Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
What begins as an adrenaline-fueled wild hog hunting excursion in the Ozarks, gradually unfolds into a quiet reckoning, as the two men confront the distance that has grown between them. Iranian American filmmaker Andy Sarjahani and his childhood friend Bubba reunite for an intimate and revealing conversation.
In the years following 9/11, Andy and Bubba’s lives took sharply different paths. As anti-Middle Eastern sentiment intensified across the country, Andy found himself grappling with questions of identity, belonging, and perception. Reunited in a landscape that holds their shared past, the hunt becomes more than a pursuit of prey; it becomes a space where long-avoided truths surface.
Set against the stark beauty of the Ozarks, Andy’s journey is one of self-examination and reconciliation—not only with Bubba, but with the complexities of his own identity in America.
"Wild Hogs and Saffron" Directed by Andy Sarjahani
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Stream anytime on the PBS app pbs.org/independentlens
Follow Independent Lens on social:
Instagram: instagram.com/independentlens
Threads: threads.net/independentlens
Facebook: facebook.com/independentlens
YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCnDUknWztWaLs7motsqGwPg?sub_confirmation=1
Keep up with PBS Digital Studios:
Instagram: instagram.com/pbsds
TikTok: tiktok.com/@pbsdigitalstudios
Facebook: facebook.com/PBSDigitalStudios
ABOUT INDEPENDENT LENS
@independentlens is an award-winning documentary series that fosters understanding, seeks to build empathy, and encourages a more united society. Produced by ITVS, Independent Lens documentaries have premiered on PBS for 25 years and streamed on YouTube, helping Americans foster deeper connections between communities and themselves. From the Oscar-nominated I Am Not Your Negro to the Peabody-acclaimed docuseries Philly D.A. and the EmmyⓇ award-winning The Invisible War, Independent Lens provides viewers with in-depth, nuanced storytelling reflecting the experiences of people from a variety of voices and communities. Funding is provided by the Action Circle for Independent Lens with major funding from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Acton Family Giving, Ford Foundation, and Jonathan Logan Family Foundation, with additional support from Artemis Rising Foundation, Wyncote Foundation, Park Foundation, Brandt Jackson Foundation, the deNovo Initiative, and RandomGood Foundation. Additional support has been provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
*This program is made possible by viewers like you. Support your local PBS station: pbs.org/donate
What begins as an adrenaline-fueled wild hog hunting excursion in the Ozarks, gradually unfolds into a quiet reckoning, as the two men confront the distance that has grown between them. Iranian American filmmaker Andy Sarjahani and his childhood friend Bubba reunite for an intimate and revealing conversation.
In the years following 9/11, Andy and Bubba’s lives took sharply different paths. As anti-Middle Eastern sentiment intensified across the country, Andy found himself grappling with questions of identity, belonging, and perception. Reunited in a landscape that holds their shared past, the hunt becomes more than a pursuit of prey; it becomes a space where long-avoided truths surface.
Set against the stark beauty of the Ozarks, Andy’s journey is one of self-examination and reconciliation—not only with Bubba, but with the complexities of his own identity in America.
"Wild Hogs and Saffron" Directed by Andy Sarjahani
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Stream anytime on the PBS app pbs.org/independentlens
Follow Independent Lens on social:
Instagram: instagram.com/independentlens
Threads: threads.net/independentlens
Facebook: facebook.com/independentlens
YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCnDUknWztWaLs7motsqGwPg?sub_confirmation=1
Keep up with PBS Digital Studios:
Instagram: instagram.com/pbsds
TikTok: tiktok.com/@pbsdigitalstudios
Facebook: facebook.com/PBSDigitalStudios
ABOUT INDEPENDENT LENS
@independentlens is an award-winning documentary series that fosters understanding, seeks to build empathy, and encourages a more united society. Produced by ITVS, Independent Lens documentaries have premiered on PBS for 25 years and streamed on YouTube, helping Americans foster deeper connections between communities and themselves. From the Oscar-nominated I Am Not Your Negro to the Peabody-acclaimed docuseries Philly D.A. and the EmmyⓇ award-winning The Invisible War, Independent Lens provides viewers with in-depth, nuanced storytelling reflecting the experiences of people from a variety of voices and communities. Funding is provided by the Action Circle for Independent Lens with major funding from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Acton Family Giving, Ford Foundation, and Jonathan Logan Family Foundation, with additional support from Artemis Rising Foundation, Wyncote Foundation, Park Foundation, Brandt Jackson Foundation, the deNovo Initiative, and RandomGood Foundation. Additional support has been provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
*This program is made possible by viewers like you. Support your local PBS station: pbs.org/donate
