One of my favorite PBS series, Independent Lens, will be showcasing four new documentary films in May. If you're a fan of the series, here's what you can look forward to. If you've never seen the series before, I encourage you to check it out, as the films featured are always well-made, and always compelling.

On May 8 at 10:30 p.m., "The Cats of Mirikitani" looks at the life of artist Jimmy Mirikitani, an 80 year old who has survived both internment camps and the bombing of Hiroshima.

On May 15 at 10:00 p.m., "Sentenced Home" looks at three Cambodian refugees in the Seattle projects facing deportation for regretful decisions they made as teenagers.

Animal Planet host Jeff Corwin was tossed by an elephant while filming a segment with CNN's Anderson Cooper. Corwin is a regular correspondent for Cooper's show, Anderson Cooper 360, for a segment called "Planet in Peril". The duo was in Cambodia at the Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center when one elephant put Corwin's arm in his mouth and shook him. On his blog, Cooper describes what happened to Corwin as being "tossed like a ragdoll". Corwin also posted on the blog, and describes the incident in very little detail and a non-alarmist way. It's apparent from his post that he's more concerned with the plight of the Cambodian elephants than with what happened.

The video is on Cooper's blog (and on YouTube) right now, and once you watch it, you'll be amazed to know that Corwin was generally okay. His arm wasn't even broken, just badly twisted and bruised. After the incident, Corwin continued filming with Cooper and then went to get checked out by a doctor, who put him in a sling. He may have some ligament damage, but will have to wait to know for sure when he returns to the U.S. I was actually very impressed with Cooper's reporting because he didn't let the incident overshadow the real reason for being with the elephants.

Video after the jump (the attack happens at 2:40 into the video):

[Thanks, Tim UF!]