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‘The Flagmakers’ sews a portrait of an icon and the people who make it

Political Theater, Episode 276

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy exchanges flags with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., at the end of his address to a joint meeting of Congress in the Capitol on Dec. 21, 2022.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy exchanges flags with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., at the end of his address to a joint meeting of Congress in the Capitol on Dec. 21, 2022. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)
By Jason Dick
Posted January 11, 2023 at 4:17pm

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:

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