''The Flagmakers'' is a

2022 The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...

documentary film about the workers of employee-owned American flag manufacturer Eder Flag who manufacture American flags and flagpoles. The film focuses on the factory's diverse workforce, including locals, immigrants, and refugees.

Synopsis

''The Flagmakers'' examines the workforce of the Eder Flag factory located in Oak Creek,

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

, the largest manufacturer of American flags in the nation. Eder Flag's employees are largely

refugee A refugee, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), is a person "forced to flee their own country and seek safety in another country. They are unable to return to their own country because of feared persecution as ...

s and

immigrants Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not usual residents or where they do not possess nationality in order to settle as permanent residents. Commuters, tourists, and other short- ...

from all around the world, including Asia, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Africa, and Latin America. The film follows several different employees, examining the meaning behind the American flag through their individual stories. The main narrator, Radica, immigrated from

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

when it was on the brink of war over 30 years ago. She learned English from watching episodes of ''

Married With Children ''Married... with Children'' is an American television sitcom created by Michael G. Moye and Ron Leavitt for the Fox Broadcasting Company, broadcast from April 5, 1987, to June 9, 1997. It is the longest-running live-action sitcom ever aired on ...

''. The film contrasts the optimism of Ali, a war survivor from

Baghdad Baghdad ( or ; , ) is the capital and List of largest cities of Iraq, largest city of Iraq, located along the Tigris in the central part of the country. With a population exceeding 7 million, it ranks among the List of largest cities in the A ...

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

, with the after-effects of being attacked at a local store due to being an immigrant. The film explores the hardships felt by Eder Flag's employees, including production manager SugarRay, who reflects on recent tragedies including the

murder of George Floyd On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black American man, was murdered in Minneapolis by Derek Chauvin, a 44-year-old White police officer. Floyd had been arrested after a store clerk reported that he made a purchase using a c ...

and the

shooting of Jacob Blake On August 23, 2020, Jacob S. Blake, a 29-year-old black man, was shot and seriously injured by police officer Rusten Sheskey in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Sheskey shot Blake in the back four times and the side three times after Blake opened the driv ...

. He is quoted as saying: "Definitely love this country, you know what I mean? But it don’t always love you back." The film also explores the relationships between Barb, a midwesterner who is retiring from Eder due to health issues, and her "diverse immigrant co-workers". Co-director Cynthia Wade said that the Eder Flag factory was a "'visual tapestry' woven with the diversity of its employees and richness of the sewing process for flags". Filming began in 2019, before the start of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, causing the filmmakers to expand the narrative to include the impacts of the COVID-19 on the factory workers. Wade also said Eder Flag has seen an increase in flag orders since the film debuted.

Production

Directed and produced by veteran documentary makers

Cynthia Wade Cynthia Wade is an American television, commercial and film director, producer and cinematographer based in New York City. She has directed documentaries on social issues including '' Shelter Dogs'' in 2003 about animal welfare and '' Freeheld'' ...

and Sharon Liese, ''The Flagmakers'' was also produced by NBA superstar

Giannis Antetokounmpo Giannis Sina Ugo Antetokounmpo ( Adetokunbo; born December 6, 1994) is a Nigerian-Greek professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). His size, speed, and strength have earned him the nick ...

Release

''The Flagmakers'' had its world premiere at the 2022 Camden International Film Festival on September 16, 2022. The film was released on the

National Geographic ''National Geographic'' (formerly ''The National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as ''Nat Geo'') is an American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. The magazine was founded in 1888 as a scholarly journal, nine ...

network on December 8, 2022 and on

Disney+ The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...

on December 21, 2022.

Reception

Common Sense Media Common Sense Media (CSM) is an American nonprofit organization that reviews and provides ratings for media and technology with the goal of providing information on their suitability for children.

said: "In light of the flag's increasing use as a symbol of division, the film offers a heartening reminder of how people from different backgrounds can work together and find common ground." Tony Betti of ''LaughingPlace.com'' said the film offers an "oddly poetic look at one of the most successful manufacturers of American flags" in the United States.

Accolades

Stage adaptation

Shortly after release, ''The Flagmakers'' was optioned to be adapted into a

stage musical Musical theatre is a form of theatre, theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, ...

, with

Saheem Ali Saheem Ali is a Kenyan theatre director. He is Associate Artistic Director at The Public Theater in New York City. Early life and education Ali was born in Nairobi, Kenya. He earned his undergraduate degree from Northeastern University and he ...

attached as director.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Flagmakers, The 2020s American films 2020s English-language films 2022 documentary films 2022 films 2022 short documentary films American short documentary films Disney documentary films Disney+ original films Documentary films about immigration to the United States Documentary films about refugees News & Documentary Emmy Award–winning programs English-language short documentary films