wherever the day takes you!

 

Available in 30-count soft-packs, 24 individually wrapped towelettes, or an extra-large family bundle. 

Learn more at handzies.com. You can also find Handzies on Amazon.

 

Soul Sustenance - Veteran Psychiatrist Says All Major Religions Are More Alike Than Different

 How is it that people from vastly different faith traditions have such remarkable similarities in their religions? Veteran psychiatrist Dr. Ed Siegel says the answer lies not in doctrine, but in fundamental components shared by all.

 

In his book, A Spiritual Journey: To Know the Creator Despite Limitations of the Brain, Dr. Siegel explores common questions that unite the world’s faith traditions. “Each religion has developed its own way of grappling with life’s greatest mysteries,” he said. Among those are: “How was the universe created? Can we truly understand the Creator’s plan? What is expected of us, and how do we meet those expectations? And what happens to the self after death?”

 

While traveling through Morocco and Spain, coincidentally for 40 days and 40 nights, Dr. Siegel mused that he “might have an epiphany” that could unite rather than divide the world’s religions. On day 37 of his journey, while sitting at a table on the Plaza Mayor of Salamanca, Spain, “enjoying a rather expensive Coca-Cola,” he produced an 81-word statement that, to his surprise, was just what he had hoped to compose. He calls it his “laconic synthesis,” and this sentence became the foundation for A Spiritual Journey.

 

Blending psychiatry, neuroscience and faith, Dr. Siegel traces his own spiritual journey while exploring the limits of human cognition, interfaith understanding and the sense of belonging provided by religion.

 

“It is about time that we come to grips with the fact that there is no one religion for all,” he said. “I have travelled the world visiting cathedrals, churches, temples, synagogues, mosques and shrines, both large and small, and have seen the same kind of uniting peaceful expressions on faces in each and every religious congregation.”

 

Co-authors representing each of the six major faith traditions contribute their own

chapters; among them are internationally known entertainer and inspirational speaker Ben Vereen; India’s treasured Hindu Kathak dancer Purnima Jha; renowned former Yale professor and researcher Jose Manuel Delgado, M.D., Ph.D.; and Benin West Africa’s former President of Parliament, the Hon. Kolawole Idji. The words of renowned Buddhist teacher and spiritual leader, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, provide a powerful epilogue, ending the book on an optimistic note and urging readers to recognize and respect the commonalities that religious traditions offer humanity.

 

“There is a mystery of faith that we as humans cannot be expected to comprehend,” Dr. Siegel added.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Edward Siegel, M.D., is a California psychiatrist with more than 50 years of clinical experience. Throughout his career, he has combined interests in medicine, neuroscience, philosophy, spirituality, music and public education.

 

In addition to his psychiatric practice, he has been active as a lecturer, pianist and community advocate. He received national media attention for his campaign to lower the key of the United States National Anthem so that singers can reach its high notes.

 

His lifelong interest in the relationship between the human brain and spiritual experience led to the writing of A Spiritual Journey: To Know the Creator Despite Limitations of the Brain.

 

For more information, please visit www.edsiegelmd.com. 

Travel Tidbits - Greek Islands

Greece is home to fabulous islands and what Feelosophy loves to do is bring you the ideas about islands that most mainstream travelers never reach but should. Just like...

Ikaria is where people sort of forget to get old. Literally. It has one of the highest concentrations of centenarians in the world and the locals have a word (ikarioti) for the unhurried way of life that researchers believe is responsible. No rush, no schedules, long lunches, afternoon naps, and festivals that start at midnight and go until dawn. There are no tourist buses. The roads are intentionally rough. It is extraordinary.

Tilos is a tiny island between Rhodes and Kos that banned hunting in 1993 and became one of the first wildlife sanctuaries in the Aegean. The result is an island full of birds, wildflowers, medieval castles, and almost no one else.

Kastellorizo sits closer to Turkey than to any other Greek island and has a population of around 500 people. The blue cave of Parasta rivals the Blue Grotto of Capri and there is not a single rental car on the island because there is nowhere to go.

Gavdos is the southernmost point of Europe, a tiny island south of Crete reachable by ferry in summer, with wild beaches, no ATMs, almost no accommodation, and a genuinely end-of-the-world feeling that is becoming nearly impossible to find anywhere else in the Mediterranean.