About three-quarters of U.S. adults said they watched a new film on streaming services instead of in a theater in the past year, according to a recent poll. Yet in Boston, historic independent theaters, like The Brattle Theatre in Cambridge and Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline, are drawing some of their largest audiences in years.

Independent films also typically exhibit more diversity and don’t shy away from what is deemed “taboo.” Because of this creativity and divergence from the “norm,” they succeed in telling raw, emotional and thought-provoking stories that are palpable to audiences worldwide.

College of Communication professor David Abel's newest climate change documentary, “Inundation District,” was featured as the closing night film of the GlobeDocs Film Festival this Sunday.