The flag of the United States is a worldwide icon. It’s a symbol of liberty with a complicated history. “The Flagmakers,” a documentary from veteran filmmakers Sharon Liese and Cynthia Wade, profiles the people at Eder Flag in Wisconsin, a major manufacturer of flags and flagpoles in the United States. They are a diverse lot, in an influential, swing state, and they represent the tapestry of American society, all while they literally stitch together the tapestry that is the American flag. Liese and Wade join the podcast for a discussion about their documentary short film with an epic sweep, which is on the Oscar shortlist.

Show Notes:

• Thousands of flags fly over the Capitol. They want to track them
• Capitol Lens | Happy Flag Day!
• ‘I look forward to having that extra star’ — Eleanor Holmes Norton shows off American flag with 51 stars
• Everyone used to know her name in politics. Now Martha Mitchell is back
• The Political Theater archives, in all their glory